From early morning on Thursday, January 12, 2023 to 4 p.m. ET, the Department of Justice (DOJ) National Sex Offender Public Website (NSOPW) was unavailable due to a data source outage of the Michigan (MI) State Sex Offender Registry. The registry is now restored, and all impacted NSOPW sex offender searches are expected to be processed by start of business Monday, January 16, 2023. Thank you for your patience.
Starting Thursday, January 12, 2023, the Department of Justice (DOJ) National Sex Offender Public Website (NSOPW) became unavailable due to an outage of the Michigan (MI) state sex offender registry. At this time, there is no ETA for restoration. As a result, turnaround time delays are expected for NSOPW sex offender searches. We are monitoring the situation and will provide updates as they become available. Thank you for your patience.
In observance of these January 2023 holidays, some government offices, schools, and businesses will close:
As a result, criminal searches, drug and health testing and verifications with external dependencies are expected to be delayed 24 to 48 hours. We also recommend candidates and employees scheduled for drug and health services call their chosen clinic or laboratory to verify hours of operation.
For reference, here’s a global list of public and national 2023 holidays. Thank you for your continued trust in Sterling.
On October 17, 2022, The Atlanta City Council approved new ordinance 22-O-1748 which amends its current anti-discrimination code, City of Atlanta Code of Ordinances Chapter 94 (Human Relations), by expanding protections to, among other things, an individual’s criminal history. The new law impacts private employers and employment agencies and was effective immediately upon approval.
The new law regarding criminal history discrimination contains several changes to the existing law. First the new ordinance expands the definition of “Discrimination or discriminatory practice or act” by adding criminal history to the already existing list of different types of prohibited discrimination. Next it, in general, makes it an unlawful employment practice to discriminate based on the criminal history of a job applicant or current employee. The new law also applies to employment agency practices for failing or refusing to refer an individual for employment based on their criminal history status. Next the law prohibits the practice of “printing or publication of notices or advertisements indicated prohibited preference, limitation, specification, or discrimination” relating to employment based on criminal history status. Last the new ordinance indicates that any adverse employment decision based on criminal history must not be considered a violation of the law if the criminal history is related to the position’s responsibilities with the following four considerations:
These four factors for consideration by the employer are closely aligned with the enforcement guidance issued by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in 2012 on consideration of criminal records in employment. Finally, the new law indicates that it does not prohibit an employer from making adverse employment decisions based on criminal history where certain convictions or violations are a barrier to employment of job positions under federal or state law, including but not limited to positions involving working with children and positions in law enforcement.
Employers should review their hiring policies and programs when considering the new law. Employers should also consult with their legal counsel when considering updating their background screening and hiring policies and programs.
The full text of the amended ordinance can be found HERE.
The Information contained herein is for informational purposes only. Sterling is not a law firm, and none of the information contained in this notice is intended as legal advice. Clients are encouraged to consult with their legal counsel about the impacts of any requirements. This and other important legislative updates can be found on the Sterling website: https://www.sterlingcheck.com/resources/compliance-updates/
The Social Security Administration (SSA) is conducting system maintenance on its Consent Based Social Security Number Verification (CBSV) service from Thursday, December 15, 2022 at 11 p.m. ET through Tuesday, December 20, 2022. Please note services will be unavailable during the scheduled maintenance windows, but we will be monitoring their progress so that we can process your requests as soon as we are able. Thank you in advance for your patience.
Sterling offers background and identity verification services to help over 50,000+ clients create people-first cultures built on a foundation of trust and safety.
Our service provider, Equifax Workforce Solutions (formerly known as TALX) has informed Sterling and all consumer reporting agencies (CRAs), that they are raising their pricing for their employment verification service, The Work Number®.
The new pricing takes effect as of January 1, 2023, and you will see these changes in your February 2023 invoice for January orders. To learn more, please log into your account, click on Help and Resources, and search for “Important Service Updates.”
Thank you for your partnership, and most importantly, your continued trust in Sterling.