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In The News

OPENonline is pleased to provide our clients with a resource for up-to-the-minute industry news. This page is designed to give you recent articles of interest and other information that can help keep you up to date with the online screening industry. Please check back often to get recent news and access to other resources.

For more industry and OPENonline news please check out the most recent edition of the OPENonline client newsletter, The OPENedge (August 2009).

Important News Articles

Safe Screening, Safe Hiring
10/05/09 :: By Sandy McKitrick :: OPENonline

Still looking for a reason to implement a background screening process at your company? Read the following article by Pamela Devata and Scott Paler entitled Safe Screening, Safe Hiring.

Are you prepared for the upcoming E-Verify regulation or a potential audit by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Division?
08/21/09 :: By Sandy McKitrick :: OPENonline

The federal government will require all federal contractors and subcontractors to use E-Verify to screen workers and new hires to verify employment eligibility in the United States beginning September 8, 2009.

In addition, the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (I.C.E.) division has launched an initiative by issuing Notices of Inspection (NOIs) to 652 businesses nationwide to check if employers are knowingly hiring those who are not authorized to work in the United States.

OPENonline can help you prepare for the upcoming E-Verify regulation and any potential audits with I-9 ManagerTM

Benefits of I-9 ManagerTM include:

  • Seamless integration with the Department of Homeland Security's E-Verify system;
  • Automatic updating of forms and notification of required follow-up;
  • Satisfies E-Verify requirements for companies with federal contracts or state-mandated use of the federal E-Verify system;
  • Electronic processing and storage of I-9 forms.

Join us for a free demonstration of I-9 ManagerTM on Tuesday, November 3 or Thursday, November 5, 2009, at 2p.m. E.S.T., 11a.m. P.S.T. Space is limited. Contact OPENonline by November 2, 2009, to reserve your spot.

Visit our website to request information on I-9 ManagerTM, or call Customer Support at 800-366-0106.

OPENonline is Associate Member of OSSA
06/26/09 :: By Sandy McKitrick :: OPENonline

OPENonline has become an Associate Member of the Ohio Staffing and Search Association (OSSA). Keith Lampe, Senior Sales Representative, currently serves on OSSA’s Board of Directors. This proves OPENonline’s commitment to helping organizations make the best hiring decisions.

OSSA serves as the voice of the industry in state efforts to communicate industry matters to association members, legislative leaders, regulators, the news media and the general public. OPENonline is proud to help OSSA communicate information that is relevant and informative to those in the staffing industry.

For more information, contact OPENonline at 800-366-0106.

Revision Date of the Federal Contractor E-Verify Regulation
05/11/09 :: By Sandy McKitrick :: OPENonline

The Department of Justice has revised the date by which federal contractors and subcontractors will be required to use E-Verify to screen workers and new hires to verify employment eligibility in the United States. The revised date is September 8, 2009.

OPENonline can help you streamline this process with I-9 Manager™. I-9 Manager™ seamlessly integrates with the Department of Homeland Security's E-Verify System, satisfying E-Verify requirements imposed by state and federal governments. It effectively manages U.S. employment eligibility compliance for your company, saving you time and energy.

Visit the Frequently Asked Questions page regarding Federal Contractors and E-Verify.

Contact OPENonline to request information on I-9 Manager™, call Customer Support at 800-366-0106 for a free demo or visit our website for more details.

OPENonline Introduces the Ohio Real-Time Criminal Report
5/1/09 :: By Sandy McKitrick :: OPENonline
The Ohio Real-Time Criminal report is your solution for comprehensive criminal background checks within the state of Ohio. The report directly accesses Ohio county court websites, department of corrections, and sex offender websites to retrieve the most up-to-date information. Results are summarized into one simple report in a matter of minutes to quickly assist you in your background screening process.

Benefits of the Ohio Real-Time Criminal Report:

  • Covers over 115 county court, sex offender and department of corrections websites within the state of Ohio, including 95% of the Ohio population. This saves you time by eliminating the need to check every website that offers criminal records online.
  • Users receive detailed report, including links to websites from where information was retrieved.
  • System stores all searches and reports; users can retrieve completed reports anytime at no additional cost.

