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Background Check
Practical Law Glossary Item 2-502-8465 (Approx. 3 pages)
Glossary
Background Check
In the employment context, an action taken by an employer to verify a potential employee's qualifications, employment history, or other characteristics bearing on suitability for employment. Background checks may also be conducted on existing employees. A background check can include checking:
- References.
- Education and work history.
- Driving records (particularly where the employee or applicant will be driving during employment).
- Credit.
- Criminal history.
- Medical records.
- Drug use (for more information on drug testing, see Employee Drug and Alcohol Testing Under the Americans with Disabilities Act Checklist).
- Military records.
- Bankruptcies.
- Tax liens.
- Licensing records.
- Workers' compensation records.
- UCC filings.
For more information on background checks, see Practice Note, Background Checks and References. The Fair Credit Reporting Act regulates the collection and use of consumer credit information, and employers must comply with it when using third parties to conduct background checks (see Practice Note, Background Checks and References: The Fair Credit Reporting Act and the Use of Third-Party Providers).