National Association of Professional Background Screeners Responds to EEOC's Guidance on the Use of Criminal Background Checks for Employment Screening Purposes

SCHAUMBURG, Ill., April 26, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The National Association of Professional Background Screeners (NAPBS^®) — The Voice of Screening Professionals — issued this statement on guidance released by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC or Commission):

NAPBS supports and promotes criminal background checks as an appropriate and necessary tool to help employers make informed hiring decisions and ensure the safety and well-being of their staff and customers.

Employers use background checks to protect their business interests, ensure the reliability of their workforce and to protect current employees, customers, members of the public, brand name and trade secret information; criminal history checks are a part of the overall screening of a potential employee.

While we continue to believe the process would have benefited from greater transparency, such as through the public notice and comment process, we recognize and appreciate the bipartisan manner in which the guidance was developed.  We look forward to continuing to work with the Commission on this issue and as we more carefully review the guidance issued there may be additional concerns to consider, such as the treatment of state and local prohibitions or restrictions. We stand committed to educating our members and end-user community on the revised guidance.

About NAPBS^®
Founded in 2003 as a non-profit trade association, the National Association of Professional Background Screeners (NAPBS) represents the interests of more than 700 member companies around the world that offer tenant, employment and background screening. NAPBS provides relevant programs and training aimed at empowering members to better serve clients and maintain standards of excellence in the background screening industry, and presents a unified voice in the development of international, national, state and local regulations. For more information, visit www.NAPBS.com and click the "About" tab.

Media Contact:
Mark Monaco   
[email protected] 
888-686-2727

SOURCE NAPBS