Many Wisconsin employers conduct criminal background checks on their possible job candidates. These checks review a person’s commercial, criminal, employment, and even financial records. Although this seems like a lot of personal information, employers cannot access everything about a person in a background check. However, they can access things such as:
Criminal Records
In Wisconsin, it is illegal to discriminate against a job candidate based upon an arrest or criminal conviction. There are only certain circumstances where employers can decide not to hire a candidate, such as:
– The candidate has a pending charge which relates directly to the job.
– The candidate has a conviction that closely relates to the job.
– The candidate is applying for certain positions such as private detective or burglar alarm installation.
– The candidate is applying for a position that requires bonding, and their criminal record precludes bonding.
Bankruptcy Records
This may sound scary, but bankruptcies are a public record. You cannot be discriminated against in the hiring process because you filed for bankruptcy, but your potential employer will be able to obtain bankruptcy information.
School and Military Records
Possible employers can only look at specific information with the job candidate’s consent. For example, a prospective employer cannot see school records without the student’s consent. Military records are also confidential and can only be released under certain circumstances. Although, the military can give out your name, rank, salary, assignments, and awards without consent.
