Tim H asked:
If you’ve recently been arrested and/or convicted of a DUI or drunk driving offense there are many things to consider before actually disclosing your DUI on a job application. First, if you are eligible to clear the DUI record (immediately or in the near future) it might make more sense to explore those avenues before you apply for a job that you really want.
9 times out of 10 most every employer will do a pre-employment background check on you and will uncover the DUI offense which most likely will cause them not to hire you. Most pre-employment background checks are conducted by 3rd party HR companies that are contracted by your potential employer specifically to do background checks. A lot of the big companies use the same outsourced HR company to do their checks so if you get flagged within their system that could in effect ruin your chances of ever getting hired from any company who uses them to perform pre-employment background checks.
So it’s definitely something you want to think about and clear up BEFORE you apply and agree to a background check.
But if you take the steps to clear or expunge the DUI record prior to applying for the job there is a good chance that they will never find out about it. So, by spending a little bit of time and educating yourself on what you need to do to take care of your record could pay off big time.
Not every state allows the clearing or expunging of DUI records but even in those states that won’t clear your record there are remedies to minimize the damage by keeping it from showing up on background checks. You can get more information at www.duiprocess.com
Joe Horn asked:
Do you need to obtain a free criminal background check? If you do, I’m sure that you are just about at wits end as every different way you try to do it turns into another door slamming in your face.
Why is it so difficult?
Well, for starters it doesn’t make it easy that there is for the most part no centralized place to go in order to obtain free police records and other information pertaining to someones criminal history. You really only have three options to successfully obtain a copy of someones criminal history.
Use free methods such as Google or another search engine
One way that some people have success is to simply search for the persons name that you are investigating in a search engine like Google or MSN. Many times you very well could stumble across the information that you are looking for. The real downside to this is, if the person you are trying to get a criminal report on has even a somewhat common name you could be sifting through search engine results for months in order to get a comprehensive report done. There is also a very good chance that all of the records might not even be indexed.
Go to the courthouse to get free police records
In every courthouse in the country, there is a clerk that handles requests for public records. Knowing this, and also knowing that most arrests and convictions are a matter of public record some people have had success asking officials for information. Understand though, that it is not as easy as walking in the door, giving the lady a name and leaving with a comprehensive background report. What you need to do is, fill out an application for information with the jurisdiction that you know that the person has lived in. If you are approved you are given access to boxes of records that you have to go through in an attempt to find the person you are investigating. It helps if you have some accurate information such as an exact arrest date or other information pertaining to the arrest.
Use an online database to get a criminal history report
There are a couple of online databases that will allow you to request a copy of someones arrest record. If the person you are investigating is maintained in their records database you will then have the opportunity to get a copy of the full and comprehensive report. Included in the criminal check is felony and lesser charge arrests and convictions, past and present criminal charges, *** offender search, and other information pertaining to your targets criminal past.
While a free criminal background check is certainly possible with a little bit of time and patience on your part. You may want to consider letting an online database do the work for you, especially if getting the information is either urgent or time sensitive.
Gerald Riordan asked:
Earned Value analysis helps evaluate and control project risk by measuring project progress in monetary terms.
If you can’t measure it, you can’t control it.
Earned Value Management Systems are used to measure the real progress of projects and takes into account: — The work complete — The time taken to complete that work — The costs incurred to complete that work and compares these factors to: — The original budget — The original schedule.
By taking a snap-shot of the project and looking at the historical performance by calculating the Earned Value metrics we can compare the plan with the actual and make a subjective assessment of the project progress.
Furthermore, by extrapolating the curves of the graphs we can estimate the cost at completion and the probable completion date.
The simple S-curve graph shows how project cost will accrue over time.
We can complicate the graph by showing: — The actual costs of doing the work — How the value of the product of the project increases.
