承包商背景调查

 根据盖洛普 2020 年的一项研究，至少在 2019 年的部分时间里，有 4400 万美国人（占工人总数的 28.2%）是自雇人士。14% 的美国劳动力作为独立承包商全职工作。随着零工经济的增长，越来越多的工作正在从兼职和全职就业安排转变为合同工——越来越多的工人愿意接受这些工作。

在雇主寻求审查候选人时，这一不断增长的劳动力对雇主意味着什么？了解有关独立承包商背景调查的所有信息。

我可以对独立承包商进行背景调查吗？

围绕雇佣安排制定招聘和背景调查政策的雇主可能想知道：对独立承包商进行背景调查是否有不同的规则和规定？

独立承包商背景调查在执行或使用上通常不需要与全职或兼职员工的背景调查有很大不同。背景调查的规则和规定仍然适用：雇主应继续遵守公平信用报告法 (FCRA) 制定的所有法规，以及平等就业机会委员会的指导。

对于背景调查，雇主可以像对待雇员一样对待潜在的独立承包商，从中受益。

进行背景调查的重要性

为什么对潜在员工进行背景调查很重要？原因列表很长，有几个重要的考虑因素。首先，您聘用的个人将是您企业的代言人。因此，您需要知道该候选人有资格胜任相关工作，并且他们不会对其经理、同事或客户或您的企业和公众构成直接风险。

迹象可能表明候选人谎报了他们的资格，有可能危害公共安全的暴力历史，或者有贪污罪对企业构成威胁——所有背景调查结果的例子都可能代表严重的招聘风险。通过背景筛选找到此信息的雇主通常会选择不雇用该候选人，因为这样做可能会导致不必要的开支、法律责任或其他破坏性错误。

对候选人进行背景调查的所有这些原因都适用于雇用独立承包商。

从司机服务（Uber 或 Lyft 等公司）到送货（Postmates）再到创意服务（写作、平面设计、网络开发和其他合同工作），独立承包商越来越多地承担全职员工过去担任的角色）。这些职责可以使承包商成为您企业的代表或代言人，让他们与您的客户保持联系，让他们访问敏感的公司信息等等。雇用承包商的风险通常与雇用全职员工的风险相同。彻底的独立承包商背景调查可以显着降低这种风险的程度。

以下是对承包商进行背景调查的最关键原因：

保护您的品牌声誉

未能对独立承包商进行背景调查可能会导致工作质量低劣（如果候选人不合格）、负面新闻（例如承包商攻击客户）以及其他可能损害您的品牌形象和名声。

确保一致性

对承包商进行与员工相同的背景调查可确保招聘协议的一致性——尤其是随着更多劳动力群体转向零工经济，这一点尤为重要。

遵守法律要求

某些行业有法律要求，要求对某些工作进行某些背景调查。某些承包角色可能会受到这些法律要求的影响。雇主应该了解他们关于背景调查策略的合规要求，并且他们应该注意这些要求是否扩展到承包商角色。

独立承包商可以进行药物测试吗？

由于独立承包商更有可能在远程或远程办公的基础上工作，因此与每天在中心地点工作的员工相比，药物测试在后勤方面更加困难。但是，没有法律禁止雇主要求承包商进行药物测试。在 GOOHO.CN，我们提供灵活的药物测试解决方案，雇主可用于面对面或远程工作人员。

如何对独立承包商进行背景调查

独立承包商的背景调查和员工的背景调查之间没有根本区别。您的企业用于审查全职或兼职员工的相同策略可能对承包商背景调查同样有效。

请注意，您可以利用我们在 GOOHO.CN 上提供的所有服务来筛选潜在的承包商。

进行背景调查的成本

进行背景筛查的成本——无论是对承包商进行独立背景调查，还是对全职员工进行就业前筛查——将根据您需要的具体服务而有所不同。在 GOOHO.CN，我们提供从县犯罪筛查到简历信息（如教育和工作经历）验证检查的点菜服务。我们还提供捆绑包。

我们在提供的每张支票中都包含定价透明度，但请注意，在特殊情况下，某些支票的费用可能比列出的要高——例如，如果我们需要派一名法庭执行官到您选择的县提取犯罪记录。

经常问的问题

我如何对承包商进行背景调查？

如果您遵守 FCRA 的要求（包括披露和同意），您就可以像审查员工一样审查承包商。

您可以对独立承包商进行背景调查吗？

是的：没有法律允许对员工进行背景调查，但限制对承包商进行背景调查。无论您是在筛选潜在员工还是临时工，都应专注于遵守与您所在司法管辖区的背景调查相关的所有法律。FCRA、EEOC 指南以及地方或州的限制（例如禁止使用盒子）都是雇主在每次雇用时都需要考虑的因素。

是什么使您失去背景调查工作的资格？

这个问题取决于雇主和职位。严重的重罪（如暴力犯罪或性犯罪）更有可能成为每个雇主的危险信号。更多的轻微犯罪（例如小偷小摸或轻微的毒品指控）可能不会成为就业障碍。

其他因素可能会取消某些职位的资格，但不会取消其他职位的资格。例如，吊销驾照可能会破坏卡车运输工作，但对于办公室职位而言，它不会那么严重或相关。

建筑公司做背景调查吗？

建筑公司就是一个例子，雇主雇用了许多临时工，并始终要求承包商进行背景调查。如果工人没有资格或在工作中受到损害，建筑工地就是危险的地方。犯罪历史检查、验证搜索和药物测试都可能是建筑承包商背景调查的一部分。

 According to a Gallup study from 2020, 44 million Americans—28.2 percent of workers—were self-employed for at least part of 2019. Fourteen percent of the American workforce were working full-time as independent contractors. As the gig economy grows, more jobs are shifting from part-time and full-time employment arrangements to contracting roles—and more workers are open to taking these jobs.

