Sally Adams Quoted in The Boston Globe

In the October 2, 2005 "Job Doc" workplace advice column in The Boston Globe, Sally Adams provides counsel regarding the goal of background checks:
“Q - When I apply for jobs and fill out applications, I am sometimes asked to sign a series of releases and consent forms. I never read them all and just sign them so that I can be passed on to the next person for an interview. I know that one was a request for a credit report and they also asked for references. Should I be signing these things, and what exactly does the company do with them?

A - Employers today want to know much more about applicants than what appears on their resumes. Background checks of potential employees have become common in recent years. All of us have read in the news about employees who have become violent, stolen money, or committed fraud. Employers are required to use reasonable care in their hiring decisions. They have needed to find ways to protect their companies, customers, and employees from the potential harm to the employee and the company that can arise from a poor hiring decision. All of this and more has led employers from a variety of industries and professions to do background checks on candidates for jobs.

One important goal of these background checks is to see whether a job candidate has a record of criminal convictions. For more specific information on this serious aspect of the background check, I have consulted with employment law attorney Sally Adams of the Boston firm Seyfarth Shaw. She says, ''Many employers reasonably believe that information in an applicant's background is a good indication of what to expect in the future employment (or volunteer) relationship. It can be essential — or even mandatory — for an employer to determine whether an individual has a criminal history that makes him or her unsuitable for the position in question. This is especially true when the individual will be working with vulnerable populations such as children, elderly and disabled persons.''