Maine Background Checks
Health Street’s line of background checks in Maine delivers fast, meticulously researched data on an applicant’s criminal history, references, education and employment. We pride ourselves on providing what employers need to inform their decisions about the people they hire. Maine employment background checks give companies the assurance that their new hires have been fully vetted and won’t pose a risk. Verify if someone is being honest with you before you hire them – with Maine background checks from Health Street.
What Background Checks in Maine does Health Street offer?
Criminal Background Check Packages
Health Street’s criminal background check packages always start with a Social Security Number Trace. From there, you can add specific background checks, choose from one of our most popular packages, or build your own.
Why Health Street For Maine Background Checks?
Performing background checks in the Pine Tree State involves knowing and following state rules and regulations which may stipulate what information can be taken into account when making hiring decisions. Requirements vary by state.
Performing background checks on your own is risky and can lead you into legal trouble. Hiring a background check company, known as a Credit Reporting Agency or CRA, is highly advisable. A credit reporting agency’s job is to stay abreast of Maine background check laws. Reputable CRA’s help you avoid pitfalls such as:
The risk of uncovering too much information in a background check is significant. Laws such as the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Federal Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) mandate that certain protected information cannot be considered by employers when making hiring decisions. When hiring in Maine, it is crucial to use a CRA that understands the complexity of background check laws in Maine.
Background Check Laws Specific to the State of Maine
The state of Maine adopted a “ban the box” policy prohibiting employers from inquiring about a job applicant’s criminal history in 2019, but the law applies only to state government employers, not general employers. Maine’s laws regarding criminal background checks are similar to the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) laws, which regulate background checks nationally. If you conduct a pre-employment criminal background check on a job applicant, you must obtain their permission in writing.
If employers in Maine obtain credit checks prior to employment, they must obtain written consent from the job applicant before requesting a report from one of the three major credit reporting bureaus. The FCRA doesn’t limit the amount of timethat criminal background checks can go back, and the state of Maine’s criminal history record information (CHRI) check will cover any adult conviction and adjudication records for adult and/or juvenile felonies that the agency has on record. CHRI will also provide information on pending cases that are less than a year old. CHRI also checks the national sex offender registry.
Maine mandates that employers conduct criminal record checks for “direct access workers” in many industries, including people with access to children, the elderly, and a variety of health industry workers, including adult day care workers, temporary nurses, and hospice providers.
Statistics on Crime in the State of Maine
The most recent crime statistics reported by Maine’s Department of Public Safety cover 2017. Maine residents experienced 21,803 crimes in 2017, a decrease of 8.2% over 2016.
Maine recorded an all-time high of 2,764 stolen motor vehicles in 1978. This crime has declined sharply, and although there were 17 more cars stolen in Maine in 2017 than in the previous year, the total motor vehicle thefts was 792 statewide. Police reported 33 hate crimes involving 43 victims in 2017, and 136 arsons, a 34.9% decrease from 2016. According to Maine’s “Crime Clock,” state residents experienced 1 property or violent crime every 24 minutes and 6 seconds throughout 2017.
DOT Background Screening Services
If your business hires truck drivers, DOT regulations require that you reach out to prior employers as well as check the FMCSA Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse for violations. You also need to run a Motor Vehicle Report (MVR) to ensure that your drivers have a clean, safe driving record.
Health Street takes this work off of your hands and stores your Maine background checks securely in the same convenient online portal where you can manage your DOT drug testing and random pool. We contact prior employers, check the Clearinghouse on your behalf, and report it all back to you in a comprehensive background check report, that includes:
Resume Verification Services
Education verification and reference checks are also critical to the pre-employment background checks in Maine. Employers should also verify an applicant’s resume, confirming their:
Calling all of the schools and employers on a person’s resume to confirm if your applicant is telling the truth could take hours. Fortunately, Health Street can easily handle your Maine resume and employment verifications quickly and effectively. We will flag any discrepancies and report them back to you.