What does this growing segment of the workforce mean for employers as they seek to vet their candidates? Learn all about background checks for independent contractors.

Can I Run Background Checks on Independent Contractors?

Employers that structure their hiring and background check policies around employment arrangements may wonder: are there different rules and regulations for running a background check on an independent contractor?

An independent contractor background check typically does not need to be substantially different in execution or use than a background screening for full-time or part-time employees. Rules and regulations for background checks do still apply: employers should continue to observe all statutes set by the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), as well as guidance from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

For background checks, employers may benefit from treating prospective independent contractors just as they would treat employees.

The Importance of Running a Background Check

Why is it critical to run a background check on a potential employee? The list of reasons is lengthy with several vital considerations. First, the individual you are hiring will be a face and representative for your business. As such, you need to know that this candidate is qualified to perform the job in question and that they do not pose an immediate risk to their managers, colleagues, or customers, or to your business and the public.

Signs may indicate that a candidate lied about their qualifications, has a violent history that might endanger public safety, or has embezzlement convictions that make them a threat to the business—all examples of background check findings that can represent a steep hiring risk. Employers who find this information through background screenings will often choose not to hire that candidate, as doing so could be an undue expense, legal liability, or otherwise destructive error.

All these reasons for running a background check on a candidate hold true for hiring an independent contractor.

Increasingly, independent contractors are taking on the roles that full-time employees used to fill, from chauffeur services (companies such as Uber or Lyft) to delivery (Postmates) to creative services (writing, graphic design, web development, and other contract work). These responsibilities could render a contractor a representative or face of your business, put them in contact with your customers, give them access to sensitive company information, and more. Hiring a contractor is often a risk in the same way that hiring a full-time employee would be. A thorough independent contractor background check can reduce the magnitude of this risk significantly.

Here are the most critical reasons to conduct background checks on contractors:

Protect Your Brand Reputation

Failure to conduct background checks on independent contractors could result in poor-quality work (if the candidate isn’t qualified for it), negative press (such as if a contractor attacks a customer), and other events that can damage your brand identity and reputation.

Ensure Consistency

Running the same background checks on contractors as you do on employees ensures consistency in the hiring protocol—especially vital as more segments of the workforce pivot to the gig economy.

Keep Safe from Legal Requirements

Some industries have legal requirements that demand certain background checks for certain jobs. Some contracting roles may be affected by these legal requirements. Employers should understand what their compliance requirements are regarding background check strategies, and they should take note of whether those requirements extend to contractor roles.

Can Independent Contractors Get Drug Tested?

Since independent contractors are more likely to work on a remote or telecommute basis, drug testing is more logistically difficult than it would be for employees who come to work at a central location every day. However, there is no law that prohibits employers from requiring drug testing for contractors. At backgroundchecks.com, we offer a flexible drug testing solution that employers can use for in-person or remote workers.

How to Run a Background Check on an Independent Contractor

There is no fundamental difference between background checks for independent contractors and background checks for employees. The same strategies that your business uses for vetting full-time or part-time employees will likely be just as effective for contractor background checks.

Note that you can utilize all the services that we offer at backgroundchecks.com for screening potential contractors.

Costs of Running a Background Check

The costs of running a background screening—whether an independent background check for a contractor or a pre-employment screening for a full-time hire—will vary depending on the specific services that you require. At backgroundchecks.com, we offer services a la carte ranging from county criminal screenings to verification checks for resume information, such as education and work history. We also offer bundled packages.

We include pricing transparency with each check that we offer, but note that certain checks may cost more than listed under special circumstances—for instance, if we need to send a court runner to your county of choice to pull criminal records.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I do a background check on a contractor?

If you follow the requirements of the FCRA—including for disclosure and consent—you can vet a contractor just as you would an employee.

Can you do a background check on an independent contractor?

Yes: there is no law that permits background checks for employees but restricts background checks on contractors. Focus on complying with all laws that are relevant to background checks in your jurisdiction, whether you are screening prospective employees or contingent workers. The FCRA, EEOC guidance, and local or state restrictions such as ban the box are all factors that employers need to consider for every hire.

What disqualifies you from a job in a background check?

This question depends on the employer and the position. Serious felonies (such as violent crimes or sex offenses) are more likely to be red flags to every employer. More minor crimes (such as petty theft or minor drug charges) may not be barriers to employment.

Other factors may be disqualifiers for some positions but not for others. For instance, a suspended driver’s license is likely to be a deal-breaker for a trucking job, but it won’t be as severe or relevant for an office position.

Do construction companies do background checks?

Construction companies are an example of employers that hire many contingent workers and consistently require contractor background checks. Construction sites are dangerous places if workers are not qualified or are impaired while on the job. Criminal history checks, verification searches, and drug tests are all likely to be part of a construction contractor background check.