Confirming degrees can be as easy as 1-2-3 or it could require quite a lot of additional information, follow-up, follow-through, and steps. There are times when specific information is required, so the more the merrier. We recommend providing as much information as is available. There have been many instances that have required a person’s exact name at the time of graduation, date of birth, Social Security number, student identification number, year of graduation, and exact location of the school. Of course there are verifications that require a school-specific waiver to be completed by your candidate. All information we have at our disposal means you have the best chance possible of not only having the results you require but having them back quickly.

International Education

If your candidate had gone to school abroad, Justifacts will provide you with the proper forms and details for verifying the education. We have an international network we utilize for international education confirmation with which we have had great success. We recommend, once you receive the criteria, that you submit everything to us at once, following the requirements carefully. This helps to avoid unnecessary delays or complications. For example, a degree copy may be required of the candidate and the candidate may, instead, substitute transcripts. While this may not hinder a verification, it may create a further delay in receiving the results. Our international vendors are responsive and flexible, but they have provided us with the guidelines based on the experience of verifying information in that specific country in question.

School Delays

Justifacts follows up with schools consistently while the verification is in process, but we never discourage a candidate from contacting the school to help facilitate the process, as well. School’s rely on alumni for many things, and a quick call by a former student to the school’s alumni association may go a long way. Also, a charming call to Mrs. Smith, Guidance Secretary, by a former student she may remember might just push that candidate’s request to the top of the pile.

Location, Location, Location

Sometimes school’s close. We probably all know of a school in our local area that has closed down for one reason or another. The more information we have about the situation, the faster and easier the verification will be for our verification specialists. A school could have merged with another, so a call to the new school would be required. A school might have closed down and sent all student records to the district office or to the Department of Education in that state. The more research involved by our team, the higher the chance of delays there becomes. Having that information upfront or even supplemented during the process by the applicant could make a world of difference. GEDs Throughout the years, Justifacts has seen many times when a candidate will put a testing site as the grantor for the GED. However, 99% of the time the GED is actually conferred through the Department of Education in the state in which they had tested. Also, there are times when a candidate will indicate that they had earned a high school diploma and will write down the last high school they had attended when they had actually earned a GED through the Department of Education. The process is initiated based on the information provided, so a second verification is typically required.

Verification Fees

In our industry we are seeing an increasing number of fees associated with verifications. Not only are the number of schools participating in the outsourcing of records increasing, but we are also seeing an increase in the fees. It is very helpful for our process if we know of a limit to the dollar amount the client would not like to go over automatically. For instance, many clients will approve all fees that are $15.00 and under without further permission for a verification. This helps us to avoid a day or two of emails requesting permission. We do support clients in any way we can, so if it helps with a client’s bookkeeping to know what to expect at invoice time we truly do understand and are flexible with that specification.

Facilitating the process is always a helpful prospect. However, we are a verification company at the end of the day, and we will sometimes go through many hurdles to provide to you what you need. We are in the business of helping our clients hire the right people, and we will do what it takes to make that happen.

The City of Philadelphia, PA passed a law (Bill# 160840) amending the Philadelphia general Code, Title 9 which prohibits employers from seeking for, or asking from job applicants, their wage history. The mayor of Philadelphia signed the law on 01/23/17 and it will be effective in 120 days.

The law makes the following an unlawful practice:

1) To inquire about a prospective employee’s wage history, require disclosure of wage history, or condition employment or consideration for an interview or employment on disclosure of wage history, or retaliate against a prospective employee for failing to comply with any wage history inquiry or for otherwise opposing any act made unlawful by this Chapter.

2) To rely on the wage history of a prospective employee from any current or former employer of the individual in determining the wages for such individual at any stage in the employment process, including the negotiation or drafting of any employment contract, unless such applicant knowingly and willingly disclosed his or her wage history to the employer, employment agency, employee or agent thereof.

This law will require a review of the hiring process in place, including any documentation or forms that all applicants must complete, and may require changes to that process.

Justifacts recommends that you consult with your legal department to determine what changes, if any, need to be made to your hiring process in order to comply with this law. The complete text of the legislation can be found here:

https://phila.legistar.com/View.ashx?M=F&ID=4807621&GUID=4879E82B-7023-4B83-8FD6-2FC2B4FF0EBC

It is important to note that Justifacts is providing this information as a service to our clients. None of the information contained herein should be construed as legal advice, nor is Justifacts engaged to provide legal advice. Although we go to great lengths to make sure our information is accurate and useful, we recommend you consult your attorney or legal department if you want assurance that our information, and your interpretation of it, is appropriate to your particular situation.

Effective January 22, 2017, the City of Los Angeles, CA will impose an ordinance that restricts employers in the city from asking about and using criminal record information.

Under the ordinance (#184652), the following restrictions, among others, will apply:

• An employer shall not include on any application any question that seeks the disclosure of an applicant’s criminal history.
• An employer shall not conduct a criminal history inquiry until after such employer has extended a conditional offer of employment to the applicant.
• An employer shall not take any adverse action against an applicant to whom a conditional offer of employment has been made based on an applicant’s criminal history unless the employer performs a written assessment that effectively links the specific aspects of the criminal history with risks inherent in the duties of the employment position sought by the applicant.
• An employer, prior to taking an adverse action, shall provide applicant a “Fair Chance process”, including:

• A written notification of the proposed adverse action
• A copy of the written assessment required under the ordinance
• Any other information or documentation supporting the employers proposed adverse action

The employer shall not take any adverse action or fill the employment position sought by the applicant for a period of at least five (5) business days after the applicant is informed of the proposed adverse action. If the applicant provides any information or documentation, the employer shall consider the information and perform a written reassessment of the proposed adverse action. If the employer takes adverse action after performing the reassessment, the employer shall notify the applicant and provide a copy of the written reassessment.

• Employers shall state in all solicitations or advertisements seeking applicants that employer will consider all qualified applicants with criminal histories.
• Employers shall post a notice informing applicants of the provisions of this ordinance at every workplace, job site or other location in the city under employers control and visited by employment applicants.

The full text of this ordinance is available here:

http://clkrep.lacity.org/onlinedocs/2014/14-0746_ORD_184652_12-9-16.pdf

This law will require a review of the hiring process in place and may require changes to that process. Additionally, the law requires posting notices at hiring sites. Justifacts recommends that you consult with your legal department to determine what changes, if any, need to be made to your hiring process in order to comply with this law.

For more information on the ‘Rules and Regulations’ for Los Angeles’ Ban the Box, you can visit here:

http://bca.lacity.org/site/pdf/eeo/Fair%20Chance%20Ordinance%20Rules%20

and%20Regulations%20Final.pdf

For a copy of the notice that must be posted at the hiring sites, you can click here:

http://bca.lacity.org/site/pdf/eeo/Notice%20to%20Applicants%20and%20Employees

%20for%20Private%20Employers.pdf

It is important to note that Justifacts is providing this information as a service to our clients. None of the information contained herein should be construed as legal advice, nor is Justifacts engaged to provide legal advice. Although we go to great lengths to make sure our information is accurate and useful, we recommend you consult your attorney or legal department if you want assurance that our information, and your interpretation of it, is appropriate to your particular situation.