The three curves on the graph represent:
– Budgeted Cost for Work Scheduled (BCWS) - the planned costs for all activities planned to be completed — Actual Cost of Work Performed (ACWP) - the actual costs for all the activities actually completed — Budgeted Cost of Work Performed (BCWP) - the planned costs for all the activities actually completed. This is the Earned Value
The BCWS curve is derived from: — Work Breakdown Structure — Project baseline budget — Project baseline schedule
The ACWP curve is found by: — Actual measurement of the work completed — Actual costs recorded by the project finance controller
The BCWP curve is calculated from: — The measured work completed — The budgeted costs for that work.
Earned Value Calculations
Variances
Schedule and cost variances can be calculated in monetary terms from the S-curves.
Schedule variance is the difference between the Earned Value and the Planned Budget. SV = BCWP - BCWS
Cost Variance is the difference between the Earned Value and the actual costs of the works. CV = BCWP - ACWP
Performance Indices
Schedule Performance Index and Cost Performance Index give indications of the health of the project.
Schedule Performance Index is a ratio of Earned Value and the planned value of completed works. SPI = BCWP / BCWS
A SPI < 1 is not good
Cost Performance Index is a ratio of Earned Value and the actual costs of completed works. CPI = BCWP / ACWP
A CPI < 1 is not good
Estimate at Completion
EAC takes into account the original budget (BAC), the Earned Value and the Cost Performance Index of the already completed works. EAC = ACWP + ((BAC - BCWP)/CPI)
Critical Ratio
Measures the general health of the project and considers: — planned progress versus actual progress — Budget costs versus actual costs
(Actual Progress/Scheduled Progress) X (Budgeted Costs/Actual Costs)
Critical ratio > 1 is good
Using earned value techniques the project manager can monitor both schedule and cost variances and identify trends using Cost Performance Index and the Schedule Performance Index. The proactive project manager will monitor the earned value metrics and take timely actions to reduce the unwanted variances and the wayward trends.
Sam Drake asked:
You met someone or are about to hire someone and you have an uneasy feeling. FBI background checks are specifically to help people like you who are about to enter in either a personal or business relationship with someone. And an FBI name check may be the exact kind of background check that you need. Read on and you will soon understand the process. And although you won’t always be allowed to do this kind of search, it’s good to know what it entails.
How does this a name search even work? What happens is when you enter the first and last name of an individual for this kind of check, it will compare that specific name with all the names in the Central Records System looking for a match. This seems like it could really be very easy, but sometimes there are snags in the system so running FBI background checks is not as simple as it seems. There are several problems that can arise with an FBI name check are:
1. The Central Records System has so many names and in a lot of cases with common names many that are the same. This area contains administrative, criminal, personnel and so many other types of files that it can be difficult to locate the exact person you are looking for.
2. When you put in for this kind of search, the FBI does a check of the person’s name. It will use it exactly the way it is and also it will spin it to use different variations of that specific name. When doing FBI background checks, you can acquire information but it may not be totally accurate because of duplicate names. But if you decide to go ahead and do an FBI name check, there may be a better chance of finding the exact information you want.
3. Not all names are computerized and in data banks. It’s hard to believe but many names are still in paper files only. If nothing is found on the name you are looking for, this could be the reason.
4. There are too many requests for searches. And don’t forget, other Federal agencies as well as State and Local jurisdictions want FBI background checks on certain individuals. And unfortunately, even if it seems like your reason for this specific check is more important, they will take precedence over your FBI name check.
Getting a background check done with the FBI is not always easy and not always quick. There has to be ample reason and they have to agree that it’s what needs to be done. Even then, it could take years.
Charles Read asked:
Payroll check fraud came calling four days before Christmas. A branch of our main bank called and wanted to verify a check. The young lady who took the call in our office quickly realized that the check was out of sequence and for a person not on the client’s payroll. The check was cut on our trust account. I spoke to the bank employee who had called us. They were stalling the person by having then fill out an account application, more about that later. I took the location of the bank and called the local police department. Of course I didn’t have the right exact city and had to make an additional call. The police finally were dispatched to the grocery store where the branch bank was. The woman trying to cash the check was gone. But the police were fairly sure that they would apprehend her soon. Next day she tried to pass a check on someone else at a different bank. The police were called and she was arrested and turned over on a filed warrant to the police I had called. They had issued a warrant the same day she cashed a check on us and had given the bank as part of the paperwork a copy of her real drivers license. No one ever claimed crooks were smart.
