为了减少与人员配置相关的潜在风险和责任，雇主通常会对其员工进行背景调查。
联邦法律、州或地方法律甚至要求一些雇主进行背景调查。但是，您可以对非全职员工 (FTE)进行背景调查吗？
什么是非 FTE，筛选他们有什么不同？
非 FTE 是一个多样化的群体，有时也称为临时工。示例包括人员配备机构的临时雇员、临时工、顾问、独立承包商和分包商。
在确定雇主是否应对独立承包商和其他临时工进行背景调查时，雇主通常会考虑和审查其内部政策以及联邦和州的背景审查法律。
例如，某些行业（如金融服务和医疗保健）的雇主通常受联邦或州筛查要求的约束，其雇员与敏感人群（如未成年人、残疾人和老年人）一起工作的雇主也是如此。
其他可能需要对其员工进行特定背景调查的雇主包括与国家安全有关的雇主、与政府签订合同的雇主，以及雇员担任需要安全检查和其他安全敏感职位的雇主。
有时，这将包括为雇主工作的独立承包商和其他临时工。通常，此类非 FTE 将需要接受与 FTE 相同的背景筛选过程。
在筛选非 FTE 时，我们应该了解哪些法律？
在美国，规范背景调查使用的 公平信用报告法 (FCRA)将“就业目的”作为获取和使用个人消费者报告的允许目的。FCRA 还将“消费者”定义为个人，将“就业目的”定义为“用于评估消费者就业、晋升、重新分配或保留为雇员的报告”。
负责执行和解释FCRA的机构联邦贸易委员会 (FTC)已发出意见函，指出“就业目的”一词应作广义解释，包括独立承包商。
在背景筛选非 FTE 时，联邦和州平等就业机会法是另一个考虑因素。
虽然这些法律通常只适用于“雇主”和“雇员”，但如果存在联合雇佣关系，它们可以扩展到非 FTE。
在这些法律适用的范围内，它们通常要求雇主在做出雇用决定时证明其用于使用背景调查的雇用决定与相关职位的工作相关，并符合雇主的业务需要。
作为最佳做法，选择进行背景调查的雇主应始终如一地将其政策应用于其雇员、求职者、独立承包商、顾问和其他临时工，以防止潜在的歧视索赔并确保遵守所有联邦、州和地方法律。
background checks on their workers.
Some employers are even required under federal law, state or local law to conduct background checks. But, can you do a background check on a non-full time employee (FTE)?
What is a non-FTE and what is different about screening them?
Non-FTE’s are a varied group, also sometimes called contingent labor. Examples include staffing agencies’ temporary employees, temporary workers, consultants, independent contractors and subcontractors.
When determining if an employer should conduct background checks on independent contractors and other contingent workers, employers often consider and review their internal policies as well as federal and state background screening laws.
For example, employers in certain industries, such as financial services and healthcare, are often governed by federal or state screening requirements, as are employers whose employees work with sensitive populations such as minors, the disabled and the elderly.
Other employers that may be required to perform specific background checks on their workers include those related to national security, employers with government contracts, and employers who have employees in positions requiring security clearance and other security sensitive positions.
This will, at times, include independent contractors and other contingent workers hired to perform work for the employer. Generally, such non-FTEs will be required to undergo a background screening process that mirrors that of an FTE.
Which laws should we be aware of when screening non-FTEs?
In the United States, the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), which regulates the use of background checks, includes “employment purposes” as a permissible purpose for obtaining and using a consumer report on an individual. The FCRA also defines a “consumer” as an individual and “employment purposes” as “a report used for the purpose of evaluating a consumer for employment, promotion, reassignment or retention as an employee.”
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the agency responsible for the enforcement and interpretation of the FCRA, has issued an opinion letter stating that the term “employment purposes” should be construed broadly and includes independent contractors.
Federal and state equal employment opportunity laws are another consideration when background screening non-FTEs.
While these laws typically apply on their face only to “employers” and “employees”, they could extend to non-FTEs if there is a joint employment relationship.
To the extent that these laws apply, they generally require that when making hiring decisions, employers demonstrate that their employment decisions applied to the use of background checks are job-related for the position in question and consistent with employers’ business necessity.
As a best practice, employers who choose to conduct background checks should apply their policies consistently to their employees, candidates for employment, independent contractors, consultants and other contingent workers to prevent potential claims of discrimination and to ensure compliance with all federal, state and local laws.
