Canadian policy requires background checks for mid-employment positions

Job applicants are accustomed to having background checks conducted while applying for positions. A new law in Canada, though, would make some individuals who have already been hired and working for a company undergo another examination mid-employment.

While who will be submitted to a mid-employment background check will be determined by where an individual works, many organizations such as the Canadian Union of Postal Workers are voicing opposition to the new policy, citing concerns like lack of disclosure about the purpose and scope of the checks and the potential for discrimination, Human Resources Journal reported.

However, the Canadian Human Rights Commission has told concerned employees that the policy is not a violation of their human rights, the news source explained. Furthermore, background checks on mid-employment positions in the United States have been the norm for many years now.

Instead, companies should approach the new policy as a way to carve out a larger role for HR and employee support, Bill Howatt, CEO of Howard HR Consulting, told the Society for Human Resource Management.

"If they ask and answer strategic questions, then they will protect the integrity of their workforce," Howatt explained.