InfoLink Screening Services Joins Kroll's Background Screening Division

NEW YORK, March 6, 2006 -- Kroll Inc. (www.kroll.com), the global risk consulting company, announced today that it has completed the acquisition of InfoLink Screening Services, Inc. (www.infolinkscreening.com), a leading, privately-held background screening company headquartered in Chatsworth, Calif., a Los Angeles suburb. InfoLink will operate as the West Coast hub office for Kroll’s Background Screening division, which is headquartered in Nashville, Tenn. Terms of the acquisition were not disclosed.

"Today, demand for employee background screening services continues to rise due to new legislation and concerns about workplace security," said Simon Freakley, chief executive officer of Kroll Inc. "The acquisition of InfoLink reflects Kroll’s strategy of acquiring successful, best-of-breed companies that provide a competitive advantage and secure Kroll’s leadership in key markets."

InfoLink, which employs a staff of 114 at its Chatsworth facility, was founded in 1994 by Barry and Leslie Nadell. Its president, Barry Nadell, is a recognized leader in the employee screening industry. One of the top background screening companies in California, InfoLink provides employee background checks and related services such as drug testing, Form I-9 employment eligibility verifications, and pre-employment physical examinations. Its clients consist of a diverse mix of West Coast-based companies, including those in the hospitality, retail, health care, and employment sectors.

"The addition of InfoLink greatly enhances our West Coast client base and sales channels. It is an outstanding company with expert management and first-rate staff who share Kroll’s commitment to quality customer service," said A. Michael Rosen, president of Kroll’s Background Screening division. "We are delighted that the members of the management team will continue in their current roles and lead InfoLink’s integration with Kroll."

"This union with Kroll is an exciting opportunity for our customers and employees alike," said InfoLink’s Barry Nadell. "Clients will be able to benefit from Kroll’s broad range of complementary risk mitigation services, while continuing to receive the same competitive pricing and level of customer support that has distinguished our business. InfoLink employees can look forward to the many benefits and opportunities presented by being part of a much larger, global organization."

About Kroll:

Kroll Inc., the world's leading risk consulting company, is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE: MMC), the global professional services firm. Headquartered in New York, Kroll provides a wide range of investigative, intelligence, financial, security and technology services through offices in more than 65 cities in over 25 countries. Kroll’s Background Screening division is comprised of Kroll Background America, Inc., based in Nashville, Tenn., and other Kroll subsidiaries in Canada, the United Kingdom, Poland, India and South Africa. In the United States, the Background Screening division provides employee and vendor background investigations and identity theft services. It serves a wide range of corporate, government and non-profit clientele, most notably those in financial services and highly regulated industries such as health care and transportation. For more information, visit www.kroll.com.

About InfoLink Screening Services:

InfoLink Screening Services is a leading provider of employment background checks, drug testing, physical exams and Form I-9 eSolutions. Thousands of companies nationwide rely on InfoLink before they finalize their hiring decisions. InfoLink's exceptional service, fast turnaround, legal compliance and accuracy enable companies to Hire with Confidence®. For more information, visit http://www.infolinkscreening.com or call 800-990-HIRE (4473).

The Importance of a Complete Background Check

In a recent background check for a manufacturing client, InfoLink Screening Services, a national background screening firm, learned that the applicant transposed the last two numbers of her Social Security number (SSN) and provided the employer a false date of birth (DOB) when she applied for employment. Based on the information the applicant provided, InfoLink might have reported “No Record Found” if its Quality Assurance had not identified discrepancies which lead to InfoLink’s uncovering 8 criminal convictions on the applicant’s record.

Form I-9 Compliance, LLC Launches the First Web-Based Form I-9 Employment Verification Service and Begins Executing Its Reseller Strategy

Form I-9 Compliance, LLC Launches the First Web-Based Form I-9 Employment Verification Service and Begins Executing Its Reseller Strategy
Form I-9 Compliance, LLC, the first federally-approved Designated Agent of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Social Security Administration (SSA) for Form I-9 employment verifications, announced that it has launched the first web-based service that enables employers to easily conduct legal right to work Form I-9 employment verifications on new employees.
Read more…

InfoLink Screening Services Launches New Automated Solution for Form I-9 Employment Verifications and Additional Form I-9 Services

June 14, 2005, Los Angeles, CA – InfoLink Screening Services, a nationwide provider of employment background checks, drug testing and physical exams, today announced that it has launched a new automated solution for Form I-9 compliance services, including the first web-based service for verifying employees have a legal right to work in the United States.

