I, ____________, hereby authorize [name of company] to investigate my background and qualifications for purposes of evaluating whether I am qualified for the position for which I am applying. I understand that [name of company] will utilize an outside firm or firms to assist it in checking such information, and I specifically authorize such an investigation by information services and outside entities of the company's choice. I also understand that I may withhold my permission and that in such a case, no investigation will be done, and my application for employment will not be processed further.
Signature of Employee Date
Employee's Name - Printed
[Note - omit this before printing the form: Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act, this form, or one functionally similar to it, must be signed by an applicant before a prospective new employer may perform a background check on the applicant using an outside, for-profit firm, including search engines on the Internet. No such requirement applies if the background check will be performed solely by the company using databases maintained by government agencies.]
The following two topics in the book address the legal issues behind background checks: