Authorization and disclosure are two distinct terms used in background screening that are unfortunately used interchangeably. Before you conduct your background check, it’s important to learn about your responsibilities regarding authorization and disclosure.

When an applicant grants authorization for a background check, he signs a form that gives his full permission for you to search his background. While applicant authorization is strongly recommended, it is not actually required.

Disclosure, on the other hand, is required under the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) as well as some state consumer reporting laws. Disclosure is simply telling your applicant that you are going to procure a background check. According to the FCRA, an employer satisfies the disclosure requirement by providing a separate document that consists solely of the disclosure statement.

So to stay legal when conducting background checks, you must provide disclosure documentation either with the application form or with the job offer. To further protect yourself, you should also include an authorization form.

Corporate Screening’s representatives have years of experience dealing with the legal requirements of background checks. Contact one of our background check specialists today if you’d like more specific advice about authorization and disclosure in background check.

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