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This article examines whether contracting out of government services in New York City has been tinkering or reinventing government, with a detailed examination of the layers of approval now required for awarding contracts to safeguard against possible corruption. The use of Compstat, by the New York Police Department, is seen to be a reinvention of how crime is fought in the city.

The purpose of this paper is to assess the public policy benefits of ban-the-box laws, the administrative burden for employers created by disparate approaches to these laws among various states and cities and the value of adopting a federal ban-the-box law with a preemptive effect.

The paper uses a descriptive research method that examines statistical data regarding the recidivism and sustained employment and examples of states’ laws regarding restrictions or requirements of when criminal history inquiries can be made during the hiring process, notice requirements related to use of criminal history information and limitations on employment decisions based on criminal history information.

The paper finds that, given the public policy interests at stake and the relationship observed between recidivism and sustained employment, it is difficult to argue that states and local ban-the-box requirements are not rational and well-intentioned. However, a federal ban-the-box law with preemptive effect is likely the only viable solution for employers overburdened by this disparate approach to ban-the-box.

This paper provides an examination of why a federal ban-the-box law with preemptive effect is an attractive alternative to the current disparate approach to regulating criminal history inquiries by different states and local governments.

The decision-making styles of human resource professionals (HRPs) in resolving complaints of sexual harassment are extremely important as they form the backbone of effectiveness in the resolution of a complaint. The purpose of this paper is to explore these decision-making styles and gauge their effectiveness in resolving such complaints.

Employing a qualitative research approach, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 35 HRPs of 30 companies in Sri Lanka.

We found eight decision-making styles used by HRPs in resolving complaints of sexual harassment: (1) analytical, (2) behavioural, (3) directive, (4) conceptual, (5) avoidant, (6) dependent, (7) intuitive and judgemental, and (8) manipulative and persuasive. HRPs were found to generally adopt combinations of these styles, with one or two styles being dominant while one or two were used as back-up styles. In resolving complaints of sexual harassment, certain combinations of these styles were found to be more effective than others because they led to procedural, distributive and interactional justice.

The implications of these findings for self-reflection and in training for the HRPs are also discussed.

The findings of this study assist us in understanding how and why HRPs make different decisions when resolving seemingly similar complaints and the effectiveness of such decisions.

The purpose of this paper is to explore the various methods available when conducting a pre‐employment screening investigation in attempt to hire honest employees, those less likely to commit fraud against their organization. While many companies perform the most basic type of background check, this paper suggests that companies need to go beyond the basics when hiring its employees.

By reviewing the existing literature and conducting interviews with experts in the area of background investigation services, the paper makes suggestions for companies to follow.

Merely relying on the most basic background check may lead to the hiring of the wrong employee, one likely to commit fraud. Companies should consider performing other screening techniques before hiring an employee.

Background checks have become a widely‐recognized method of pre‐employment screening. However, these checks are just one part of the employee selection process and companies should understand both the practical and legal implications of conducting additional testing.

The guidance provided in this paper will aid companies in the pre‐employment selection process. Both basic and more advanced techniques are discussed and companies can choose any or all of the recommended methods.

Cites that rapid changes in legislation have put special importance on the careful and effective performance of reference checking. Gives some brief statistics from a survey into this subject. Discusses negligent hiring lawsuits and the requirements for such a valid claim. Provides a list of documents which would help employers defend such a claim. Covers the background check and the type of investigation which may be undertaken before looking at the reference check including how to make contact, what to ask for in references, the documentation of such checks, and alternatives to inhouse checking.

Workplace violence has become a national issue in recent years. Statistics have shown an alarming trend of workers injuring or killing other workers. Amid this chaos, a new legal concept is emerging called “negligent hiring”. This law requires employers to thoroughly investigate the background of job applicants to determine if candidates have propensity for violence. Employers are negligent if they fail to follow this requirement. Nevertheless, as a law, negligent hiring is flawed. In substance, it is vague and broad, and in application, it lacks the flexibility to adopt into dynamic of the employment market. Compounding this deficiency are the judges’ lack of concern for the unintended impact of their rulings. These two problems could mean that the law of negligent hiring itself could become a public issue if not addressed by the courts in the near future.

President Bill Clinton has had many opponents and enemies, most of whom come from the political right wing. Clinton supporters contend that these opponents, throughout the Clinton presidency, systematically have sought to undermine this president with the goal of bringing down his presidency and running him out of office; and that they have sought non‐electoral means to remove him from office, including Travelgate, the death of Deputy White House Counsel Vincent Foster, the Filegate controversy, and the Monica Lewinsky matter. This bibliography identifies these and other means by presenting citations about these individuals and organizations that have opposed Clinton. The bibliography is divided into five sections: General; “The conspiracy stream of conspiracy commerce”, a White House‐produced “report” presenting its view of a right‐wing conspiracy against the Clinton presidency; Funding; Conservative organizations; and Publishing/media. Many of the annotations note the links among these key players.

Since 1991, employers in the USA may be liable for the criminal actions of their employees even if those actions are not job‐related. As a result, costly law suits and settlements are on the rise. The right person in the right job makes economic sense. However, choosing the right person for the right job is more difficult that it sounds. As corporate America continues downsizing, competition for jobs has intensified. Resume fraud and mis‐stated information on applications is common. Therefore, effective pre‐employment screening is a necessity not an option. Pre‐employment screening covers a broad spectrum of personal information about the applicant. New approaches and methods have been introduced. Outsourcing reference and background checks are common practice. To employ effective screening practices, a company must know what information to gain, how to gain it, and what to do with it once it is received.

The Howard Shuttering Contractors case throws considerable light on the importance which the tribunals attach to warnings before dismissing an employee. In this case the tribunal took great pains to interpret the intention of the parties to the different site agreements, and it came to the conclusion that the agreed procedure was not followed. One other matter, which must be particularly noted by employers, is that where a final warning is required, this final warning must be “a warning”, and not the actual dismissal. So that where, for example, three warnings are to be given, the third must be a “warning”. It is after the employee has misconducted himself thereafter that the employer may dismiss.

States the importance of referencing and background checks despite the acknowledged difficulties within the procedure. Refers to research showing many employers give minimal information on reference request for fear of incurring legal repercussions. Provides guidelines to the procedure to help the future employer. Considers the need for personal and academic references and credit reports. Gives suggestions for the correct response to the former employer to minimize legal recourse.