Information about applicants for jobs, housing, loans, and many other opportunities can be obtained with the help of a formal Vermont background check. In Vermont, an unofficial background check cannot be used to make decisions about employment or housing, but it can be helpful for learning about a person’s character, including Couples who live together, Neighbors, Family and Friends. In Vermont, people have access to the state’s public records repository to conduct unofficial background checks.
All 14 counties in Vermont began keeping records back in 1776. Some of the earliest records kept concerned property, but as time passed, they also included births, deaths, and marriages.
The records have been converted from paper files to digital files over time, making it simpler to access them.
The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA)gives those who need access to records the right to do so.
Before requesting any documents, it is important to be aware of the state’s legal requirements because each state has its own procedures.
Background Check Laws in Vermont
To avoid penalties, fines, and potential liability, Vermont employers must abide by both federal and state laws when they perform pre-employment background checks.
An overview of the pertinent laws is provided below.
Federal Regulations on Background Checks for Employment
Act on Fair Credit Reporting (FCRA)
The Federal Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) is a comprehensive federal law that safeguards consumers’ rights to privacy with regard to data that is collected, stored, and reported by consumer reporting agencies (CRAs) and used by employers.
In Vermont, an employer must obtain the applicant’s written consent before conducting a pre-employment background check and must notify the applicant that it will be done.
The FCRA also regulates the procedures that employers must follow if they decide not to hire candidates due to the data found in background check reports.
The Civil Rights Act of 1964’s Title VII
The most significant federal anti-discrimination law in the United States is Title VII. This law forbids discrimination in the workplace at all levels, including hiring.
Title VII is enforced by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. EEOC guidelines state that before making unfavorable hiring decisions, employers must individually evaluate each conviction in light of how it relates to the job responsibilities of the positions for which they are hiring.
Vermont State Laws on Background Checks for Jobs
Pre-employment background checks in Vermont are also governed by a number of state laws. The following state laws must be followed by employers.
- Consumer Consent Required Before Background Checks Can Be Completed
- Notice Required
- Employers Cannot Ask Applicants to Pay for Background Checks
- Ban-the-Box Law – General
- Ban-the-Box Law – Employers Providing Services to Vulnerable Populations
- Employers Cannot Ask Applicants to Pay for Pre-Employment Medical Exams
- Polygraph Tests Prohibited as a Condition of Employment
- Use of Credit Report
- Social Media Privacy
- Salary History Information
- Pre-Employment Drug Testing
- Expunged Records Not Reported
What Information Appear on a Vermont Background Check for Employment?
Depending on the reports you request when conducting a Vermont employment background check, you might receive different information. In Vermont, the majority of employers ask for information on professional licenses, employment history, education history, and criminal history.
A pre-employment background check report will typically contain the following details:
- convictions for felonies or misdemeanors that have not been sealed or erased
- Unresolved criminal cases
- arrests that result in convictions other than those that are expunged
- employment background
- Registration of sexual offenders
- knowledge of history
- Watch List for Domestic Terrorists
- Location history
What might be seen on some of these reports is as follows:
Check for Criminal Records
When an applicant has a non-expunged criminal conviction, a pre-employment criminal background check will show the following details:
- Type of offense
- violation date
- Offense severity (misdemeanor or felony)
- Disposition
- Disposition date
- Sentence
An expunged conviction or arrest will not be reported.
Verification of Education
You can confirm an applicant’s claims about their educational background by conducting an education verification. This type of report will include the following details:
- Names of the institutions attended
- dates when I was there
- degrees, certificates, or diplomas attained
Workplace Verification
Employers can confirm a candidate’s employment history using employment verification reports. On this kind of report, you’ll see the following information types:
- lists of all previous employers
- Employment dates with each previous employer
- held positions
How to Get a Background Check in Vermont
By making an online request to the Vermont Criminal Conviction Record Internet Service of the Vermont Crime Information Center, you can obtain criminal records for Vermont. The Vermont Crime Information Center also allows people to mail requests for their own criminal histories.
The only crimes that appear on a Vermont state background check are those that have not been expunged. Other important background information regarding an applicant’s previous employment or education will not be disclosed, nor will information about convictions from other jurisdictions.
Some employers make an effort to conduct pre-employment background checks on their own by submitting requests to numerous organizations, previous employers, and educational institutions. However, it might be difficult and time-consuming to obtain all the information you require using this method.
Working with a trustworthy third-party employment background check businesses like iprospectcheck, backgroundchecks, freebackgroundchecks, goodhire is a better way to carry out pre-employment background checks in Vermont.
With these details in mind, you can conduct a comprehensive Vermont background check with no problem. They will help you avoid breaking background check laws and arrive at a result much quicker.