What is a Search Engine?

A search engine is a Web site that links to a database of many (okay, many, many) Internet files. These can be Web sites, homepages, gophers, newsgroups, etc. If none of those words mean anything to you, just think, "it's a collection of all the stuff on the Net" and you won't be far off. What makes these sites so great is that they allow you to use their engine (or software program) to search their database. Because the Internet is a cool, chaotic, and quirky collection, search engines are the tools that let you actually find what you're looking for (usually). So what you do is go to one of these sites, type your topic in a little text field, then the engine searches and shows you what it's found. Each of the search engines listed below comes with strengths and weaknesses. You'll end up finding one that you like the best (for your own cool, chaotic, and quirky reasons

Search tips

By default the search engine tries to locate pages which have exact matches for all of the words entered in your search query. If that fails, it then tries to locate pages which contain any words in your search query. If that happens a short message is displayed at the top of the search results indicating this has been done.

In addition, there are several ways to modify the default search behavior.

phrase searchThe search engine supports three types of phrase search.

To match an exact phrase, use quotes around the phraseExample: "free search engine"

To match a near (within a couple of words) phrase, use square brackets [around the words]Example: [free search engine]

To match a far (within several words) phrase, use braces { around the words }Example: {free search engine}

+ and - qualifiersIf you prepend a word with + that word is required to be on the page.If you prepend a word with - that word is required to not be on the page.Example: +always -never
* wildcardIf a query word ends with a * all words on a page which start the same way as that query word will match.Example: gift*

? wildcardIf a query word contains a ? any character will match that position.Example: b?g
boolean searchYou can use the following boolean operators in your search: AND, OR, NOT. These operators MUST be in capital letters.Example: (contact AND us) OR (about AND us) All of these techniques can be combined: +alway* -ne??r*

Protect Your Business from Liability Through Employee Background Checks

According to a number of studies conducted in the human resource industry, inaccurate information or fraudulent claims of competence appear in 80% of all résumés. In addition, few prospective employees will ever volunteer background information about criminal behavior or financial mismanagement. Unless you take steps to check references and verify information, you could be deceived by people you need to trust.

As an employer, you are entitled to know who you are hiring before you tender a job offer. Additionally, you are legally obligated to know the backgrounds of the people you hire. Failure to conduct thorough background checks puts you and your company at risk, creating a negligent hiring liability that can threaten other employees and the future of your business. Many business liability insurance policies do not cover negligent hiring.

During the past year a new type of pre-employment background check called the National Criminal File (NCF) became available. There are 38 to 50 states included, and the number of records in these three NCF databases ranges from 60 million to as many as 133 million. While those numbers sound impressive, any company that utilizes the National Criminal File as their primary means of checking for criminal records should read the fine print.

There are four different kinds of records, all of which are all referred to as "criminal records."

• Arrest Records—law enforcement records of arrests.
• 
  Criminal Court Records—local, state or federal records.
  
• Corrections Records—prison records.
• 
  State Criminal Repository Records—statewide records made up of arrest records, criminal court records and correction records.

This article discusses the differences among these records and how they come into play with the National Criminal File.

Fair Credit Reporting Act and Background Checks

The federal Fair Credit Reporting Act (15 USC §1681 et seq.) does not require employers to conduct employment background checks. But the law sets a national standard that employers must follow in employment screening. State laws may give an employee more rights than the FCRA.

Do I have a right to know when a background check is requested?
Yes. Amendments to the FCRA, in effect September 30, 1997, increase the disclosure and consent requirements of employers who use "consumer reports." Such reports might consist only of a credit check. (See Part 6) More extensive reports might include criminal histories, driving records, and interviews with neighbors, friends and associates.

To be covered by the FCRA, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) says that a report must be prepared by an outside company -- a "consumer reporting agency" or business that "for monetary fees, dues, or on a cooperative nonprofit basis, regularly engages in ... assembling ... information on consumers for the purpose of furnishing consumer reports to third parties." (FCRA §603f)

Under the FCRA, the employer must obtain the applicant's written authorization before the background check is conducted. The authorization must be on a document separate from all other documents such as an employment application. In California, at the time an employer obtains permission for a background check, the applicant or employee should also be told that he or she may request a copy of the report. The FCRA, in contrast, says the subject is entitled to a copy of the report if a pre-adverse notice is given.

Under federal law, if the employer uses information from the consumer report for an "adverse action" - that is, denying the job applicant, terminating the employee, rescinding a job offer, or denying a promotion - it must take the following steps, which are explained further in the Federal Trade Commission's web site, www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/buspubs/credempl.htm
Before the adverse action is taken, the employer must give the applicant a "pre-adverse action disclosure." This includes a copy of the report and an explanation of the consumer's rights under the FCRA.

After the adverse action is taken, the individual must be given an "adverse action notice." This document must contain the name, address, and phone number of the employment screening company, a statement that this company did not make the adverse decision, rather that the employer did, and a notice that the individual has the right to dispute the accuracy or completeness of any of the information in the report.

Modified disclosure and adverse action procedures under the FCRA (§604(b)(3)(B)) apply to positions subject to U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) regulations such as truck drivers. The DOT has independent authority to set qualifications for workers in transportation industries.

Criminal Background Checks

Given the rising crime in our urban areas, property owners must be concerned with introducing a dangerous or undesirable tenant into their building. The proliferation of drugs and gangs in cities throughout the United States has turned once beautiful neighborhoods into blighted and unsafe war zones. As a property owner, you must protect your tenants as well as your investment.

Nearly all criminal records are public. Generally, the easiest access to criminal records is through your tenant screening provider. When ordering your screening report, most companies offer an option of a criminal background check. The response varies from immediate (online) up to a couple of days depending upon the county or state you are pulling records from. Since there is no single source for criminal background checks nationwide, your information provider must access from different depositories throughout the country. Therefore, criminal background checks are usually priced on a per county or per state basis

Before ordering a criminal background on a prospective tenant, it is important that you have sufficiently cross-checked the application. Once you are satisfied that the address history is accurate, you can then request the criminal background from a specific county or state.

Aren't some of my personal records confidential?

The following types of information may be useful for an employer to make a hiring decision. However, under the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act, the employer is required to get your permission before obtaining the records. (See PRC Fact Sheet 11, "From Cradle to Grave: Government Records and Your Privacy,"

Education records. Under both federal and California law, transcripts, recommendations, discipline records, and financial information are confidential. A school should not release student records without the authorization of the adult-age student or parent. However, a school may release "directory information," which can include name, address, dates of attendance, degrees earned, and activities, unless the student has given written notice otherwise.

Military service records. Under the federal Privacy Act, service records are confidential and can only be released under limited circumstances. Inquiries not authorized by the subject of the records must be made under the Freedom of Information Act. Even without the applicant's consent, the military may release name, rank, salary, duty assignments, awards, and duty status. (5 USC §§552, 552a) For more on military records, visit the National Archives

Medical records. In California and many states, medical records are confidential. There are only a few instances when a medical record can be released without your knowledge or authorization. The FCRA also requires your specific permission for the release of medical records. If employers require physical examinations after they make a job offer, they will have access to the results. The Americans with Disabilities Act allows a potential employer to inquire only about your ability to perform specific job functions. (42 USC §12101)

There are other questions such as age, marital status, and certain psychological tests that employers cannot use when interviewing. These issues are beyond the scope of this fact sheet. If you have further questions, contact the resources at the end of this fact sheet. The federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the fair employment agencies in the states handle these issues.