IMPORTANT NOTICE TO APPLICANT:
PLEASE READ THIS NOTICE AND CONSENT
FORM CAREFULLY
BEFORE SIGNING. A C O P Y O F T H I S F O R M WILL BE PROVIDED AT ANY TIME UPON REQUEST
NOTICE AND CONSENT CONCERNING CONSUMER REPORTS FOR EMPLOYMENT APPLICATIONS AND
EMPLOYMENT PURPOSES
This form, which you should read carefully, has been provided to you because the City of
Decatur may request consumer
reports or investigative consumer reports in connection with your application for employment or during the course of your
employment with the City of Decatur, if any, for other employment-related purposes.
The City of Decatur recognizes the importance of maintaining a safe workplace with honest, trustworthy, qualified, reliable
and non-violent employees who do not present a
risk of serious harm to their co-employees or others. For the benefit of all
employees and
the City, in furthering these interests and enforcing the City's policies, the City may
perform applicant
background checks and employee investigations. These background
checks and investigations may be performed by the
City in whole or in part, at the City's
discretion.
The City's
applicant background checks and employee investigations may also include the use of consumer reporting agencies
to gather and report information to the City in the
form of consumer or investigative consumer reports regulated by federal
law. Such reports, if obtained will be prepared by consumer reporting agencies and may contain information concerning your
credit standing or worthiness, credit capacity, character, general reputation, personal characteristics, or mode of living.
Federal law defines a "consumer reporting agency" as any person (or entity) which for monetary fees, dues, or
on a cooperative
nonprofit basis, regularly engages in whole or in part in the practice of assembling or evaluating consumer credit information
on consumers for the purpose of furnishing reports to third parties. The City is not a consumer reporting agency.
The types of reports th
at may be requested from consumer reporting agencies under this
policy, include, but are not limited
to, credit reports, criminal records checks, court records checks, driving records, and/or summaries of educational and
employment records and histories. The information contained in these reports may be obtained by a
consumer reporting agency
from public record sources or through personal interviews with your co-workers, neighbors, friends, associates, current or
former employers, or other personal acquaintances. Any information contained in such reports may be taken
into consideration
in evaluating your suitability for employment, promotion, reassignment or retention as an employee.
If the City reques
ts an investigative consumer report to be performed by a consumer
reporting agency,
as
defined by federal law, you
will receive a notice indicating that the
report has been requested no later than three days after the request is made to the agency.
This
additional notice, if issued, will provide you with further information pertaining to
federal law governing investigative consumer reports.
You will not receive such a notice
if the investigation is performed by the City or a person or entity other than a consumer
reporting
agency.
If any adverse decision is made with regard to your application for employment or
subsequent employment with the City, if any, based
entirely or in part on the information
contained a consumer report or investigative consumer report prepared by a consumer
reporting
agency, you will be notified and given a copy of the report,
as
well as a
summary of your applicable rights. If you have every filed for
bankruptcy, no
employment decision will be based solely on this information.
Your consent is requ
ired by law before the City may obtain a consumer report or
investigative consumer report from a consumer
reporting agency pertaining to your
application for employment and thereafter, during the course of your employment, if any,
in the
City's discretion. Your signature on the enclosed Consent Statement indicates that
you have carefully read and understand that the City
may request and review consumer
reports and investigative consumer reports regarding you, consistent with this policy,
both in
connection with your application for employment and during the course of your
employment, if any, and that you consent to the
release of such consumer reports or
investigative consumer reports to the City for employment purposes, including any future
decisions
concerning your, employment, promotion, reassignment or retention as an
employee of the City of Decatur. Your signature additionally
reflects your understanding
that such consent will remain in effect indefinitely until you revoke it (cancel it) in
writing.
Limitations on the Ci
ty's ability to conduct lawful investigations of applicants and
employees for purposes of promoting a safe
workplace and otherwise maintaining an
honest, trustworthy, qualified, reliable, and non-violent workforce, are not acceptable.
The
City of Decatur employees are consequently expected to maintain their consent to
the City's potential use of consumer and investigative
consumer reports in keeping with
this policy and are otherwise expected to cooperate fully with the City's lawful efforts to
obtain such
information. Refusal to consent to a consumer report or investigative
consumer report as required by this notice and the City's
policies, or any other attempt to
interfere or failure to cooperate with the City's lawful investigation of any applicant or
employee, may
result in rejection of any application, withdrawal of an offer of
employment or discipline, up to and including termination from
employment.