Background checks have become so pervasive in the work world that you might as well count on undergoing one if you're a candidate for a big job.
And as some employees of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory recently found out, a background check might be required even if you've been on a job for decades.
But what if, outside of work, you volunteer to mentor students, teach Sunday school, take residents of a senior center on outings or referee amateur hockey games?
If you volunteer for any activity involving kids, the disabled or the elderly, the chances are growing that someone will be taking a tour through your past.
In the wake of national shock over sexual scandals and violence involving public and nonprofit institutions, volunteering increasingly triggers background checks.
"It's definitely a growth area," said Les Rosen, president of Employment Screening Resources, a Northern California company that performs background checks. "There might not be a law or rule that says organizations have to do it, but it's seen as part of due diligence."
Protests against background checks have been increasing along with their use. Last month, 28 JPL scientists filed suit in federal court to block a Bush administration directive that would require new, sweeping background checks.
"The thing that disturbed me is that we have to give them permission to look into anything they want to," said Susan Paradise, a software engineer who has been with JPL for 22 years.
But even longtime privacy advocates, such as the Privacy Rights Clearinghouse, say background checks may be proper for volunteer groups.
"If it's a volunteer who will be working with children, then in those cases it could be appropriate to do a criminal record checks," said Beth Givens, director of the San Diego-based organization.
However, there are special problems when it comes to volunteer groups and privacy. A major company can be expected to have reliable procedures for keeping personal information private, but volunteer organizations might be unprepared to deal with documents that spell out criminal records, however minor, or that detail divorces, bankruptcies, civil lawsuits and the like.
"This could be an organization with an office in someone's basement," Givens said. "Or your records could end up rattling around in a box in the coach's trunk."
Not only could this information be sensitive, it could also be useful to identity thieves -- especially if it includes a Social Security number, age and birth date.
