Background Checks And Driving Records

by Kristen White Blogger

When a California employer is hiring, they need more information than what is provided by employees. One way to ensure they get the right information is to conduct background checks. What job applicants don’t know is that even their driving records information is of great interest to their prospective employers. Certain job positions may require one to have good driving habits. One of them is sales or any other job, such as trucking that requires one to drive. If you are looking for such a position, your driving records could disqualify you from getting a job.

Do Employers In California Check DMV Records?

In California, any potential employer who has a job that requires good driving skills will check your DMV records when complying with California background check laws. Your employer may look for information such as:

ü The number of accidents involved in if any

ü Driving status

ü Traffic violations

When you drove away from the scene of an accident, drove without a license, or any other violation, you may have criminal traffic citations, which can be a misdemeanor or a felony offense depending on the circumstance. A criminal offense may hinder you from getting a job. For instance, you may have unpaid fines, which is a civil violation.

It’s worth noting that employers need not to have your consent while looking for such information. They have the right to get the information directly from the DMV.

However, the law prohibits certain information to be given to employers, including:

ü The Social Security number

ü Information on medical conditions or any disability

If your employer fails to follow California background check laws when collecting your information, you have a right to file a claim.

What If I Have A Driving Record?

If you have a driving record, the best way would be to go to the DMV and request your driving record. You should then review and know how to best present it to your employer. This is not easy to do on your own; you require an experienced employment lawyer to guide you on the best strategy. One way to have a valid excuse when presenting your driving record would be to indicate that you had some traffic violations, but since then, you have engaged in a defensive driving course where you have improved your driving skills.

Tips To Ensure The Background Check I Conducted Fairly

While most employers have all the facts when making a job offer, not all do. There are some tips one should consider looking out for to ensure their employer runs a background check fairly. They include:

ü Any inquiry made should be related to the job offer.

ü The employer should get consent when conducting a background check.

ü Your employer needs to be reasonable. For instance, if an employer wants to get information about medical records, he/she shouldn’t get details from your neighbor.

If your employer seems to conduct an unfair background check, you need to raise concerns. The above situations may affect a group of applicants. Since finding justice as a single applicant may not be easy, the best way is to consider looking for class action attorneys in Los Angeles for justice to prevail. On the other hand, many employees lose their job prospects as they fail to improve their chances of getting through a background check. Background checks are essential for any hiring process, but they should be conducted according to the law. If you are a group of job applicants who believe a background check was conducted illegally, you should look for class action attorneys in Los Angeles to offer legal guidance. Your driving record may hold you back, but you can consider having an experienced employment lawyer evaluate your case.