Accurate Background Checks for Kentucky Employers
Kentucky’s workforce is as diverse as its economy, spanning industries like healthcare, logistics, education, manufacturing, and beyond. But even the most promising résumé may not tell you everything you need to know about a potential hire. A thorough background check can give employers the information they need to help safeguard their business and make more informed hiring decisions.
At Accurate, we perform more than just a standard criminal history search. Our Kentucky background check services are designed to provide a more enhanced understanding of a candidate’s history and eligibility. From verifying professional licenses to confirming past employment, we can provide the information you need to evaluate whether an applicant meets your standards and are eligible for the position you’re hiring for.
What a Kentucky Background Check May Include
While each package can be tailored to the position you’re hiring for, some of the most common components ordered for Kentucky background checks include the following:
- AccurateReach, a tips and leads search that includes a nationwide database search to help uncover more criminal records beyond those found through a candidate’s known address history
- Criminal Background Check Services, including county, state, and federal criminal searches
- Employment history
- Education and credential verifications
- Professional license verification
- Motor vehicle driving history
- Sex offender registry search
- Government and healthcare sanctions
Kentucky Background Check Considerations You Should Know About
Each state has its own rules and regulations for performing and using background check results in hiring decisions. These laws can differ at the city and county levels as well, so Kentucky employers should be aware of these nuances when designing their screening programs. This may include, but is not limited to:
- Ban the Box: Kentucky doesn’t currently have a statewide Ban the Box law for private employers, but there are local jurisdictions which have established requirements for public employers. For example, public employers in the city of Louisville should not inquire about an applicant’s conviction history until after they have been determined to be otherwise qualified for the position. They should also conduct an individualized assessment of each individual’s conviction history.
- Reporting of Criminal Records: Kentucky prohibits consumer reporting agencies from reporting criminal charges that did not result in a conviction. As a result, background checks these agencies provide to employers will not include those charges.
- Marijuana and Employment: Medical cannabis use is permitted in Kentucky under specific conditions for registered cardholders. Kentucky employers may establish and enforce drug-free workplace policies restricting the use, possession or sale of medical cannabis in the workplace. Employers should be cautious not to discriminate against or penalize an employee based on their past or present status as a cardholder, and should also make a good faith determination of impairment before making an employment decision. (Learn more about Kentucky’s marijuana testing for employment laws here.)
- Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA): Like all U.S. employers, Kentucky businesses must comply with the FCRA when using consumer reporting agencies (CRAs) like Accurate. This generally includes obtaining written consent before requesting a background check report, providing a clear, standalone written disclosure, and following required pre-adverse and action and final adverse action procedures before taking an employment action based in whole, or in part, on information reported in a background check.
Knowing when and how you can request and use background check information is critical to a successful screening program. Accurate provides educational resources and legislative updates on new and changing regulations that may impact background screenings. However, employers are ultimately responsible for maintaining compliance with all local, state and federal rules and regulations concerning background screening.
Partner with Accurate for More Effective Background Checks
Hiring a person who doesn’t meet your standards or criteria can be costly to your finances and may negatively impact your company’s reputation. But with Accurate, you don’t just get a criminal history report. You get a trusted partner who understands the need for enhanced information delivered quickly to support your hiring goals.
Our team works with you to design a screening package that fits your business, delivers timely results, and keeps the process straightforward for both you and your candidates. Contact us today to conduct Kentucky background checks with Accurate.
This overview is not an exhaustive list of employer laws and is meant to provide employers with common laws employers should consider in Kentucky.
The commentary above is not offered as legal advice but is instead offered for informational purposes. Accurate Background is not a law firm and does not offer legal advice. The above commentary is therefore not intended as a substitute for the legal advice of an attorney knowledgeable of the user’s individual circumstances or to provide legal advice. Accurate Background makes no assurances regarding the accuracy, completeness, currency, or utility of the preceding information.