Answer

What do they look for in a background check?

Background screenings can vary greatly depending on what is required of certain positions, industry standards, and state laws. DISA's products include:

  • Criminal History Checks (Federal, State, and County)
  • Civil Searches (Federal and County)
  • SSN Validity Checks
  • Employment Verifications
  • Education Verifications
  • I-9 and E-Verify
  • State Driving Records
  • Professional Licenses and Credentials
  • Credit Reports
  • Adverse Action Notices
  • Personal Reference Verifications
  • Government Sanctions Lists
  • Sex Offender Searches
  • DOT Testing History
  • Criminal Investigative Services

In most cases, a background check is good for two years. You should check with the contractor's employer for a specific owner’s time frame.

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.

Employers can look for a variety of things in a background check including but not limited to education/employment verification, SSN/i9 checks, or prior federal, state, or county convictions. Although employers can customize their background check policies, depending on the industry or state laws, they have to abide by certain practices to maintain compliance.