WINNER REGIONAL HEALTH

PRE-AND POST HIRE SCREENING POLICY

HUMAN RESOURCES POLICY                      Date Effective:

Originator: ADMINISTRATION                     Date Revised: 07.2013; 09.2018, 11.2019; 03.2023
Approved By: ADMINISTRATION                 Date Reviewed: 06.2017, 04.2020, 03.2023


 

PURPOSE

  1. To establish a procedure for filling vacancies with new hires and transfer hires at Winner Regional Health.
  2. To secure the best qualified candidates for existing vacancies.
  3. To establish a policy for ensuring reference and background checks have been completed on all new employees, volunteers and/or students, including employees found through recruiting agencies.
                          Background checks for all students will be done by their school and are monitored through the
                           Department Manager.
  4. To conform with existing federal regulations regarding Equal Employment Opportunities/ Affirmative Action and the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986. All candidates will be considered regardless of race, color, creed, religion, genetic information, gender, national origin, age, status with regard to public assistance, sexual orientation, disability, and veteran status.
  5. To exclude any candidates from consideration if the candidate is identified under the HHS-OIG Cumulative      Sanctions or the General Services Administration List of Parties Excluded from Federal Procurement and Non-Procurement Programs.
  6. To confirm the identity and employment eligibility of all person(s) hired to work in the United States, Winner Regional Healthcare Center participates in the E-Verify program. 
  7. To provide a means of checking the former work record of job applicants to help determine their      employability.
  8. To help ensure that the job applicant can meet Winner Regional Health’s standards of employability      based on work related history.
  9. To monitor on an on-going basis HHS-OIG and NSOR and SAM. 

POLICY

  1. Management will inform Human Resources of any job vacancies by submitting an Employment Requisition to Human Resources.
  2. Manager or designee, Human Resources Generalist and/or Recruiter may conduct interviews with prospective applicants.
  3. The hiring manager or designee will schedule the interview.
  4. Employee Health Services will perform a drug screening and Physical Therapy will perform pre-placement health assessment of all external job applicants who have accepted offers for employment.
                    a. The assessment is required prior to the first day of employment and employment is contingent
                         upon successful completion of the assessment and drug screen.                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                                                                                                   
                    b. Any applicant who has a non-negative drug screen result will not be considered for employment
                        at Winner Regional Health for one year.
     
  5. Winner Regional Health will provide “reasonable accommodation” to the known physical or mental limitations of individuals who are otherwise qualified to perform the essential functions of the job unless the accommodation would cause an undue hardship.
  6. Winner Regional Health will conduct reference and background checks on all new and rehired employees, including employees recruited through an agency, and will conduct background checks. This includes, but is not limited to, a search of pertinent legal and regulatory data banks necessary to meet standards of accreditation within the state they are employed.
  7. Winner Regional Health will not employ applicants less than 18 years of age unless an exception is made in designated areas at the discretion of senior leadership. 
  8. Background checks for applicants and volunteers will only be conducted by designated members of the Human Resources Department or Senior Leadership. References may be conducted by HR or designee. The reference check(s) and background check(s) will be factors among others used to determinate suitability for employment.
  9. Educational facilities affiliated with Winner Regional Health will be required to perform background checks upon their students prior to placement in a clinical rotation with Winner Regional Health.

PROCEDURE

  1. All jobs applicants, internal and external, may submit an online application to Human Resources. Winner Regional Health will consider an application of employment submitted via an online application at www.winnerregional.org for an open position. Paper applications will also be accepted.
  2. Human Resources will be responsible for the initial screening of job applicants to determine their qualifications for existing job vacancies.
  3. Communications will be responsible for any advertising and Human Resources will be responsible for recruitment which is required in the filling of job vacancies.
  4. All job requisitions will be posted for a minimum of five (5) working days by Human Resources, length of opening will vary based on qualified candidates and can be closed at any time based on the number of qualified candidates. Some positions may be internal applicants only.
  5. All external applicants must supply their name (including any alias or aliases), current address, the name and states where the applicant has lived or gone to school during the previous seven years, social security number and date of birth. All applicants must give Winner Regional Health written permission to conduct a background check in any state that Winner Regional Healthcare Center desires and to release Winner Regional Health from any and all liability that results from conducting such background check. Applicants who refuse to authorize the reference and background will not be considered for employment.
  6. Prior to beginning employment, a background check that includes OIG (Department of Health & Human Services, Office of Inspector General) and (Department of Justice) National Sex Offender Registry (NSOR) will be conducted. A primary source verification of licensure and Motor Vehicle Report (as required by position) will also be conducted. In addition, the employee must provide Human Resources proof of completion of education requirement above and beyond high school or GED as required by the job description. Primary source verifying education will be conducted for all executive level positions. Proof is not required for positions in which a license is required per the job description requirements and the issuing board verified education. Hiring of a candidate with alternative qualifications than stated on the job description required CEO approval.
  7. Prior to beginning employment and upon successful completion of background checks, applicants must be physically/mentally capable of performing the essential functions of the job, with or without an accommodation, as determined by a pre-placement health assessment and drug screen conducted by the Employee Health Department.
  8. No management official is authorized to make any verbal assurance or promise regarding any condition of employment, including a promise of continued employment.
  9. An offer of employment with Winner Regional Health may be rescinded if the background check results show the applicant has been convicted of any crime. This will be reviewed on a case by case basis considering the timing and nature of the criminal conviction and the type of position the candidate is pursing. The applicant will be given the opportunity to explain the factors surrounding the conviction. This explanation along with the following factors will be considered when deciding whether to hire an individual with a criminal record:

               · The nature of the conviction

               · Amount of time since the conviction

               · Age of the person at the time of the conviction

               · Type of job to be performed at Winner Regional Health.

           a. Winner Regional Health reserves the right to use its sole discretion to determine if a particular
               criminal conviction precludes an applicant from being employed.

10. Any former employee of any Winner Regional Health that is rehired (begins work/ orientation) within 30 calendar days of their termination date, the original date of hire will be maintained for the PPL accrual rate and for years of service for service award calculations. Rehires beyond 30 calendar days will be processed as new hires.

11. Winner Regional Health may allow employees who resigned from the organization due to medical limitations and could not perform the essential functions of their job to have their length of service reinstated if rehired. A medical certification may be required indicating their ability to return to work if within six months.

12. Winner Regional Health will conduct updated OIG, NSOR and SAM checks on all current employees every month.
 

Ref: Equal Employment Opportunities/ Affirmative Action and the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986


 

Pre and Post Hiring and Screening Policy

Total Pages 4

POLICY: Human Resources

Distribution: All Staff

Review Date - History - Approved By

06.2017 - Reviewed

09.2018 - Added: Background checks for students will be done by school and monitored by Department Manager; deleted: background checks done on volunteers. Added that Communications will be responsible for advertising and HR will be responsible for recruitment. - Sr. Leadership

11.2019 - Added OIG and NSOR checks monthly. - Sr. Leadership

04.2020 - Reviewed - Sr. Leadership

03.2023 - Revised to include a medical certification to return to work needed if within six months; remove that all job requisitions will be posted both internally and externally. - HR Dept.