Background Checks

[Tiberius Jim]

I recently found out that a former coworker of mine has been hired by the same company I work for, for the same position as mine, but at a different location.

And I'm pissed.

The reason why? She left her former place of employment not because the company went out of business, as I and many others did. No, she left by different means. She left in the company of two Pittsburg Police officers and with some fancy new bracelets.

This occurred because back in November of last year, before we closed our doors but during the liquidation sale, our LP department had discovered that she had been taking customer credit card returns and instead of returning them to their card...she returned them to her OWN card. Just a little think known as credit fraud if I am not mistaken. She was then arrested, and I believe she paid some of the money back.

On top of that, my district manager came into my store one day and told me he had just interviewed a young lady who worked at the same store I did, and asked if I had anything good to say about her. WHen he told me her name, I told I most certainly did not, and let him know that her reason for leaving her previous employer was not related to the closures, and involved the police. He simply said "Hmm, okay" and that was it.

And now, fast forward to present day, I am scanning a productivity report for our district and who's name do I see? And what position is it listed under?

My question to anyone who knows about the justice system and/or criminal background checks is simply...how could this happen? How could she be going from committing a serious crime like that and then working at a very similar job mere months later? Also, should I contact her direct superior and inform them, let them know to maybe keep an eye on her?

 

[TheSeeker]

It's pretty incredible that this guy completely ignored what you had to say. I'd be tempted to let them reap what they have sewn but I honestly can't say what I'd do in your position.

 

[Hermiod]

Ultimately, if you are not responsible for this person at your new place of employment then it's not your problem.

Yes, she did commit a crime at her old place of employment but that's up to the Police and the courts to deal with. Unless you can prove that she's continuing to commit criminal acts at her new place of employment then all you'd be doing is making a rod for your own back.

 

[JoeZhang]

1) nobody likes a grass - persist and you just mark yourself as a snitch.


2) you don't know the ins and the outs of the case, if the employer knows about it and is happy then it's nothing to do with you.

 

[backstept]

I don't think you should make too big a stink about it . . . you've already mentioned it to your district manager, so it's pretty much out of your hands at the moment . . . not that it was ever truly 'in your hands' to begin with
you might one day be able to say 'I told you so.' but currently it seems that your spheres of influence don't overlap, such as to create any sort of problem that I can see . . .

past behavior does not necessarily indicate possible future behavior. I mean who knows, maybe she's reformed her ways?

 

[Franklin]

I can see how it upsets you. But if your job is secure, if you don't have to interact with her, and if you are basically happy in your new job anyway, then I'd let it go.

Now, if she hadn't paid her taxes, I'd say she never should've gotten the job and you'd have a real beef.

 

[Garrovick]

When you contact her direct supervisor, make sure you have the proper legal proof of her crimes.

Or,

You might end up being shown the door when her supervisor contacts your supervisor.

 

[An Officer]

Maybe she's hot and the interviewers fancied her... some men are just THAT dumb.

 

[Plecostomus]

Maybe she's hot and the interviewers fancied her... some men are just THAT dumb.

It's those damn hypno-tits. They ought to outlaw cleavage at job-interviews... On both sides of the table!

 

[Scout101]

stay out of it. not your problem. you told them when they asked, they get what they deserve...

 

[SalvorHardin]

Stay out of it. You gave your warning already and that is enough.

She committed a crime in the past, she was arrested and probably payed for her crime.
Maybe she learned her lesson and will not do it again.

Why would you fuck up her chance at continuing her life, especially if your job is secure and does not depend on what she does.

 

[Tiberius Jim]

Okay, so the general consensus is that I not get involved, and I get that now. But my first questions still stands. How could she have possibly gotten past the background check when this only happened 3 months ago?

And no, she is * not* hot. Not in my opinion anyway.

Stay out of it. You gave your warning already and that is enough.

She committed a crime in the past, she was arrested and probably payed for her crime.
Maybe she learned her lesson and will not do it again.

Why would you fuck up her chance at continuing her life, especially if your job is secure and does not depend on what she does.

I simply don't think 3 months is enough time for someone to be properly "reformed".