She had cashed eight checks on our account for about eight thousand dollars total. Checks under a thousand dollars are easier to cash.
We have a very sophisticated check with all kinds of safeguards against fraud. Special paper, void pantographs, MICR lock, warning legends, artificial watermarks, colored paper and more. So what happened. The scammer and her cohorts simply copied the information including the MICR information on to new check stock. They actually didn’t need a real check; they could have used a copy. They however changed the identifying information for the particular employee the original check was issued to. We currently have not been able to identify that person but we probably will in the end. The scam artist would not have changed the information if they were not interested in protecting the person whose check it was originally. There was no way to make the information on the check not available to the scammer. The employee, the employee’s bank and our bank need all that information. So what do we do in the future to prevent this? Positive Pay.
Positive Pay is where we now report every issued check to the bank. They keep a list of the check number, date issued, amount and Payee. Also whether that check has ever been presented before. Any check being cashed at a branch is verified against that list before being allowed to clear. Every check being presented to the bank is verified against that list before being accepted for clearing. This should stop checks like this from being cleared in the future. It will not stop scammers from creating them. There is easy availability of check stock and MICR ink and printers. This may seem like a slam duck to scammers but we are not worrying as much now with Positive Pay in place.
How do you stop this completely? 100% Paperless Payroll! If you are not issuing checks there is nothing for a scammer to create or cash. I have not seen where a scammer has been able to get into the Federal Reserve and NACHA to be able to create fraudulent ACH deposits to their accounts. Even then they would be a lot easier to trace and track down. The scammer would have to be bank customer and have been verified by the bank when they set up an account. For employees without bank accounts Payroll Debit Cards work just fine.
We of course have every intention of assisting the local DA in the prosecution of this person and her cohorts in crime.
James Dean asked:
When it comes to the safety and security of your business, knowing whether or not you have criminals working for you is very important. 11% of many new applicants actually have a criminal record. While some of those may only be a parking ticket, many others may have included jail time and even armed robbery. Many applicants who apply for a position may in fact be applying knowing there would be a chance for them to latter steal from your business. Even those who have no theft crimes in the past does not mean that they will not pose a threat, chances are they will because they already have criminal intentions.
When you have a newly opened position in your business, you can have hundreds and even thousands of applicants. Out of all those applicants you will weed out a large percentage based on things like education and their criminal history. Unfortunately the criminals that you would have to look out for are the ones who do not mention any possible records.
Some of those who have some type of criminal background will tell you exactly what that flag will be. These are the ones that have turned over a new leaf and they are just being honest. The ones that willingly hide their criminal history from you are the ones you have to watch out for. Rather than weeding out those with a criminal record based on what they wrote on their application, why not do a full-fledge background check on all of your qualified applicants so you can get rid of those who may end up being a issue in your workplace.
When deciding to do a criminal background check on your applicant you may have decided to search the internet for a free online background check thinking it will save you money. Of course it will save you money because it is free, but then again you do get what you pay for. In general, free online background checks are not only incomplete but on many occasions they are also inaccurate. It is worth spending the extra money to ensure that next employee is a trustworthy asset to your business.
Peter Galaghan asked:
With the news keep telling us about all this crimes that have been committed from child molestation, kidnapping, rape, murder and violence, it is no wonder why there are thousands of people keep searching for a way to do a free criminal background check online.
A criminal background check is something that we should do on a regular basis. Some parents find it a very useful tool to have to make sure that they know what kind of person that always spend time with their children, such as the baby sitter, nanny, day care providers and even teachers.
