An error on a background check may prevent a prospective employee from getting hired for work, but could an error on a background check get an already hired employee fired from a job?

The answer is “Yes” according to an article in the Baltimore Sun that tells the story of a woman in Maryland who was fired from her job after an error on a government background check mistakenly deemed her “unsuitable” for work on a government contract even though she had no criminal record.

According to the Sun, Eschol Amelia “Amy”  Studnitz, 59, lost her $58,000 a year accounting job at Corporate Mailing Services (CMS) in July because a background check investigation for the Social Security Administration (SSA) – the government agency CMS had won a contract to handle mail for  – was returned as unsuitable for the low-level (Level 1) security clearance needed for all employees at the CMS facility in Arbutus, Maryland.

However, the Sun reports that the SSA wrote a follow-up letter to CMS in August reversing its decision on the background check so that Studnitz could work on the new contract, but Studnitz was not reinstated by her former employer due to reorganizing and supposed performance shortfalls or hired elsewhere in this tough job market. Studnitz has also asked Representative Roscoe Bartlett (R - MD) to look into her case, and Bartlett is also considering legislation to address future similar situations where inaccurate government criminal background checks are the cause of action for loss of jobs for government work, according to the Sun.

With background checks becoming increasingly common, the Sun report on Studnitz’s firing shows the impact that glitches in databases used during the background check process can have on employees, employers, and even the government. While firings based on mistakes in background checks are relatively rare, errors and inaccuracies on background checks do occur and should be avoided at all costs – especially when the cost includes employment. Some jobseekers are literally taking background check investigations into their own hands by ordering “personal” background checks on themselves to make sure their personal information is accurate, current, and secure.

While most background check companies focus only on employers, MyBackgroundCheck.com – a pioneer in consumer requested background checks – offers both jobseekers and current employees the opportunity to perform personal background checks on themselves to protect their personal information. For more information on personal background checks, visit www.mybackgroundcheck.com, email info@mybackgroundcheck.com, or call 1-800-503-2364. To follow MyBackgroundCheck.com on Twitter, visit www.twitter.com/MyBackgroundChk.

tahearn@mybackgroundcheck.com