How do I find out about specific consortium owner requirements?

An employer must first establish a background check policy with their company. Once implemented, they can begin performing background checks, usually for pre-employment, but sometimes ongoing depending on the position. According to the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) § 604 – 15 U.S.C. § 1681b, employers are required to provide applicants with a separate written disclosure, which advises that a consumer report may be obtained for employment purposes. The document must consist solely of the disclosure as a stand-alone document. Additionally, the employer also must obtain the applicant’s written consent to order the background check.

There are two different types of background checks; instant and comprehensive. Instant background checks, also known as “national criminal database searches” provide general information pulled from a commercially available database. These searches aren’t corroborated against any official county court record. Although they are quick, they can often return with error-filled information, since it’s not derived from a verified source. Comprehensive background checks, like DISA’s, involve multiple National Association of Professional Background Screeners (NAPBS) FCRA certified employees confirming that all information aligns with the person who is being checked. These individuals also must hold a private investigator license in order to legally be able to research and verify information about the applicant. This process verifies that the information is accurate and is not information from an alias with the same name as the applicant being screened.

If the employee is non-DOT regulated, then yes you may have a single specimen collection. But for those who are DOT regulated, you cannot. (Please see Part 40 below).

40.17 How does the collector prepare the specimens?

a. All collections under DOT agency drug testing regulations must be split specimen collections.

b. As the collector, you must take the following steps, in order, after the employee brings the urine specimen to you. You must take these steps in the presence of the employee.

1. Check the box on the CCF (Step 2) indicating that this was a split specimen collection.
2. You, not the employee, must first pour at least 30mL of urine from the collection container into one specimen bottle, to be used for the primary specimen.
3. You, not the employee, must then pour at least 15 mL of urine from the collection container into the second specimen bottle to be used for the split specimen.
4. You, not the employee, must place and secure (i.e., tighten or snap) the lids/caps on the bottles.
5. You, not the employee, must seal the bottles by placing the tamper-evident bottle seals over the bottle caps/lids and down the sides of the bottles.