Even single people before going on a date (especially women) would do a background check on the person they are dating, to make sure they know what kind of person they will be spending their precious time with. The last thing anyone would want is to find out, the hard way, that the person they are dating is up to no good.
What ever your reason may be to do a complete background check, it is equally important that you need to have the correct and complete information. To get a complete and confidential information that you are after, you will eventually need to pay something, even going to your local courthouse you need to pay for a copy of a report to cover their administration cost. I understand that most of you would want to do this for free if possible, but sometimes free is never an option, there will always be catch. Instead of getting nothing for nothing (except the time you spent looking), why not getting something for something?
Michael Russell asked:
Handing someone a blank check doesn’t sound like the smartest thing to do. However, that may be just what you’re doing when you pay your bills every month. You’re probably saying, “I would never send anyone a blank check. That’s absurd!” It’s easier than you think to turn your mortgage payment into a blank check. It’s just one way to commit check fraud. Criminals are “washing” checks in order to fund their dishonest shopping sprees.
Check washing involves taking a check that has already been written, “washing” it with a chemical solvent and rewriting the check so that a criminal can reuse it. Most of the time, they will only change the recipient name. Then when you check your bank statement, you see that your check went through and the amount matches. Think about that for a minute; $300 for your car payment, $1000 for your mortgage, $200 for insurance. It adds up quickly! It’s only when you start getting notices from debtors that you may discover that the checks you’ve written were stolen. By then, weeks or months may have passed. You may have lost thousands of dollars. Just imagine if a criminal rewrites the check for even more than you wrote it for!
The most common place for a criminal to get a check to wash is from your mailbox. And you are probably letting him know it’s there! That little red flag you put up when you want the mail carrier to pick up your mail also alerts criminals that there may be something worthwhile in your mailbox. If you put your bill payments in your mailbox and leave for work, it may be hours before the mail carrier comes to pick them up. That’s an abundant opportunity for someone with the worst intentions to steal your outgoing mail. In the amount of time it takes you to check your mail, a thief could easily steal it and you would be out thousands of dollars!
So how do you protect yourself? The easiest way is to simply drop your mail off at the post office or a postal service mail box. Some apartment complexes have locked mail drops where you can leave your outgoing mail. Basically, you want to make sure your mail is secure, leaving as little opportunity for someone to steal it as possible. Another way to avoid check washing is to change the pen you use. Your standard ballpoint pen is probably the easiest to wash. Felt tip and roller-ball pens are also fairly easy to wash off. Many tests have shown that gel pens are the hardest to wash off. Now you can even find permanent markers with tips fine enough to write a check with. Finally, many checks are now printed on chemically sensitive paper that will discolor when chemicals are used on them, so make sure your checks are printed on this paper.
So, help stop “washing” to keep your bank account safe. Use ink that cannot be “washed”. Use checks that will react with the chemicals used to wash checks and don’t leave your checks in your mailbox at home. Take them to the post office. These simple tips will help to protect you from check washing and the headaches it can bring.
Toni Elizabeth Sar'h Petrinovich asked:
Stress - the popular name for the new American status symbol. Everyday conversation is peppered with references to lack of time to accomplish goals, the frustration of poor communication and a general sense that no matter how fast we go, we will not get it all done and no one understands. Defining the word in one sentence is difficult for it is actually the unification of multiple human responses to life into a single concept that nearly everyone experiences. There are very few people who do not know what stress feels like.
The use of the word has become a catch phrase for all of the pressures we experience in life. Sometimes that can be confusing. Is stress the cause of the pressures or the effect of those pressures? In other words, is stress the stimulus or the response? Most people, physicians and lay alike, feel that stress is a response to pressure or mounting demands. These stimuli can be external or internal further complicating the event especially when the internal feeling is caused by an external event.
As medicine has traveled the path of psychoneuroimmunology (the study of the immune system as it relates to the nervous system and the mind), we have become aware that stress compromises our immunity. It stimulates the perpetual release of the hormones adrenaline, noradrenaline and cortisol which tear through the body like a firestorm. If not controlled, chronic stress, together with the anger and depression it perpetuates, leads to illness and even death.