InfoLink's secure, web-based service enables employers to conduct Form I-9 employment eligibility verifications through the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Social Security Administration (SSA). Employers are able to use the information on newly hired employees’ I-9 Forms to verify the accuracy of Social Security and Immigration “A” numbers and in real-time obtain employee’s legal right to work status with a DHS-issued verification number.

The Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 legally mandates that U.S. employers verify the employment eligibility status of newly-hired employees and makes it unlawful for employers to knowingly hire or continue to employ unauthorized workers. Noncompliance, whether intentional or caused simply by oversight, has severe legal and financial consequences imposed by the DHS, as well as the potential of a corporate image tarnished by negative publicity.

In addition to employment eligibility verifications, InfoLink will also offer the following services to help companies manage their Form I-9 processes:

• A self-correcting electronic Form I-9 that virtually eliminates processing errors and simplifies the document completion process.
• Secure, paperless Form I-9 storage, providing anytime, anywhere online access for updating, re-verification and governmental inspection.
• Automated alerts in advance of employees’ expiring work authorizations, enabling employees to renew their work authorization documents and legally continue to work without interruption.
• Pre-filled employment eligibility verification forms if the company has conducted a background check on the new employee through InfoLink or uses an integrated ATS or HRIS solution.
• Form I-9 consulting services performed by trained and experienced I-9 consultants including former INS officials and executive-level Human Resources professionals.

InfoLink’s Form I-9 employment verification services:

• Provide peace of mind that new employees’ Social Security and Immigration documents are valid.
• Simplify and improve the efficiency of Form I-9 processes.
• Substantially decrease human errors in completing I-9 Forms.
• Cost-effectively reduce exposure to government audits, financial penalties and negative publicity resulting from non-compliance.
• Improve the accuracy of payroll and tax reporting and helps eliminate SSA inquiries concerning unmatched Social Security accounts by identifying current employees with fraudulent Social Security numbers.

“We’re excited to be the first company to offer an automated, web-based solution for ensuring U.S. business employ individuals who are legally authorized to work in the United States,” said Barry Nadell, president of InfoLink Screening Services, Inc. “Because of our focus on legal compliance in employment screening, we felt it was important for InfoLink to be an early mover in Form I-9 compliance services. InfoLink’s Form I-9 employment verification services provide business with new, efficient methods for managing their I-9 processes and complying with the law.”

About InfoLink Screening Services

InfoLink Screening Services is a leading provider of employment background checks, drug testing, physical exams and Form I-9 employment verification services. Thousands of companies nationwide, from small businesses to Fortune 500's, rely on InfoLink's exceptional service, fast turnaround, legal compliance and accurate reports. Its easy-to-use web-based solution enables easy order entry, status tracking, hit notification and secure archiving. InfoLink's drug screening and physical exam programs include a nationwide network of thousands of collection sites and clinics, secure online reporting and consolidated billing. And its new Form I-9 employment verification services enable companies to reduce Form I-9 errors and verify employees’ legal right to work in the U.S. InfoLink's comprehensive employee screening services and seamless integration with Human Resource software increase Human Resource efficiency and enable businesses to Hire with Confidence™. Visit www.infolinkscreening.com or call (800) 990-HIRE (4473) for additional information.

Employment application forms must be worded carefully

Employers have become increasingly aware of the importance of knowing if an applicant has a criminal record. Employers have a legal duty to make reasonable inquiries about who they hire, and to provide a safe workplace.
An employer who hires a person with a criminal record can be found liable for negligent hiring should the hiring decision result in harm. This can be avoided by a simple criminal record check. Checking criminal records demonstrates due diligence and is also an important preventative measure against workplace violence.

One of the most effective tools an employer has is the use of an employment application form in the hiring process. An application enables an employer to directly ask an applicant if they have a criminal record. The advantage is that an employer can use a well worded application form to discourage applicants with something to hide, and to encourage applicants to be open and honest.

There are, however, some limitations involved. Employers should make sure that their applications are legal. Read more...

