Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Background Check Policy

Since June 18, 2007, all offers of employment extended to external candidates have been contingent upon successful completion of a background check. This includes candidates for management and professional (M&P) positions, clerical and technical (C&T) positions, service and maintenance (S&M) positions, and casual service and maintenance positions.

Certain positions require internal candidates to have a background check, such as Credit or Motor Vehicle History Report.

Beginning January 1, 2010, the background verification process will be expanded to include postdoctoral/postgraduate fellows and associates, all casual employees, and temporary employees. Specific guidelines apply to each group and are described in related sections below. For a brief overview of these guidelines, please see the Background Check Summary.

Yale’s current vendor, HireRight, conducts background checks under the direction of Yale Human Resources for new hires, casual employees, and postdoctoral/postgraduate fellows and associates. Background checks for temporary services are conducted by the vendor.

The estimated cycle time for a routine background check is about 2 to 10 days.

At a minimum, the background check will include a criminal history check as well as verification of social security number. Verification of previous employment, verification of education, motor vehicle checks and credit checks may also be required.

Yale University policy, as well as state and federal laws, recognizes a subject’s right to privacy and prohibits campus employees and others from seeking out, using, or disclosing personal information except within the scope of their assigned duties.

For background checks conducted by Yale’s vendor, HireRight, Human Resources serves as the office of record for the background check results and maintains strict confidentiality. Departments do not receive any details of the background check, only a notification of whether the results do or do not meet Yale policy.

Yale conducts a pre-employment screening for final candidates in order to ensure that the University continues to hire the most qualified candidates. Yale joins the major employers in the area who have a pre-employment screening program in place.

No, employees hired before June 18, 2007 do not have to undergo pre-employment screenings. However, internal transfers and promotions into certain positions may be required to complete a specialized screening such as a motor vehicle or a credit check.

The standard pre-employment screening will include, but not be limited to, a social security verification, criminal history check, employment verification and an educational verification. Motor vehicle and credit checks may be required based on position descriptions and job requirements.

Candidates give authorization for the pre-employment screening at the time they register and apply for a position through the STARS gateway. During the extension of the job offer, the staffing representative will notify the candidate of the pre-employment screening requirement and a background check form will be filled out by the candidate. HireRight is the background check vendor. They will take about 2 to 10 days to complete the check.

An employee, postdoctoral/postgraduate fellow or associate, casual employee, or temporary employee will only need to have a new background check if the individual has a break in service for more than six months or the individual moves into a position that requires an additional credit or motor vehicle check.

A candidate that has been identified as a final candidate for a position is required to submit an online background check form within Yale’s STARS system.

This form will be emailed to the candidate. However, once the candidate accepts the offer, an online consent form from HireRight is emailed to the candidate, which will fulfill Yale’s pre-employment screening requirement.

The hiring manager does not need to complete any paperwork. Candidates will also receive the Summary of Your Rights under the Fair Credit Reporting Act for their records.

Once the screening is complete, HireRight will notify Human Resources with the results. A Human Resources representative will contact the candidate and the hiring department via e-mail. Candidates may also log in to HireRight to track their status.

If someone does not meet Yale policy, the offer of employment will be rescinded. In this event, HireRight will mail the candidate a letter outlining the results of the background check. The candidate then has an opportunity to dispute HireRight's findings. The position must be held open for 7 days or until the dispute is complete.

HireRight, Yale's pre-employment screening vendor, processes any and all disputes. HireRight will send the candidate an Adverse Action Letter that will outline the results of the background check and will outline instructions for how to dispute these findings if they are incorrect. For further information about an Adverse Action letter, please direct your queries to:

HireRight
Customer Service
Phone: 866-521-6995

If HireRight finds that results have discrepancies and will require further review, the candidate's application will be referred to the Yale Pre-employment Review Committee which will review HireRight's findings. The review committee will make a decision based on their findings and Yale's employment policies whether the offer of employment will be extended or withdrawn.

All felonies and some misdemeanors need to be reviewed by the Review Committee at Yale. Positions that entail driving will require a motor vehicle check and positions that entail the handling of money will require a credit check. Most library and museum, Controller's Office and Security positions also require credit checks. Accurate representation on resumes of work and education is mandatory; falsification will not meet Yale policy.

It is comprised of members from General Counsel, Risk Management and Human Resources.

An email can be sent to preemploymentscreening@yale.edu and a member of the Pre-employment Screening Team will respond.

Casual employees hired prior to January 1, 2010 who are active in Yale’s database (Oracle) will not be required to complete a background check to continue working. However, they will be required to complete a background check in the future if any of the following circumstances apply:

• The department requests a background check.

• The casual assignment changes.

• The individual’s Yale ID expires and/or the individual requires new or additional access to his/her current access.

• Casual employees who have worked here in the past but were terminated and need to be re-activated in Yale’s database (Oracle)

Yes. A casual employee hired on or after January 1, 2010, who will require a Yale ID or is expected to work thirty (30) days or more per year, will be required to successfully complete a standard background check. However, a department may request a background check on any new casual regardless of the amount of time they will be working.

No. Returning retirees do not require background checks.

If a casual employee has a break in service of more than six months, he/she will be required to have a new background check completed if they need to obtain a Yale ID or will be working more than 30 days per year.

If the casual employee has a break in service of less than six months the individual could still be subject to a credit and/or a motor vehicle check if the assignment requires these additional checks.

Yes. The a returning casual employee will need a background check if the individual needs to obtain or renew a Yale ID or will be working more than 30 days per year.