Research at the Institute of HeartMath in Boulder Creek, CA has concluded that the amount of stress we feel is based more on our perception of an event or a person than on the actual event itself. Our ability to respond to disastrous events or changes in our life is directly related to our perception of what occurred. It is the daily accumulation of little stressors, much like the termites that finally eat their way through the foundation of the house, that take the major toll on our health. We must learn how to neutralize our reactions as they occur or risk compounding the stressful interactions within our bodies’ systems, draining our health. How much daily stress we live with determines how much resilience we will have when a major crisis occurs.
Clinically, stress can be analyzed on three levels - psychological, physiological and social. Each person combines these states of being in different ways and it is this combination that creates the individual options for handling stressful circumstances. We have built into our psychological and physiological makeup the power to affect a point of balance between our resources of coping with stress internally and the daily stress that we encounter. By consciously exercising this ability, we can control our perception of life’s events and the degree of stress that we might experience. The first step in beginning this process is learning to recognize what causes the stress initially. Then, we can develop a general way of dealing with pressures, changes and the issues of life.
Often, simply knowing that it is possible to have some sense of control over a situation can lead to a dramatic reduction in the stress level experienced. By becoming conscious of the options inherent in a stressful situation and by being aware of the effectiveness of our responses to these situations, we may be able to exert more control over what we experience and thereby influence our own stress level.
To handle stress effectively, we must understand what we are going through. We must cultivate an ability to perceive the entire experience, not only the piece that is personal. In this way we can begin to understand the relationship of the whole and receive feedback that we would have otherwise missed. This allows us to see our life situation more clearly and directly influence the level of stress we habitually create. It is helpful that we keep in mind that it is our perception of situations and how we react to them that determines our stress level. If we are able to change our perception, we are able to change our response.
Joseph Horn asked:
When trying to get a free criminal background check, are you looking in the right places? Chances are you’re not. The majority of people, for the most part, do nothing more than frantically scour the Internet clicking on various links in hopes of finding what they’re looking for.
The fact of the matter is there are very few ways to get an accurate and complete criminal history on someone. There is however a huge amount of misinformation and bad advice given on the subject.
The one saying that you need to understand is that even though arrest records, police reports, as well as arrests and convictions are supposed to be public records they are not easily accessible by the general public.
In fact, there are only a couple of different methods that can be used to try to access these types of documents without being a member of some type of investigation company or a part of the law enforcement community.
One of these methods involves using search engines and other information tools that can be found online. Basically, what you do is use the information that you know such as someone’s name, address, phone number, or Social Security number to query a search engine’s database in an attempt to see what has been indexed on the Internet. While this method has proven to be effective in the past, it is important to understand that you often do not get all of the information that you need. This is because search engines by nature are designed to return a lot of results. Therefore, often times when searching for someone’s name you might end up with as many as one million pages of results to sift and sort through.
Another method that many people use, is to visit a courthouse in the jurisdiction in which they knew that the person that they were investigating has lived. Using this method involves filling out an application for information and then waiting anywhere from three to five business days to see whether or not your application has been approved. If and when your application is approved, you will be responsible for digging through boxes and boxes of different documentation in hopes of finding police records or arrest reports that tie into the person that you need information on. The downside here is the fact that in order for this method to be effective you may have to visit several courthouses in many different cities or states in order to compile a comprehensive reporting of somebody’s criminal past.
There is an easy out, when it comes to getting a free criminal background check. Unfortunately, it’s not free. This particular method involves using a criminal records database that is maintained and updated by professional investigation companies and is available to anyone to use online. The definite upside to using these directories, is the fact that you can have a criminal record report in your hands to be reviewed in a matter of only a minute or two. While this method is not free, it is an effective way to find out exactly who you’re dealing with without doing a ton of legwork on your end. At the end of the day a free report really is a free due to the fact that it often takes up hours if not days of your time.