California Background Check Policy

Purpose/Objective

[Company Name] strives to hire and promote the best-qualified individuals, and background and reference checks are an important part of these processes. When a background or reference check is needed with respect to hiring or other employment decisions, the company conducts such checks in compliance with applicable federal, state and local laws.

Eligibility

All applicants and employees.

Procedures

Background checks

The company conducts background checks in compliance with applicable federal and state laws, including the Fair Credit Reporting Act, the California Investigative Consumer Reporting Agencies Act and the California Consumer Credit Reporting Agencies Act. Thus, for example:

1. Applicants or employees will be provided with appropriate written notice of the company’s intention to obtain information by way of a background check and will give applicants and employees the opportunity to obtain a free copy of any report obtained.
2. Applicants and employees will be asked to authorize a background check before such check is performed.

Consumer credit reports

The company obtains consumer credit reports only under very limited circumstances, for example, when applicants or employees are being considered for a management position in which they will have access to bank or credit card account information. When the company needs to obtain a consumer credit report, it will comply with applicable federal and state laws.

All information obtained from background or reference checks will be used only for purposes of making employment decisions (e.g., hiring, termination or promotion); will be maintained confidentially, in accordance with applicable legal requirements; and may only be reviewed or accessed by authorized individuals with the approval of [human resources/other job title].

For more information regarding this policy, employees should contact [human resources/other job title].