Background and Drug Screening Policy
Consistent with HR Policy 1.90 [pdf], Human Resources is required to conduct the appropriate background checks on all job applicants selected for a position, employees promoted or reassigned to a key leadership, finance or access position and certain individuals who are employed by another entity, but provide services to the university.
Background screenings are completed based on the minimum qualifications of the position
and additional information within the application. Background check screenings may
include consumer credit reports and/or investigative consumer reports and are conducted by HireRight, an outside agency.
Background and Drug Screening Process
Provide final candidates with the background check tip sheet [pdf] to help answer any questions they may have.
HireRight will email hiring managers at each step of the process. Review the Background Email Notifications tip sheet for HR Contacts [pdf] for more information.
Background check screenings for faculty, staff, RGP/TL and temporary candidates are initiated electronically through questions that departments answer during the hiring proposal process in PeopleAdmin.
Once the required information is imputed into the hiring proposal, the Background Screening Office will conduct the appropriate screenings within PeopleAdmin through different stages of the workflow depending on position type. Once the background screening is complete, the hiring manager will be contacted by email with a clearance statement or request for further action.
For affiliates, students and volunteers that require background and/or drug screenings, departments must use the Department Electronic Background Screening Request form [pdf]. This form should be signed and submitted along with any questions or follow-up requests to the Background Screening Office at background@sc.edu.
Once HR receives the request, HireRight will make 3 attempts to contact the candidate by email to complete the applicant entry process. The candidate will have 7 days to respond to the request. If the candidate does not respond in 7 days, the requesting department will have to resubmit the request to HR.
Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA)
When using a report for employment purposes, before taking any adverse actions based in whole or in part of the report, UofSC is required to provide applicants a copy of the report and a description in writing of their rights under FCRA. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s “Summary of Your Rights under the Fair Credit Reporting Act” is available here in English [doc] and Spanish [doc]. Please contact the Background Screening Office to request a copy of the report.
Confidentiality
Information obtained from background checks is confidential, and university personnel having access to this information must maintain its confidentiality. Public disclosure of background check information is governed by the South Carolina Freedom of Information Act.
Costs
The costs of the background check are the responsibility of the hiring unit. The cost of a background check will depend on the type of searches requested. Please provide the complete PeopleSoft chart field string to bill charges to your department.