Plus, she sucked terribly at her previous job, not even counting the illegal stuff. And she was a total bitch.

It just gets to me that I've put in a lot of time and effort to get where I am, never breaking the law in the process, and here someone who is a proven criminal gets the same job I do. Not exactly what I'd call justice.

 

[Jan]

Okay, so the general consensus is that I not get involved, and I get that now. But my first questions still stands. How could she have possibly gotten past the background check when this only happened 3 months ago?

The short time frame may explain it. I've been told, though I've never attempted to verify it, that there's often a time lag between the time of a conviction and it showing up in the databases checked in background checks. It's also possible that she paid restitution and the charge was either dropped or reduced.

Is the new job a situation where she would have access to the same sort of data that made it possible for her to credit her own account as she did in the past? If not, then chances are pretty good that she won't be doing the same thing again. If so, you perhaps should make a confidential appointment with the HR department and let them know.

Jan

 

[jamestyler]

I always find it annoying that background checks are never done properly. I've been in jobs where I'm asked for my references months after singing up. One job I literally just showed up and got placed on a major project on my word alone.

 

[trekkiedane]

It just gets to me that I've put in a lot of time and effort to get where I am, never breaking the law in the process, and here someone who is a proven criminal gets the same job I do. Not exactly what I'd call justice.

But that's what justice is; do a crime, do the time -and it's all over.

Might not feel (perhaps: be) fair to the people that never do anything wrong and work hard, but justice and fairness are two different things.

If she, indeed, is a bad apple, she probably won't hold that job for very long anyway.

 

[John Picard]

I simply don't think 3 months is enough time for someone to be properly "reformed".

Plus, she sucked terribly at her previous job, not even counting the illegal stuff. And she was a total bitch.

It just gets to me that I've put in a lot of time and effort to get where I am, never breaking the law in the process, and here someone who is a proven criminal gets the same job I do. Not exactly what I'd call justice.

Long story short, she's not working with you, for you, or over you, so it's not your problem. Also, whether or not you think three months is not long enough to make her "reformed" is also irrelevant. If you were doing the hiring/supervising your opinion would matter, yet it doesn't. You're better off doing a lot of MYOB and letting her hang herself if any of what you say is true.

 

[QuasarVM]

I'd stay out of it. You could unintentionally open a "can of worms" that might backfire on you...

It doesn't sound worth it to me.

 

[Holdfast]

+1 on everyone saying it's not your problem. She's not directly working for or above or even in the same store as you and you gave your warning to the store manager when you were asked for your opinion (make a retrospective dated/signed note for your own records of the date/time you told that person and as much as you can remember verbatim of the conversation, purely for CYA purposes later down the line when Little Miss Fraudulent does the same again and the recriminations begin).

 

[Timby]

Okay, so the general consensus is that I not get involved, and I get that now. But my first questions still stands. How could she have possibly gotten past the background check when this only happened 3 months ago?

The short time frame may explain it. I've been told, though I've never attempted to verify it, that there's often a time lag between the time of a conviction and it showing up in the databases checked in background checks. It's also possible that she paid restitution and the charge was either dropped or reduced.

This is correct. If she had been charged with misdemeanor theft and was put on court supervision and probation, her plea might only go on the record if she violates the terms of her supervision / probation. Otherwise, the charges would simply go away after a period of time.

Also, Flux, you ask how she could get past the background check ... it depends on how extensive it is. My company pays a lot of money to do extensive, thorough background checks on prospective employees, about as thorough as it gets, but we have to, due to our clientele.

Radio Shack probably doesn't screen extensively, and more than likely only does cursory checks to see if there are felonies on the applicant's record. Misdemeanors aren't generally "do not hire" flags in mass-market retail.

 

[Thespeckledkiwi]

JK why is your avatar punching a koala? That makes me sad.

As for staying out of it, yes because it could always turn around and bite you in the ass. Given how stupid our courts are, you can find yourself in a lot of trouble if she found out that you talked about her, decides to put two and two together and you're now fighting the legal system over a wrongful termination/defamination (I think) or libel or whatever the hell that is called suit.