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Author Topic: Curious policy question regarding background checks Bill Gabel Film God Posts: 3873 From: Technicolor / Postworks NY, USA Registered: Jan 2002 posted 07-20-2004 09:08 AM                     It's all paranoia, they hire or read research reports about employee stealing. When I worked for Mann Theatres, there was this manager at one of their High Profile Theatres in Westwood, Ca.. He had been with the company many years. On Saturday nights, he would play cards with a few of the Asst. Managers and projectionists. Soon it became three nights a week. He was the nices guy to work for. He left the union operators, to do their business. Then he started going to those card clubs, 5 to 6 nights a week. After about 6 six months, the company moved him to a six-plex just east of Pasadena, Ca. Well more trouble happened there with money. The company started sending checkers to the theatre. On some Saturday's he would work the box office all day. It turns out he was selling adult regular tickets, but using the senior tickets. The company found the number of seniors had grown to double the past numbers were. Another manager who was a long time employee for Mann and then Edward's Theatres. He was well liked and a good manager and then a District manager. His theatres were doing excellent business. But his living over took his salary. Sometimes companies read about the paranoia in the retail world about employee theft. So when they make company polices, they have to show it covers everyone (new hires & old employees). There has been too many stories about old employees stealing from the companies. It all called "Risk Management".  |  IP: Logged Thomas Procyk Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1842 From: Royal Palm Beach, FL, USA Registered: Feb 2002 posted 07-20-2004 10:27 AM                     Background checks -- especially for management who will undoubtedly have keys to the building, keys to the safe, etc. -- are the norm, if not expected. Places like Disneyworld and Universal Studios do extensive background checks, even if you're a re-hire for a seasonal position less than a year ago. Main point is, you're going to be around a LOT of kids and a LOT of tourists with LOTS of money. But I've never heard of a "financial check." I would consent to a background check, but not a credit check. Heck - I have no credit. I don't believe in it for "reasons." But if I did, I don't think I'd be comfortable in having my employer know how much I owe to whom. Especially Carmike. Makes me wonder if Employees should be able to request a "financial check" of the company itself. That would make more sense, to see if they're going to go under or have to give people pay cuts because they built too many theaters on a credit card. Now, doing such a check on someone who's been there more than FIVE years is absurd. I'm sure if a current employee commited a crime of any serious scope (or flat) the company would find out about it. Here's an idea: Take the money you waste on doing these background and financial checks on current employees and use it to boost employee morale with raises or benefits. Then people won't have a reason to steal. =TMP=  |  IP: Logged Jason Black Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1723 From: Myrtle Beach, SC, USA Registered: Nov 2000 posted 07-20-2004 07:26 PM                        I have been informed that credit checks will not be run. I will speak with HR to get a solid answer. I plan to consent to the background check but wil not authorize a financial records check under principal alone. And yes, it cost, on average, $25-35 each for the background checks. There is more to this than meets the eye, I'm sure of it, but the simple fact remains, I will only be told what they want me to know anyway, so asking around as high as I can go is pointless. BTW, Randy is right. Employers cans implement policy (such as this) and the employee is expected to submit authorization or they could open grounds for termination, or so says the EEOC. Again, There is more to the story, I'm sure of it, but at this stgae of the game, I'm going to authorize the criminal background check as previously stated..  |  IP: Logged Randy Stankey Film God Posts: 6539 From: Erie, Pennsylvania Registered: Jun 99 posted 07-20-2004 09:52 PM                     Oh, BTW, the ostensible reason for the financial/credit checks is to see if the person in question has a high debt load, has unpaid bills or is in danger of his wages being garnished. Garnishment costs the company time and trouble with their payroll keeping if not actual monetary cost associated with extra bookkeeping and legal nonsense. A person who is in danger of becoming insolvent is (supposedly) more likely to steal. Furthermore, a person who is careless with his finances is more likely to be careless with the company's money as well. Still, I don't think these reasons justify checking everybody's records. It's expensive. Paranoia or not, I can't see where the return from reduced "shrinkage" would be paid off by the amount of $$ a company would pay to get the records and then pay somebody to go over the results and make decisions. As mentioned above, a good bookkeeper with a little bit of "forensic accounting" knowledge could cut down on LOTS more shrinkage than company-wide background checks could!  |  IP: Logged Kyle Watkins Expert Film Handler Posts: 185 From: Stuart, FL, USA Registered: Sep 2001 posted 07-20-2004 11:11 PM                     How far back are they going on the back ground checks, i applyed for best buy, for part time work, and they doing one but only ask for the past 7 years. This brings me a questions how far back are these theaters going. Any one know of laws for so many years have past they cant use??  |  IP: Logged Martin Brooks Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 900 From: Forest Hills, NY, USA Registered: May 2002 posted 07-21-2004 12:21 AM                        quote: Christopher Duvall They want to know if you will be a financial risk. If you owe more than you make, "you" could have the potential to steal. That is the thinking behind it. That's ridiculous. If you owe more than you make, it's probably because they're paying you badly. Sounds like a Catch-22 to me. Personally, if I worked for a company for 10 years and they asked for a background check, I'd refuse. I can understand a background check for new employees, but it seems to me that after 10 years, one has proven themselves more than any background check could. And my personal finances are none of their damned business.  |  IP: Logged Jim Spohn Film Handler Posts: 95 From: Bakersfield, CA, USA Registered: Jan 2003 posted 07-21-2004 09:47 AM                     The compnay that you have worked for 10 years should know who you have been working for for the past 10 years and EXACTLY how much you've been paid and all your benefits etc. Right there within the company files they have a ten year background on you. As for a financial check, it's not their concern and they can pound sand. With the company knowing who and how much you owe, they will know how hard they can push you because they know that you NEED the job. They will know just what hoops they can make you jump thru because YOU OWE money (just like the rest of us). I really don't think that they can ask for that information leagly. I checked with the HR manager at my company and he said that it would be highly questionable as to why your company would ask for that info after the fact, and that you have a right to know why they are asking now. Jim  |  IP: Logged Jason Black Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1723 From: Myrtle Beach, SC, USA Registered: Nov 2000 posted 07-22-2004 12:02 AM                        quote: Jim Spohn I checked with the HR manager at my company and he said that it would be highly questionable as to why your company would ask for that info after the fact, and that you have a right to know why they are asking now. The reason they are requiring, not asking, for this information is due to implementation of a new company policy whereby background checks will be completed on ALL current Managers with 5+ years with the company. The caveat is those with fewer than 5 years obviously are NOT required to have a background check? WTF???  |  IP: Logged Dustin Mitchell Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1865 From: Mondovi, WI, USA Registered: Mar 2000 posted 07-22-2004 12:20 AM                     You must have missed the email about that in October and the subsequent.... Email to follow (sorry to everyone else on the forum but I want to keep my job).  |  IP: Logged Dennis Benjamin Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1445 From: Denton, MD Registered: Feb 2002 posted 07-22-2004 12:57 PM                        10 years is about how many years your credit info goes back on your credit reports from the 3 major credit bureaus. That would be why that is the magic number......  |  IP: Logged

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