The following steps are required to process a background check for a casual employee:

1. The hiring department completes the Casual Background Check Request form at: http://www.yale.edu/hronline/stars/feedback/casual_background_check.html

After completing the form, click the “Submit” button to send this form to the Background Check Coordinator (BGC Coordinator).

2. Upon receipt of this form, the BGC Coordinator sends the candidate an e-mail from HireRight to complete a profile as well as the necessary forms to conduct the background check. If the BGC Coordinator does not receive the information from the candidate in a timely manner, the BGC Coordinator will inform the primary department contact.
3. After the completed forms are submitted and signed by candidate to HireRight, the background check is initiated.
4. Once the BGC Coordinator receives the outcome, and if candidate meets Yale policy, the BGC Coordinator notifies the primary department contact via e-mail.
5. The department sets up the casual employee in the Yale database (Oracle) for payroll purposes.
6. The casual employee may begin working and obtain their Yale ID.

No, this casual employee does not require a background check unless he/she requires a Yale ID. If the employee requires a Yale ID, the individual will need to successfully complete a background check regardless of the amount of time he/she will be working.

Yes, the following individuals will not require a background check regardless of the length of time they will be working:

• Retiree casuals
• Yale Student casuals

Yes, a background check will be required when a Yale student casual employee becomes a regular casual employee.  However, the individual will be able to continue working in an assignment while the background check is being completed.

Yes, a background check can be requested for a current casual employee at any time.  In fact, it is strongly recommended that you begin the background check process as soon as you are aware that a casual employee will need one.  The process does not have to be concurrent with an event that triggers the check.

If a casual employee has not previously completed a standard background check then the individual will need to do so prior to starting as a regular employee. If the casual employee has completed a background check, and has not had a break in service of greater than six months since that check was completed, then the individual will not be required to complete a new background check.  However, depending on the job requirements, it is possible that additional background checks (such as motor vehicle or credit check) may be required.

If the casual employee needs to obtain a Yale ID, the individual will not be able to complete his/her transaction at the ID Center. The requesting department will receive an e-mail notification from the ID Center that the casual employee cannot complete the transaction due to the fact that the individual has not completed a background check. The department will be required to initiate the background check process at that time. The casual employee will be able to continue working, but will not be able to obtain a Yale ID until the background check is successfully completed.

If the casual employee has worked more than 30 days this year, the hiring manager will receive notification from the HR Generalist that a background check is required on that casual employee. If the background check is not initiated within a reasonable timeframe, the casual employee will not be able to continue working in his/her assignment.

If the casual employee does not need a Yale ID or will not be working more than 30 days per year, the individual will not require a background check.

The casual employee will need to be immediately terminated. Therefore, it is strongly recommended that the background check be completed prior to the casual employee starting an assignment.

No. The background check applies to postdoctoral/postgraduate fellows and associates hired on January 1, 2010 and after. However, if a current Postdoc/grad is changing job titles or transferring departments and they have not had a standard background check, then they will be required to complete the check. Also, a current Postdoc/grad who is being rehired into some lab, but has not had a check, will be required to complete a standard check.

Yes. Beginning January 1, 2010, all candidates for postdoctoral/postgraduate fellow and associate positions who have lived or worked in the United States and have a United States Social Security number will be required to successfully complete a background check before starting work at Yale. The only exceptions will be if they are a current Yale graduate student going to a Yale Postdoctoral assignment.

Yale can only complete a background check for someone who at one time has either lived or worked in the United States and has a United States Social Security number. All postdoctoral and postgraduate fellows and associates who have never lived or worked in the United States need to successfully complete a federal background check to obtain a work visa; this government background check is sufficient to meet Yale's requirements.  

The following steps are required to process a background check for a postdoctoral/postgraduate fellow or associate:

NOTE: A background check is required for all candidates who are either U.S. Citizens, U.S. Permanent Residents, or who are currently in the U.S. on a non-immigrant visa and have a United States Social Security number. (A candidate outside the U. S. who requires a U.S. visa will be considered to have met Yale policy on background check upon issuance of the visa.)

1. Faculty Member/Principal Investigator is in contact with potential candidate.
2. Faculty Member/Principal Investigator notifies department of intention to bring on a postdoctoral/postgraduate fellow or associate as soon as practical.
3. If a candidate requires a transfer of his/her immigration status to Yale, the department immediately contacts the Office of International Students and Scholars (OISS).
4. Department sends candidate an offer letter as well as request for documents, and completes the Postdoc/Postgrad Background Check Request Form http://www.yale.edu/hronline/stars/feedback/postdoc_background_check.html

After the Background Check Request Form is completed, click the “Submit” button to send this form to the Background Check Coordinator (BGC Coordinator.)

4. Upon receipt of this form, the BGC Coordinator sends the candidate an e-mail from HireRight to complete the necessary forms to conduct the background check.
5. After the completed and signed forms are submitted by candidate, the background check is initiated. If the candidate has not submitted the completed forms, the BGC Coordinator will send an e-mail to the primary departmental contact.
6. Once the BGC Coordinator receives the outcome, and if candidate meets Yale policy, the BGC Coordinator notifies primary department contact via e-mail.

• If the candidate requires a transfer of his/her immigration status to Yale, departments must forward to OISS this e-mail confirming that the individual meets Yale policy. OISS will not submit the application to the immigration service until this confirmation is received.

• Should a candidate not meet Yale policy, that information will be communicated to the department by the BGC Coordinator.

7. The department sends documentation to the Office for Postdoctoral Affairs, including the e-mail confirmation from the BGC Coordinator that the candidate meets Yale Policy.
8. Postdoctoral/Postgraduate is hired.