7 Steps to Prevent Hiring a Criminal

The following article appeared in BLR's January newsletter.

7 Steps to Prevent Hiring a Criminal

We don’t know about you, but the thought of unwittingly hiring a criminal gives us nightmares. A recent story about a notorious nurse–reporting that he has now pleaded guilty to giving fatal medication overdoses to 23 patients and nonlethal overdoses to 5 more–is especially scary. During a 16-year career as a nurse at hospitals in several states, including New Jersey and Pennsylvania, Charles Cullen says he killed between 30 and 40 people. Why didn’t anyone discover sooner how dangerous this employee was?

That’s why we’re passing along some tips from an expert in background checking. He is Barry Nadell, president of Infolink Screening Services. At one of his websites (www.greathire.com), Nadell lists seven steps employers can take immediately to prevent hiring a criminal. As you will see, the primary goal of these steps is deterrence, just as you might post signs on your factory or office building, home, or motor vehicle that the property is protected by an alarm system. Better still, these measures cost little or nothing.

• Post prominent signage at your facility that you conduct background checks and drug tests for all new hires. Many (but not all) undesirable candidates will be discouraged from applying for jobs with you.
• Post a similar notice on your website, where you list openings in your organization.
• With your application form, hand out "ominous" (Nadell’s word) disclosure and authorization forms regarding background checks and drug testing.
• On the application form itself, repeat these notices prominently at the top, and ensure that the form includes all questions you may legally ask any candidate.
• Inform all current employees of your policies regarding new hires, and request them to authorize background screening should you find it necessary in the future.
• If you ever use temporary employment agencies, insist that they perform background checks on their candidates, and request copies of reports on any workers you hire through them.
• Require any vendor or independent contractor that sends its employees into your facilities to conduct background checks on those people. Give each such supplier a checklist of the kinds of screening you require, and ask each to verify that all steps were taken with any worker sent onto your premises.

Tip: For more information on Nadell’s services and other advice, see http://www.infolinkscreening.com, or Nadell’s book, Sleuthing 101 Background Checks and the Law.

Sleuthing 101, Background Checks and the Law to be sold by ASIS

Barry Nadell’s Sleuthing 101, Background Checks and the Law Approved to be Carried in ASIS Bookstore

MARCH 1, 2005 -- Barry Nadell’s book, Sleuthing 101: Background Checks and the Law, has been approved to be carried in the prestigious ASIS International bookstore.
The approval allows the association’s 33,000 members to easily purchase Sleuthing 101, Background Checks and the Law at http://www.asisonline.org/.

“This is a great opportunity for the people who can most benefit from my book,” says Nadell, president of InfoLink Screening Services, Inc. “ASIS is a leader in the field of security, so the book provides valuable information directly related to their primary function.”

ASIS International is the preeminent international organization for professionals responsible for security. ASIS provides its more than 33,000 members and the security industry comprehensive programs and services and publishes Security Management, the leading monthly magazine focused on security.

Sleuthing 101, is an easy to understand reference guide providing vital information employers need to know to legally perform background screening. Designed for anyone involved in the hiring, reviewing and interviewing of job applicants, Sleuthing 101 provides the most up-to-date information available regarding including both national and state background screening laws, procedures, employment applications and hiring practices.

About Barry Nadell and InfoLink Screening Services, Inc.

Barry J. Nadell is president and co-founder of InfoLink Screening Services, Inc., a national background screening company in its 11th year servicing clients nationwide. Nadell is a widely recognized expert on background screening and regularly speaks at national and regional conventions for human resource and security-related associations. He has been interviewed on over 100 radio talk shows and has appeared on national TV including ABC News with Peter Jennings and the Bloomberg Report. He was recently honored with the 2005 Excellence in HR award by the Professionals In Human Resources Association, the largest SHRM affiliate.

InfoLink Screening Services is a leading provider of employment background checks, drug testing and physical exams. InfoLink's easy-to-use web-based service enables human resource and security professionals to conveniently request services, track work in progress, and securely retrieve and archive completed reports. Thousands of companies nationwide depend on InfoLink's exceptional service, rapid turnaround time, accuracy and legal compliance expertise before they finalize their hiring decisions. InfoLink helps companies Hire With Confidence™. Visit http://www.infolinkscreening.com or call (800) 990-HIRE (4473) for additional information.