What Is Employee Re-Screening?

Employee re-screening is the process of conducting a background check after a person has been hired. While initial screening helps you make informed hiring decisions, re-screening helps ensure that employees continue to meet your company’s safety, trust, and compliance standards.

Why Should Employers Re-Screen Existing Employees?

1. Protect Your Workplace and Reputation

Just because an employee cleared a background check two years ago doesn’t mean they’re still in good standing. People’s circumstances change — and sometimes not for the better.

• New criminal offenses may arise after the initial hire.

• Professional licenses could be suspended or revoked.

• Financial challenges might trigger fraud risk in sensitive roles.

2. Mitigate Negligent Retention Liability

Negligent hiring claims are bad enough, but negligent retention lawsuits can be even more damaging. These occur when an employer keeps someone on staff despite warning signs that should have been discovered.

Example: A delivery driver for a regional service company develops a DUI offense six months after being hired. Without re-screening or continuous MVR monitoring, the employer remains unaware — until an accident leads to a lawsuit for $500,000 in damages.

3. Meet Industry-Specific Compliance Requirements

Some industries mandate periodic background checks. In others, it’s simply a best practice.

Industries that often require or recommend re-screening:

• Healthcare: Regular FACIS checks and license verifications

• Transportation: Ongoing motor vehicle record (MVR) checks and DOT drug testing

• Finance: Continuous monitoring for fraud, embezzlement, and civil cases

• Childcare/Education: State-mandated criminal background checks every 1–5 years

• Nonprofits and religious organizations: Re-checking volunteers or staff who serve vulnerable populations

What Are the Risks of Not Re-Screening Employees?

If you’re only screening once at the time of hire, your business could be exposed to:

• Legal liability: For negligent retention or failure to provide a safe workplace

• Reputational damage: Especially if a public incident occurs involving someone with a preventable background issue

• Loss of insurance or vendor trust: Certain contracts may require continuous compliance checks

• Employee safety issues: Especially in sensitive or security-driven roles

How to Implement a Re-Screening Program in Your Business

Adding re-screening doesn’t have to be expensive or invasive — especially when using a trusted background screening partner like EDIFY Background Screening.

Steps to Build a Re-Screening Policy:

1. Define which roles require re-screening

   • Prioritize those in finance, driving, childcare, security, healthcare, or leadership.

2. Choose the screening frequency

   • Common intervals include every 12, 24, or 36 months.

   • Some businesses use continuous monitoring services for real-time alerts.

3. Update your consent forms

   • Get advance, written authorization during onboarding for periodic checks.

4. Communicate transparently

   • Let employees know what’s being checked, how often, and why.

5. Use a CRA that understands compliance

   • EDIFY helps ensure your re-screening process is FCRA-compliant, from adverse action support to record verification.

What Should Be Included in an Employee Re-Screening Package?

Re-screening doesn’t mean running every check again from scratch. Instead, it should focus on high-risk or role-specific areas.

Sample Re-Screening Package Options:

✅ EDIFY offers continuous criminal monitoring options in specific jurisdictions that alert you to new criminal activity in near real-time without running full checks every year.

Cost vs. Risk: Why Re-Screening Pays Off

The cost of a basic re-screening package ranges from $20 to $60 per employee, depending on depth and role sensitivity. Compare that with the potential fallout of a bad retention decision:

• Lawsuits: $250,000+

• Insurance premium increases: 20% or more

• Reputational damage: Hard to quantify, but often devastating

• Turnover and retraining costs: Thousands per employee

Final Thoughts: Don’t Let Time Undo a Good Hire

You may trust your employees — and you should — but trust doesn’t replace compliance, verification, or protection. Re-screening is not about catching people doing wrong. It’s about ensuring continued alignment with your company’s safety, integrity, and legal responsibilities.

If you’ve ever asked:

• Should I re-screen employees?

• How often should background checks be repeated?

• What’s the legal risk of not re-screening staff?

Then it’s time to put a proactive, affordable plan in place.

Talk to EDIFY Background Screening About Employee Re-Screening Options

Protect your business. Maintain compliance. And stay ahead of risk.

📞 336-283-0237
📧 [email protected]
🌐 www.edifyscreening.com