It has become common for employers to require a pre-employment background investigation of potential new employees. Depending on the employer's policies, some employees may be disqualified for employment if they have been convicted of certain types of crimes. It makes sense to conduct background investigations prior to hiring new employees so that employers can reduce the risk of workplace violence or other crimes. However, employers must be aware of privacy laws and be careful not to violate employees' privacy when conducting background investigations.Informed ConsentEmployees must give written consent to any background investigation prior to the employer running the investigation. In addition, the Fair Credit Reporting Act, or FCRA, states that you must inform the employee in writing if a background investigation could lead to adverse action such as failure to hire the employee. If such a background check does lead to negative action, the employer must provide a written notice informing the employee where he can obtain a copy of the report used. Most employers handle consent requirements by including a page on the job application that provides information about background checks and requires the employee's signature.Type of Background CheckEmployers may choose to run any type of background investigation as long as the employee consents to it. Some common background checks include a credit report, a criminal background check, verifying prior employment records or requiring a drug test. Employers should be prepared to explain why the background check is necessary if an employee asks. Employees are less likely to give consent to background checks that seem to be required for spurious reasons.Reasons for Background ChecksThere are many legitimate reasons to perform background investigations. With workplace violence on the rise, employers often like to know if there is any history of violence in a potential employee's background, and if employees are going to be handling money, a credit report may help determine whether the employee is likely to steal from the company. Employers also commonly require drug tests because of drug-free workplace policies or concerns over employees handling machinery.Sources for Background ChecksIt's best to use an official source such as your state police department or the three major credit bureaus for background checks. Although you can purchase background checks cheaply online, you have no way of verifying whether the information in such background checks is accurate. To avoid complications, only use background checks from sources you know you can trust.