So in order to apply for a teaching position I was required to obtain a background check at my expense–$75. This was at a company the county told me to go to. Now I have an employment opportunity at a private school. I contacted the company and they informed me that they could only release the information to the original county. WTF. This is infuriating, a clearly obvious money making scam. They have done the work, I have paid a perfectly reasonable amount for their services, and yet they are asking for another $75. Is this possibly legal? Could they really be allowed to charge me again for work they have already done? Could it possibly be true that I now have to go in a second time and repeat everything? And by the way, it has only been two months since the check. If it had been a year or two, I could perhaps see the rationale.
The/Your authorization to release the records/info probably said something to the effect, “Release Records/Info to: County X.” Meaning only County X can receive the records. Not Private School Y. The people releasing the records might have put in the affidavit that the records can only be released to County X because the authorization said so. So the background check company hands are tied.
Having said that, you should be able to personally get the records/info from the background check company because they are yours. Then you could give them to the private school (if they’ll accept them from you - call and find out). But I don’t think the private school would accept those records from you; they’d likely want them from a more official process (with an affidavit saying something real official like). Which means you might be stuck having to do it all over again, not so much for the records, but for the custodian affidavit saying these are the records and Private School Y can see them.
This is just a guess. (It presupposes the records require an affidavit and that the records can only be released by your authorization, i.e., they are private, not public records). I would need to know what you filled out, what kind of authorization you gave the background check company (if any), to be sure. Alternatively, you might be paying $75 just to change the name of who the records can be released to. The background check company would still have to reorder the records, though, and $75 is about right for that effort.
If there was no limiting authorization and no affidavit verifying the records, then it’s unreasonable to pay again.
The company refuses to give me any information. I realize that is unlikely that the private school would accept that, but they refuse to give it to me nonetheless. What is the purpose of having the background check release only for one place? I mean, why does it say that at all? What if I expand my job search to 10 nearby counties. Are we now talking about $750? This is totally unreasonable.
the county may have been the client and may own the records and you just were required to pay the fee.
Again, I would need to know what you filled out, if anything with the background check company, this is pure conjecture until I know that.
The purpose of limiting it to one place is you limit who can receive the information. This is for your protection, so not anyone can use your authorization to get your records (although you don’t seem to have a problem with that). In theory, you can put release to: X or Y or Z (like filling out a personal check and who can cash/deposit your money - you want to limit it to certain people/companies); or leave it blank - but they’d still have to make a “new” request, probably because the employer wants the most current info - I would.
To get the records from the background company (if possible), you’d have to make your own request to the background company. It would have to be in writing, and likely notarized. Ask them how to do it. They might claim the info is theirs, not yours, not sure how reputable or how that works honestly with those types of places. In general, your records are your records and you are entitled to copies of them (not necessarily originals - which why you also generally want an affidavit verifying these are legit copies). You likely have to pay a fee for them to copy/prepare them, though (which is what part of the $75 goes to that you pay the background company; it covers the fees associated with requesting/receiving records).
What’s unreasonable to me is that you are paying for this. Tell your potential employer if they want the info they should pay for it and to go fuck themselves if they don’t (don’t say that). They’ll say no, and then you have to decide if a job is worth $75. Or ask your employer what records they want (probably just a simple FBI background check, but find out) and request them yourself - it won’t cost $75 (it’s $18/per request from the FBI) - have them sent straight to your potential employer; they’ll probably say no to that too (if they do, it’s getting fishy because there’s no logical reason why they shouldn’t allow that). If so, your only leverage is not to partake.
Out of curiosity, what’s the name of the background check company?
Umm - did the private school say that you had to obtain the background check? Most companies will pay for it at their expense. The only time we ever charge for a background or screening is when we think someone won’t pass - then we cover the cost if they do.
This is a state government job, so no, there is not use in arguing with them. I sill look up the name of the company when I get home, don’t have it available to me now. And I have nothing in my background whatsoever, not even juvenile things. While I can see that they would want up to date information, the question is what is up to date. 2 months old seems pretty recent to me.
I can understand the state gov’t job - but I’m asking about the private school. And I didn’t meant to imply you had anything in your background - I just stated the only instances where we would ever think of charging the applicant.
And, as an FYI, my corporate office won’t let me take anything from an outside party (but then again, we pay for the backgrounds ourselves) and we anything older than 30 days we have to re-run (like drug tests).
I under went a background check for a federal government job last year. I was told that it wouldn’t take long because I have lived in the same county all my life and the job was also in that county.
They said that if I had moved a lot they would need to check with each county I had lived in.