Visit our website to request information on the Ohio Real-Time Criminal Report, or contact our Customer Support at 800-366-0106 or customersupport@openonline.com.

Amendment to New York State Correction Law Article 23-A
02/04/09 :: By Sandy McKitrick :: OPENonline
Customers doing business in the state of New York may be subject to new requirements under New York State Correction Law Article 23-A, effective February 1, 2009. The new law requires New York employers to take additional steps when screening persons previously convicted of one or more criminal offenses.

What is Article 23-A?

Article 23-A prohibits employers from discriminating against employees and applicants who were previously convicted of a criminal offense.

Under the amendments, New York employers must:

  • post a copy of Article 23-A in a visually conspicuous way
  • provide all job applicants a copy of Article 23-A prior to a background check
  • include a copy of Article 23-A to the applicant if a background check was conducted

Click here for a copy of the revised Article 23-A to provide to each of your applicants.

Click here for a copy of the New York Disclosure and Release form.

If you have questions about these new requirements, please contact us at 800-366-0106 or customersupport@openonline.com.

OPENonline Expands Sales and Marketing Team
02/04/09 :: By Sandy McKitrick :: OPENonline
OPENonline welcomes Eugenie Brown as a Business Development Executive in California and Keith Lampe as Senior Sales Representative in Ohio.

Eugenie brings extensive experience selling background screening services to OPENonline. Most recently, Eugenie worked as the Director of Business Development for Skill Survey, a reference screening company. She held the position of Senior Account Executive for Verifications, Inc. in 2005 and 2006.

Keith has extensive experience in background screening, and has spent his entire career developing and selling investigative tools and software used by both law enforcement and private business.

OPENonline is excited to have Eugenie and Keith join our team!

New I-9 Form
02/03/09 :: By Sandy McKitrick :: OPENonline
Beginning April 3, 2009, employers in the United States will be required to use a new I-9 Form used to verify an applicant’s employment eligibility, as revised by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).

One of the more significant changes to the form is eliminating the use of expired documents to verify an applicant’s employment eligibility. Expired U.S. passports, state-issued driver's licenses, and other outdated identification cards can no longer be used as valid documentation for Form I-9.

This new regulation is to prevent fraudulent behavior within the I-9 process by those who are not eligible to work within the United States.

To make sure you are always using the most current forms and are in compliance with the latest regulations, try OPENonline’s I-9 Manager™. Call us today at 800-366-0106 to schedule a free demonstration.

OPENonline is Now HR-XML Certified!
01/27/09 :: By Sandy McKitrick :: OPENonline
OPENonline has been certified by the HR-XML Consortium, verifying that our background screening technology meets the highest industry standards for the exchange of information with clients and strategic partners.

The HR-XML Consortium is the organization that certifies qualified companies in the exchange of information used in human resource management

This certification proves that OPENonline is a technological leader. Our background screening technology can now be integrated easily into various human resources software programs. Because the integration doesn’t require the purchase of additional software or servers, it is a cost-effective business solution that provides fast, reliable and secure data, while increasing productivity in the hiring process.

Contact us about integration at 800-935-6736 or request information from our website.

About HR-XML Consortium

The HR-XML Consortium is the only independent, non-profit, volunteer-led organization dedicated to the development and promotion of a standard suite of XML specifications to enable e-business and the automation of human resources-related data exchanges. Visit HR-XML’s website for more information.

International Criminal & Verification Screenings Available
1/19/09 :: By Sandy McKitrick :: OPENonline
You may know OPENonline best for our comprehensive selection of national background screening services, such as criminal reports, public records, identity verification and our latest offering, I-9 ManagerTM. These services are designed to make your screenings easy and thorough. But did you know that OPENonline also offers international criminal and verification reports from over 100 countries?

With the globalization of business, international reports can help provide a complete picture of an applicant's history, whether the applicant is located in the United States or a global office. OPENonline's extensive domestic and international solutions make us the one provider for all your screening needs.

To submit an international request or to obtain more information, use the new International Criminal Report and International Verification options that we have recently added to our menu, or contact Customer Support at 800-366-0106, customersupport@openonline.com for more details.

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