Thanks, janey. That's helpful in thinking that it may not be abnormal for one to pay for their own background check.

Yep. A friend of mine just had to pay for a background check for a new job.

Thank you! It makes me feel better to know this is not uncommon. I was a bit leery since I had never heard of that before.

My company did fairly comprehensive background checks on all new hires (I think we were required to) and we absorbed the cost.

Times are a'changin'?

We have to have background checks done on all new hires, volunteers, student interns, etc. We do not charge them. I've never heard of that. Seems strange to me but I guess it is possible. I do know that private companies have to pay for it (we do not - I work for the government.)

Well, I got a little further in researching this than I did earlier. For VA DSS, you pay for your own background check with a money order made out to Treasurer of Virginia, which is how my daughter was told to pay for it. Sounds legit. Perhaps a less than employee-friendly company, though.

Thanks!

I did not mean to imply that my DD will be working for DSS. Only that when hired for that department, it is the same procedure she is to follow.

Security companies go thru a LOT of employees who don't stay very long, so it might make sense to have the employee bear the costs.

"Perhaps a less than employee-friendly company, though."

Both this thought and sushipup's came to me too. I think these two views nail down the what and why.

Not unusual at all and with the amount of lying and fraud with applicants I certainly understand it. Don't like it but understand it. Some places I know did the drug/background checks with employees paying for it and if they passed, they'd be reimbursed, or if they lasted a certain amount of time they'd be reimbursed or whatever. To say it's an unfriendly company is unfair and shows a lot of naivety to the cost of recruiting, hiring, training and replacing employees. How about the way potential employees treat the employers? What about having employees pay for uniforms? Or provide their own tools for the job? Not really any different, and very common. And many companies have to bond and insure employees. It was disgusting how many would say oh, I have a clean background, I can be bonded, never took drugs.. etc.

moonie, I think it's more a sign of the times than a show of company ethos. Sad, but true. I've worked at a world class organization full of white collar workers, and they still required it.

I think it depends on the type of job. Many jobs involve handling of money or money related things, employers avoid hiring those with any past history of dishonesty.

I worked in a professional position in what would be called the financial industry. Background checks were essential for regulatory and insurance purposes. And not a recent practice.

For blue collar or skilled trades position, companies want to hire people with unblemished backgrounds to the extent possible. Or if they're hiring someone with a past hiccup, they want to do so knowingly.

Yes, and people with a skilled trade typically furnish their own tools. But usually the employer furnishes uniforms/company shirts/etc, if that's what they want their people to wear.

Well, thank you, everyone.

My husband also thought it might be because of high turnover of employees and it's certainly much nicer in this instance to look at it from Cynic's point of view. :) No, I have no knowledge of the in's and out's and costs of hiring, training, etc.

I'll keep my hopes alive that she has hired on with a good company.

When I worked with a (somewhat major) security company, they provided the tunics, pants and shirts and when the shirts got old we could keep them ... they wanted us to remove the insignia and return them, but weren't rigorous about it, as I have a couple kicking around (from 16 years or more ago) that still carry the insignia (but I don't wear them in public).

Shortly after I started, they retired a style of tunic that was a wool blend and the new ones were entirely of man-made fibre - one felt the cold rather more quickly when going outside in winter. They let us take the old tunic home - the insignia was to come off, and it did.

ole joyfuelled ... with part of the joy fuelled by retirement