So you think that you have finally found the perfect candidate to fill a position in your company? From a Human Resource or Loss Prevention professional’s point of view, your employee hiring decision will have a direct impact on your company’s loss potential.

Negligent hiring lawsuits normally cost $50,000 to $250,000 to litigate and employers lose 72% of those cases.

Increasingly, companies are being held responsible for the criminal, harmful and injurious acts of their employees.

Cases in point:

In Denver, ‘McDonalds’ was ordered to pay $210,000 in damages after a worker at one of their restaurants assaulted a woman and her three year old son. A Colorado state court ordered the payment citing "Negligent Hiring, Negligent Operation of a Restaurant and Outrageous Conduct." However, the damages were just the start and McDonalds also suffered from a loss in their public image.

In Florida, Elizabeth Harrison, a customer of "Tallahassee Furniture" was attacked in her apartment by a delivery man employed by the store. The delivery man was not on duty, but he knew where the victim lived because he had previously delivered furniture to her apartment.

Harrison sued "Tallahassee Furniture", alleging that the store was negligent in hiring the man. The jury found for Harrison because the jurors decided that the delivery man was unfit for employment with duties involving entry into customers homes. The delivery man had a criminal record and a history of mental illness. "Tallahassee Furniture" hired him without a job application, without getting references and without checking or questioning his background.

The store was ordered to pay $1.9 million in compensatory damages and $600,000 in punitive damages. The company appealed; however, the appellate court upheld the verdict saying, "An employer is liable for the injurious acts of their employees."

Be sure to check and double-check the information on the resume or application in front of you. There is a 40% chance that something will be wrong, some job applicants will exaggerate their work histories and other make false or exaggerated claims about their education, training and licensure. It is estimated that about 15% omit criminal violations.

Colton & Associates is dedicated to providing the most accurate and economical background verification service available. We are fully versed in Federal and State Privacy Law. All developing judicial decisions and legislation pertinent to this area are monitored to ensure that the information reported meets State and Federal Credit Reporting Acts, and other relevant laws.

As you will be aware, an investment in an employee background screening program can provide significant savings in terms of:

• Reduced employer liability
• Increased employee productivity
• Operational cost control
• Preservation of public image
• Reduced employee turnover
• Minimization of employee theft and embezzlement

However, the benefits of such an investment can only be realized if the right company is selected to provide these professional services.

Our background investigation program consists of two primary components. These components provide a comprehensive review of all background data and information obtained and are cross-referenced with the candidates’ employment application/resume to identify any omissions or false assertions.

It has been our experience that not everyone$quot;s needs are the same; therefore, it is our preference to meet with you for the purpose of determining your requirements. Once these are defined we will create a custom background investigation package which we believe will best suit your needs.

Traditional background investigations include:

• State and County Criminal History
• State and County Driving History
• Prior Employment Verification
• Reference Check
• National Credit Report

We always recommend that both State and County records be checked on each applicant. It is quite common for a County criminal history to indicate a non-violent criminal conviction, such as embezzlement, which will not be indicated on a Statewide history!

We can usually provide a completed investigation within two to three business days. However, an expedited service is available should your needs require it.