Late last year the Royal Canadian Mounted Police issued a directive to the agencies that facilitate national criminal background checks that has caused significant concern to employers. This lengthy post describes this important development. [more]

A background check conducted in 2009 on an Ohio State University employee suspected of opening fire Tuesday on his co-workers turned up no criminal record, even though he apparently served five years in prison. [more]

Two managers at a nursery in south London have been suspended for allegedly employing a convicted sex offender without making background checks. [more]

The Orlando Sentinel editorial about why Florida must improve its shoddy program for checking caregivers' histories. [more]

The Star launches an investigation into private career colleges that take students' money and deliver substandard or no education. [more]

Producers of the show -- 51 Minds -- admitted to TMZ that they did not conduct a full background check on Jenkins and was not aware that he had been convicted of assaulting a girlfriend prior to being cast on the show. [more]

Reality shows have good reason to vet contestants through background checks, and most do: There are issues of liability, employability and, of course, marketability to consider. But not all background checks are the same, and even the professionals can miss key details. [more]