You know you should do background checks on your new hires, but you’re not sure it’s worth the trouble. After all, you’re a pretty good judge of character, and most people are honest anyway — aren’t they? Unfortunately, the evidence suggests otherwise. Did you know 85% of employers have found lies on candidates’ resumes?
One of your sales representatives alleges that her manager has been making inappropriate sexual advances. The accuser makes a number of disturbing allegations. They include offering a promotion in exchange for a date, explicit text messages and lewd comments about the accuser’s physical appearance. If the allegations turn out to be true, will your organization be held responsible?
Your relationship was going great, but for some reason things just don’t feel the same anymore. It’s hard to put your finger on it, but you can sense a change in your spouse or partner. Could they be having an affair or inappropriate relationship? Sadly, infidelity is an all-to-common occurrence in our society, with 16.3% of married adults admitting to having had extramarital sex at least once.
A man employed as a concrete cutter in California filed a workers’ compensation claim, alleging injuries so severe he had lost the use of one arm. After missing 3 months of work, he was videotaped giving skydiving lessons, showing zero ill effects from his supposed injuries. The man was observed boarding a plane, carrying skydiving equipment and landing a parachute with a student attached to his body.
A recently hired sales representative is charged with sexual assault against a fellow sales rep. The ensuing investigation reveals that the new employee had a prior rape conviction, but because the company failed to conduct a criminal background check, the hiring manager did not know this before making the job offer.
Business investigations can bring significant stress and agitation, disrupt the workplace environment, erode trust and put a damper on morale. When confronted with allegations of fraud, embezzlement, discrimination or harassment, or a need to verify workers compensation claims, many companies try to handle things themselves.
