You must be careful when you conduct a Michigan background check and make certain that you follow all of the state and federal laws that govern the process. Different laws control how critical background information can be collected by consumer reporting agencies (CRAs) and how employers can use the information they receive when making hiring decisions.
Following all of the relevant laws governing employment background investigations in Michigan requires you to have current knowledge of all of the rules along with comprehensive access to resources so that you can gather important information about job candidates.
In Michigan, law enforcement uses a formal background check to help them decide what to charge people who have been arrested. Employers, landlords, and financial institutions all use official background checks. These investigations provide information from a person’s criminal history record.
Although it cannot be used for official purposes, an unofficial background check can be helpful for learning about:
- Neighbors
- Friends
- Relatives
- Enemies
- Co-Workers
Michigan State Background Check
Individual employers are free to select any number of background investigations to assist in learning more about job applicants or volunteers. Employers in Michigan frequently conduct the following background checks:
To look for prior felony or misdemeanor convictions, criminal background checks may be conducted on a national, federal, state, or local level.
For positions in finance and management, civil background checks that look for judgments—including those from lawsuits and bankruptcies—are most pertinent.
A candidate’s credit history, including any collections or bankruptcies, will be revealed by credit checks.
Verification of employment and educational credentials to confirm work history and credentials.
Driving records to confirm license status and look up traffic infractions; most pertinent for jobs requiring operating machinery or company vehicles.
Background Check Laws in Michigan
Employers in Michigan are required to abide by a number of federal, state, and local background check laws, which can make compliance challenging. These include state fair hiring laws that are applicable to public sector employees, federal regulations outlined in the FCRA, and Equal Credit Opportunity Commission (EEOC) guidance under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act. Employers in Michigan are also required to abide by any applicable county or city ban-the-box laws.
What Shows Up on a Michigan Background Check?
Depending on the types of reports they order, Michigan employers who order employment background check reports from backgroundchecks, freebackgroundchecks, iprospectcheck, goodhire may view various types of data. Employers can alter their reports to suit their particular requirements.
In Michigan, the majority of businesses include inquiries about criminal history, employment, and education. What you might find on each of these pre-employment background check types of reports is listed below.
Criminal Records
The following details for applicants with criminal backgrounds can be found on your background check report:
- Legal case number
- Arrest date, charges, and disposition
- When it was disposed of
- Seriousness of the charge (misdemeanor or felony)
- Sentence
Employers are prohibited from relying on details of misdemeanor arrests that did not lead to convictions.
Employment Records
Employers can confirm an applicant’s employment history by asking backgroundchecks, freebackgroundchecks, iprospectcheck, goodhire to provide employment verification services. This allows employers to learn where an applicant has worked, when they have worked there, and what positions and titles they have held.
Employers may use employment verification to determine whether applicants have been truthful in their resumes and applications and possess the necessary experience for the positions they are applying for. Verifying your applicants’ employment histories can reduce your exposure to claims of negligent hiring.
Education Background
Verifying an applicant’s education enables employers to ensure that they have the diplomas, certificates, or degrees needed for the position. You can see each educational institution an applicant has attended, their dates of attendance, and the diplomas, certificates, or degrees they have earned when you request an education verification report.
Verifying the credentials listed on your applicants’ applications can help you make sure the people you hire are trustworthy and qualified for the positions for which they are being hired.
The Internet Criminal History Access Tool (ICHAT)
The Michigan State Police’s Criminal Justice Information Center’s public criminal history record information can be searched using the Internet Criminal History Access Tool (ICHAT). All 83 Michigan counties’ law enforcement organizations, prosecutors, and courts are required to report to the state repository all felonies and serious misdemeanors that are punishable by more than 93 days. Information about warrants and suppressed records is not accessible through ICHAT. Federal records, tribal records, traffic violations, juvenile offenses, local misdemeanors, and criminal histories from other states are also excluded. You must get in touch with that state directly if you want to search for a record that might be in another state.
Certain court records must be kept and made accessible by the Michigan State Courts. In all courts, free online searches of open and closed cases are permitted. You can find civil and criminal complaints, divorce cases, and other family court cases. The court’s proceedings and any eventual resolution will be noted in the records. A person must go to the appropriate court in order to view the actual record.
These details show how to conduct a Michigan background check successfully. Observing them will help you achieve a positive background in the state.