COVID-19 U.S. service updates

Apr 2, 2021 @ 11:00 AM EDT | Global

Sterling is doing everything in our power to continue serving you and carrying out our mission of providing the foundation of trust and safety you need to create great environments for your most essential resource, people. In light of the growing impact of the novel Coronavirus, COVID-19, the Sterling team has been enacting the necessary contingencies for our business operations throughout the world. For more information, visit https://www.sterlingcheck.com/covid-19/. As with all unforeseen events, Sterling’s global screening and identity services continue to stand apart thanks to our automation technology and partner relationships. We are committed to providing our clients every opportunity to make fast, accurate and safe hiring decisions. For COVID-19 updates and a status of U.S. court closures, please click on Help & Resources, and search for COVID-19. To avoid business disruption given this evolving situation, please note the following actions:
  • Criminal Searches. Please note the following county and statewide delays:
    • Jefferson, Kentucky county criminal searches. Since October of last year, Jefferson, Kentucky has experienced high turnaround times for county criminal searches due to Covid-19. To process your searches in a timely manner, we gave you the option to upgrade to a Kentucky statewide search. We’re excited to announce that as of Monday, February 22, 2021, you may opt out of the statewide search and continue running Jefferson, Kentucky county criminal searches. To do so, please confirm that you would like to opt out of Kentucky statewide search and continue running Jefferson, Kentucky county criminal searches. Please note that it may take four to five days for Jefferson, Kentucky to process searches. Thank you for your continued trust in Sterling.
    • Kentucky counties. Kentucky courts continue to monitor the incidence of Covid-19 cases per jurisdiction. As the incidence of cases fluctuate, as does the accessibility to the courts. When individual counties experience an increase of Covid-19 cases, courts will implement varying degrees of restrictions as to court access including mandatory limited appointments and limited hours of access per appointment. Turnaround times by county are expected to continue a pattern of wide fluctuation. Some courts are instructing individuals who call into the court to run a criminal record search by contacting the Frankfurt, KY location. This is the same alternative Statewide Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC) service Sterling provides.
    • Albany, New York. Courts in Albany county for in-person research is still restricted to twice a week maximum with one hour duration, depending on availability and court schedules. Possible criminal records require court clerk processing. Since February 1, 2021, we are commonly seeing possible hit turnaround times range between four and six days.
    • Coffee, Tennessee. Public access terminals do not include all defendant personally identifiable information (PII) required in order to determine if a criminal record is reportable to our customer. All possible reportable criminal records require court clerk assistance at this time leading to lengthy turnaround times. Since February 1, 2021, we are commonly seeing turnaround times on possible hits exceed 30 days.
    • Houston, Georgia. Conducting a felony and misdemeanor search in Houston county requires separately searching three courts. All possible reportable criminal records require court clerk assistance at this time leading to lengthy turnaround times. Since February 1. 2021, we are commonly seeing turnaround times range between three and five weeks.
    • Maryland statewide and counties. Majority of Maryland county and statewide requests are fulfilled via automation, however, a small percentage of possible hits require additional in-person court research. Maryland courts are currently under Phase II of their progressive reopening plan due to a surge in Covid-19 cases throughout the state. Clerk’s offices are open to emergency matters and by appointment only. Criminal case files are commonly required in order to obtain missing information with the assistance of court clerks. In these scenarios, extensive delays in turnaround time are expected with a minimum of 30 days. We are seeing turnaround times extend beyond this timeframe.
    • Warren, Mississippi. Conducting a felony and misdemeanor search requires separately searching the circuit and justice court. Public access to the justice court is still not permitted and must be submitted to court clerks without entry. Justice court clerk processing times have varied leading to a fluctuation of turnaround times. Since February 1, 2021, we are commonly seeing turnaround times range between two and three weeks.
    • Civil Searches. If a civil search can be completed without in-person research, Sterling will do so. For any civil search that requires in-person court research, Sterling will close as “Unperformable.”
  • Civil Searches. If a civil search can be completed without in-person research, Sterling will do so. For any civil search that requires in-person court research, Sterling will close as “Unperformable.”
  • Drug and Health Services. Sterling is working diligently with our partners to ensure continuity of our drug and health services. Please note:
    • There may be limited appointment availability and longer-than-normal wait times, as noted by LabCorp, eScreen, and Quest. If a donor cannot make an appointment prior to their registration’s expiration date at the site they were assigned, they will need to use the re-schedule link included within their registration email to locate an alternative site.
    • Although Patient Service Center (PSCs) testing sites provided through Quest, LabCorp, and Concentra are not collecting samples or testing for COVID-19, we strongly encourage you and candidates to contact sites prior to testing to confirm appointment availability, wait times, and hours of operation. If a candidate visits a test site and feels uncomfortable or at risk, they should leave and contact Sterling at 800-853-3228, option 7, for assistance in locating another testing site or use the link provided in their registration email.
    • Several of our lab partners are providing additional accommodations, such as:
      • LapCorp and Quest PSCs are performing COVID-19 antibody testing, as well as workplace drug testing at all locations. Note that COVID-19 antibody testing must be ordered by a physician and is currently restricted to first responders, healthcare workers, and workers deemed essential.
      • PSCs are accepting driver licenses up to one month after expiration as proof of Identification.
      • Quest and Concentra are requiring patients to bring face masks while visiting PSCs. Visitors who refuse to wear face masks will be asked to leave immediately for the health and safety of others.
    • In addition, our lab partners have assured us that the health and safety of their employees and patients is of utmost importance. All of our lab partners are proceeding with workplace drug test collections using standard safety and hygiene protocols while diligently following best practices set by the Center for Disease Control (CDC) and Department of Transportation (DOT) websites.
    • If a workplace drug or health test cannot be completed, Sterling will close the search and indicate that it cannot be performed.
  • Education and Employment Verifications. Effective Monday, June 15, 2020, standard operating procedures will return to normal for verifications in the U.S, including proof collection. If your orders do not typically receive proof, we will no longer be contacting your candidates for proof collection. Verification procedures outside of the U.S. will return to normal on a market by market basis.
  • E-Verify. As of March 4, 2021, E-Verify revised the Social Security Administration (SSA) and Dual Tentative Nonconfirmation (TNC) Further Action Notices to include guidance informing employees that they may contact the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to resolve their SSA TNC due to a citizenship mismatch. We encourage you to ask your employees to contact DHS in case they are able to resolve the TNC without having to visit an SSA field office, and, therefore, complete their I-9 process. Learn more about SSA and DHS TNCs and how COVID-19 affects SSA TNCs.
  • I-9 Compliance Flexibility. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced an extension of the flexibilities in rules related to Form I-9 compliance that was initially granted last year. Due to Covid-19, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) will extend this policy until May 31, 2021. The current extension includes guidance for employees hired on or after April 1, 2021, and work exclusively in a remote setting due to Covid-19-related precautions. Those employees are temporarily exempt from the physical inspection requirements associated with the Employment Eligibility Verification (Form I-9) until they undertake non-remote employment on a regular, consistent, or predictable basis or the extension of the flexibilities related to such requirements is terminated, whichever is earlier. For more information, please see the March 2021 update/guidance.
  • Fingerprinting Services via Sterling Identity. Local fingerprinting service availability may fluctuate in response to COVID-19. Check here for availability.
  • Motor Vehicle Records (MVR). While Sterling fulfills most of our MVR check services electronically, we anticipate delays for requests that require manual processing.
  • New Jersey State Police Records. Fulfillment for this service resumed, but please note that the state is anticipating longer-than-normal turnaround times.