Background checks are utilized by companies today to decide whether or not you will be permitted to work for them. Information in these reports can reveal many things about you to a prospective employer; it is critical that you be aware of what a company may uncover via a background check before one is conducted. You need to be aware of what steps you must take to protect yourself should negative information about you be uncovered.

Background checks [or reports] can range from a corroborating an applicant's Social Security number to a detailed description of the prospective employee's history and friends. There are several bits of information that might be included in a background check. Please note that many of these sources are created by governmental agencies and are, in fact, public records:

Bankruptcy Character references Court records Credit records Criminal records Driving records Drug test records Education records Incarceration records Medical records Military records Neighbor interviews Past employers Personal references Property ownership Sex offender lists Social Security No. State licensing records Vehicle registration Workers' compensation

The federal Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) sets national standards for employment screening. This law, however, only applies to background checks performed by an outside company, called a "consumer reporting agency" under the FCRA. The law does not apply in situations where the employer conducts background checks internally.1

Depending on in which state you reside you may have stronger laws than what the federal government mandates. One example can be found in California with their Investigative Consumer Reporting Agencies Act (Civil Code Sections 1786 - 1786.6) and the California Consumer Credit Reporting Agency Act (Civil Code