What's the deal with this mystery FBI "packet?"
July 17, 2012 12:47 PM Subscribe
Weirdness with background check - FBI involved?
My partner applied for a position at local hospital. They ran a pre-employment background check, complete with fingerprints.
He received an email from his potential employer about a week later, stating that an "issue" came up regarding the FBI /fingerprints portion of the check, and that they (the FBI) would be sending some paperwork. They asked him to not report for work on the previously agreed-upon start date.
Upon asking for more information, the hiring manager said (also via email) they didn't know what issue came up in the check, but the FBI would be sending a "packet" that would have to be opened *in front of* Security/ID Processing staff at the hospital. The Hiring Manager also stated that this process was new to her as well, so she didn't have any additional information on it.
We've never heard of such a thing before. My partner has been employed before for large corporations, but we're not sure what kind of background checks were done for those positions.
It doesn't seem like a great idea to open personal information - that you haven't had a chance to review - in front of someone else.
Have you heard of this before? Apparently, background check results are subject to the [insert state name here] Public Records Act, so should we request a copy of it from HR?
Notes :
- Partner showed me all the emails regarding this issue
- To the best of my knowledge, he is being completely honest about not knowing what this is about (i.e. no criminal record other than a prior DUI conviction that he already disclosed to them)
My partner applied for a position at local hospital. They ran a pre-employment background check, complete with fingerprints.
He received an email from his potential employer about a week later, stating that an "issue" came up regarding the FBI /fingerprints portion of the check, and that they (the FBI) would be sending some paperwork. They asked him to not report for work on the previously agreed-upon start date.
Upon asking for more information, the hiring manager said (also via email) they didn't know what issue came up in the check, but the FBI would be sending a "packet" that would have to be opened *in front of* Security/ID Processing staff at the hospital. The Hiring Manager also stated that this process was new to her as well, so she didn't have any additional information on it.
We've never heard of such a thing before. My partner has been employed before for large corporations, but we're not sure what kind of background checks were done for those positions.
It doesn't seem like a great idea to open personal information - that you haven't had a chance to review - in front of someone else.
Have you heard of this before? Apparently, background check results are subject to the [insert state name here] Public Records Act, so should we request a copy of it from HR?
Notes :
- Partner showed me all the emails regarding this issue
- To the best of my knowledge, he is being completely honest about not knowing what this is about (i.e. no criminal record other than a prior DUI conviction that he already disclosed to them)
Besides that single DUI, have they ever declared bankruptcy or had any kind of court case go against them? Any accusations or arrests, even if the matter was dropped? Letters to politicians that could be taken wrong, or membership in anarchist groups, or a close relative who has done any of the above? Alternatively, do they have a relatively common name that could have them mistaken for someone else --- also consider identity theft.
posted by easily confused at 1:02 PM on July 17, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by easily confused at 1:02 PM on July 17, 2012 [1 favorite]
I am no expert on this stuff, but I suspect you'd have to wait until after the packet was received before there would be anything interesting in the public records from HR.
HR already has plenty of personal information on him, so it's a little late to worry about it being opened in front of security. I suspect the contents are meant to definitively settle whatever it is that's in question, with both parties witnessing the unsealing so that nobody suspects any tampering.
It's a little dramatic, but I think it's a good sign that the hospital is willing to go through with it rather than bail. Chances are good that the magic envelope will contain identifying information, everyone will look at your partner and go nope, that's not you, okey dokey!
I had a roommate who struggled through a job-acquisition phase because someone with a name almost like his and several similar residential/vitals had recently been prosecuted for sexual assault. Between stuff like that and identity theft, I can think of a lot of reasons an employer might have to spend a lot of time validating background checks in increasingly complex ways. This is much more likely to be about something your partner DIDN'T do than something he did.
posted by Lyn Never at 1:05 PM on July 17, 2012
HR already has plenty of personal information on him, so it's a little late to worry about it being opened in front of security. I suspect the contents are meant to definitively settle whatever it is that's in question, with both parties witnessing the unsealing so that nobody suspects any tampering.
It's a little dramatic, but I think it's a good sign that the hospital is willing to go through with it rather than bail. Chances are good that the magic envelope will contain identifying information, everyone will look at your partner and go nope, that's not you, okey dokey!
I had a roommate who struggled through a job-acquisition phase because someone with a name almost like his and several similar residential/vitals had recently been prosecuted for sexual assault. Between stuff like that and identity theft, I can think of a lot of reasons an employer might have to spend a lot of time validating background checks in increasingly complex ways. This is much more likely to be about something your partner DIDN'T do than something he did.
posted by Lyn Never at 1:05 PM on July 17, 2012
Oh, and is there anything confusing in your partner's background? Maybe they merely want to clear up something weird --- I had to go through one of these FBI background checks a few years ago, and the fact that I have three completely separate birth certificates (all are in the same name, and each one is fully legal on its own) made things very, very interesting for a while.....
posted by easily confused at 1:19 PM on July 17, 2012
posted by easily confused at 1:19 PM on July 17, 2012
It may well just be the DUI arrest showing up on the report. The FBI would send a packet with the information in it. Opening it at HR is to demonstrate it hasn't been doctored.
posted by OmieWise at 1:56 PM on July 17, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by OmieWise at 1:56 PM on July 17, 2012 [1 favorite]
Now that I'm home and not on my phone...
I've had to get an FBI background check for licensure a couple of times. Basically how it works is that for employment it's only the person whose record it is who can make the request. What usually happens is that whoever is telling you that you need to record, whoever is asking you to request the record, then wants to see the sealed envelope so they know that the info came straight from the FBI.
I don't know what's going on in this case, it sounds like there is some confusion. The employer should not have been able to make the request. Regardless, your partners DUI arrest will be on the record, which is independent of whatever he told his future employer.
Here is the FBI page about requesting records.
posted by OmieWise at 2:19 PM on July 17, 2012 [1 favorite]
I've had to get an FBI background check for licensure a couple of times. Basically how it works is that for employment it's only the person whose record it is who can make the request. What usually happens is that whoever is telling you that you need to record, whoever is asking you to request the record, then wants to see the sealed envelope so they know that the info came straight from the FBI.
I don't know what's going on in this case, it sounds like there is some confusion. The employer should not have been able to make the request. Regardless, your partners DUI arrest will be on the record, which is independent of whatever he told his future employer.
Here is the FBI page about requesting records.
posted by OmieWise at 2:19 PM on July 17, 2012 [1 favorite]
Apparently if you use a lot of hand sanitizer it can make it really hard to fingerprint you.
It's the flip: if you're having trouble giving clear prints, using a bunch of hand sanitizer and then trying will make them come out clearer.
posted by NotMyselfRightNow at 2:48 PM on July 17, 2012
It's the flip: if you're having trouble giving clear prints, using a bunch of hand sanitizer and then trying will make them come out clearer.
posted by NotMyselfRightNow at 2:48 PM on July 17, 2012
I don't want to burst your excitement bubble, but odds are this is a "what is this person hiding and never wants to be found out" exercise. If your partner is not a murderer, rapist, escaped convict living under an assumed name, or a known terrorist that can be identified with dna or digital prints, he's probably going to hired just for showing up.
posted by vozworth at 7:42 PM on July 17, 2012
posted by vozworth at 7:42 PM on July 17, 2012
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That would explain why he needs to open the packet in front of the ID people - it'll contain fresh fingerprint sheets and they need to sign off that it's actually his prints. Not a huge problem, just a big hassle.
posted by restless_nomad at 12:54 PM on July 17, 2012 [3 favorites]