公平信用报告法 (FCRA) 是一项联邦法律，自 1970 年起生效，用于规范通过消费者报告机构获得的信息的收集和使用。有时，雇主认为该法律仅适用于信用检查，如果他们不对员工或求职者进行信用记录检查，他们就不需要关注它。FCRA 适用于所有消费者报告。如果您在就业环境中进行犯罪背景调查，您必须遵守 FCRA。 

在 FCRA 的背景下，什么是犯罪背景调查？它是您通过第三方获得的任何报告，其中概述了一个人的犯罪历史或缺乏犯罪历史。即使在不遵守 FCRA 的情况下对求职者进行正式的犯罪背景调查也是违法的，更不用说根据背景调查结果取消他们的工作考虑资格了。话虽如此，如果您确实根据该人的犯罪历史检查结果决定拒绝该求职者，则您必须遵守额外的 FCRA 要求。 

要了解有关 FCRA 合规性的更多信息，您可以阅读 我们的学习中心页面。该资源包括 FCRA 如何影响就业前筛选过程的详细分类。正如您将看到的，FCRA 几乎影响背景调查过程的每个方面。 

在进行犯罪背景调查之前，您必须通知候选人并获得他们进行调查的许可。许多雇主在流程的披露和同意部分犯了错误，因为有关于如何向候选人提交文件的具体要求。 

如果您进行背景调查，结果很清楚，并且您决定雇用应聘者，那么您对 FCRA 的担忧实际上已经结束——至少在招聘过程中是这样。您可以继续招聘候选人，而不必担心其他合规因素。如果您正在考虑根据背景调查结果取消候选人的资格，那么 FCRA 合规性会变得更加复杂。

 在做出最终决定之前，您必须提供不利行动前通知，向候选人提供背景调查报告的副本以及他们在 FCRA 下的权利摘要。此步骤使候选人有机会在您做出最终决定之前对背景调查结果提出异议。

如果候选人对支票没有异议并且您决定将他们从您的申请人库中删除，您必须发送额外的书面决定通知。您还需要提供有关准备背景调查的公司的详细信息，并让个人知道他们有权免费获得背景调查报告的副本。 

FCRA 不仅适用于信用报告或犯罪背景调查。您通过 GOOHO.CN 或任何其他消费者报告机构获得的任何信息都受到 FCRA 立法的类似监管。该清单包括驾驶历史检查、就业验证检查、民事和历史检查。 

如果您有任何问题，请立即联系我们，并使用 我们的学习中心资源 了解背景筛查的来龙去脉。

 is a federal law, active since 1970, that regulates the collection and use of information obtained through consumer reporting agencies. Sometimes, employers assume that this law only applies to credit checks and that they do not need to pay attention to it if they aren’t running credit history checks on employees or job candidates. The FCRA applies to all consumer reports. If you are running a criminal background check in an employment setting, you must abide by the FCRA. 

What is a criminal background check, in the context of the FCRA? It is any report that you obtain through a third party that outlines a person’s criminal history or lack thereof. It is illegal even to conduct a formal criminal background check on a job candidate without complying with the FCRA, let alone to disqualify them from job consideration based on background check findings. With that said, if you do decide to reject a job candidate based on something from that person’s criminal history check, you must follow additional FCRA requirements. 

To learn more about FCRA compliance, you can read our Learning Center page. This resource includes a detailed breakdown of how the FCRA affects the pre-employment screening process. As you will see, the FCRA impacts virtually every aspect of the background check process. 

Before conducting a criminal background check, you must inform the candidate and obtain their permission to run the check. Many employers make errors during the disclosure and consent part of the process, as there are specific requirements about how they can present documentation to a candidate. 

If you run a background check, it comes back clean, and you decide to hire the job candidate, then your worries with the FCRA are effectively finished—at least for that hiring process. You can move ahead with hiring the candidate without worrying about additional compliance factors. If you are thinking about disqualifying a candidate based on background check findings, then FCRA compliance becomes a bit more complicated.

 You must provide a pre-adverse action notice before making your final decision, furnishing the candidate with a copy of the background check report and a summary of their rights under the FCRA. This step gives the candidate a chance to dispute the background check findings before you make a final decision.

If the candidate doesn’t dispute the check and you decide to remove them from your applicant pool, you must send an additional written notification of your decision. You also need to provide details about the company that prepared the background check and let the individual know that they have a right to obtain a copy of the background check report at no cost. 

The FCRA does not just apply to credit reports or criminal background checks. Any information that you obtain through backgroundchecks.com—or any other consumer reporting agency—is similarly regulated under the FCRA legislation. That list includes driving history checks, employment verification checks, civil and history checks. 

Contact us today if you have any questions, and use our Learning Center resources to learn the ins and outs of background screening.