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Latest News Newsletter Issue #3 |
HR Compliance Issues for Small Business As the economic horizon continues to shift and belts tighten, small and medium sized companies — who typically have between 10 to 500 employees and represent 99.7 percent of all employer firms according to the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) — may wind up being so focused on core business issues that they overlook one of their most potentially serious and costly issues — human resource compliance. Unlike their large-company counterparts, they lack the time and resources to build infrastructure and processes that are beyond core business objectives. But if entrepreneurs and smaller business owners are focused solely on growth and product, how do they know what issues to look for in order to protect the company? This is a must-read paper that discusses the top 5 HR compliance issues they may face.
What to do when involved in a Motor Accident Every Christmas motorists receive a number of warnings about the spike in road traffic accidents – according to the Road Traffic Management Corporation, a shocking 1 221 fatal road accidents occurred during this period last year – yet just as important is making sure you understand what to do if you are involved in an accident. Transparency International releases Southern Africa Corruption Report Transparency International interviewed over 6000 individuals across Southern Africa in countries including South Africa, Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia and Zimbabwe to identify the public's perspective on corruption and how it affects their lives. Universities Produce Wrong Kind of Graduates: Analyst SKILLS WE NEED: Management, engineering, law, finance, accounting and medicine“There are currently nearly 600,000 unemployed university graduates in South Africa, mostly in the arts, humanities and social sciences,” said Adcorp labour market analyst Loane Sharp in a statement. “Whereas the private sector has more than 800,000 vacancies in management, engineering, law, finance, accounting and medicine.” Police Crackdown on Fake Training Institutions
Jenny Reid at ASIS Convention Jenny Reid, Director of iFacts, attended the ASIS Asia-Pacific Conference & Exhibition being hosted in Kuala Lumpur this week. The conference addressed a full spectrum of topics in security management such as: supply chain security, loss prevention, hotel security, intellectual property, maritime piracy, terrorism, executive protection, internal theft and fraud, competitive intelligence, brand protection, physical security, cyber security, investigations, due diligence and global business issues. Jenny attended the conference as she believes it is essential to offer a global service and to understand global risk. She spoke to delegates about screening in emerging markets and you can view her presentation after the jump. There were 160 delegates in attendance and they came from the Far East countries, Australia, Middle East, Europe, USA and four from SA. For more information, visit the ASIS website.
New Companies Commission Steadily decreasing backlogs The new Companies and Intellectual Property Commission, which took over the tasks of the dysfunctional Cipro, has had a painful start as it battled to overcome historical backlogs and implement the new Companies Act. The good news is that things are slowly but surely coming together. Jenny Reid is interviewed in Africa Business Communities Jenny Reid is interviewed in Africa Business Communities. Read the article here. Bullying at Work Toxic and Costly Debt Complaints near 1900 The National Debt Mediation Association (NDMA) has dealt with 1872 valid complaints since it was set up 19 months ago. SA Border Control "Insufficient" South Africa’s 4 800km of land border fences remain vulnerable, South African Revenue Service commissioner Oupa Magashule told MPs on Tuesday. “Our borderline fences are vulnerable, radar coverage of our airspace is insufficient and our vast maritime border is under-patrolled,” Magashule told Parliament's portfolio committee on police. He said nearly 32 million people moved in and out of South Africa's borders in 2010, with the bulk of foreign travellers - 8.3 million - arriving by road. SA 15th most likely to bribe abroad Companies from South Africa are seen as the fifteenth most likely to use bribery to secure foreign contracts, a new report released by Transparency International says.
Countries were scored on a scale of 0 to 10, where a maximum score of 10 corresponds with the view that companies in that sector never bribe and a 0 corresponds with the view that they always do. South Africa scored 7.6 out of 10. Safeguard Your Suitcase As another hard year comes to an end, many South Africans will be packing their holiday suitcases. With luggage pilfering rife, we’ve put together some safety tips to help make your holiday stress-free. Employment Rises in 3rd Quarter Diwali Blessings iFacts would like to wish all our clients and their families a Happy Diwali. South Africans Drowning in Debt A survey of consumer debt has come to the shock conclusion that South Africans are trapped in the worst debt crisis yet, with more than 6000 new debt counselling applications a month.
Jenny Reid's CV Fraud Presentation Jenny Reid recently presented at a Lowveld Chamber of Business networking breakfast. View her presentation here. iFacts Releases 3rd Quarter Statistics iFacts releases their 3rd quarter statistics. View our report for further information and some interesting findings. Some of these findings validate the neccessity to continue screening and highlight the importance of ensuring your company has sound security policies and procedures in place. Census 2011: Safety & Security Census 2011 started today. Many citizens are conerned about security issues regarding those conducting the survey and whether these individuals should be granted access to private property. Even Those Cleared of Crime Remain on FBI's List The Federal Bureau of Investigation is permitted to include people on the government’s terrorist watch list even if they have been acquitted of terrorism-related offenses or the charges are dropped, according to newly released documents. Price List Change iFacts price list will be changing effective from 1 October 2011. We are also adding new services.Check out our services page. What to do when the Crime Statistics Go Down The sense of optimism was palpable at the Sheraton Hotel in Pretoria when South Africa’s National Minister of Police released the official police crime statistics for the 2010/2011 financial year, last week. This was because crime had decreased in virtually all categories during the past year. The total amount of crime decreased by over 50 000 cases or 2.4% compared to the previous year. The Gender Free British Passport Britain is preparing to rip up centuries-old rules by introducing passports which do not contain details of the holder’s sex. The move, following pressure from the Lib Dems, is designed to spare transgender people and those who have both male and female sexual organs from having to tick “male” or “female” on their travel papers. Massive Fraud Exposed at Department of Public Works DG placed on “special leave” amidst R3.6bn corruption spree.JOHANNESBURG - Tenders granted by the Department of Public Works (DPW) to the value of over R3bn have been affected by “serious irregularities,” the minister of public works, Gwen Mahlangu-Nkabinde, said in a damning statement released yesterday. Cosatu One Day Mass Stayaway MEMBERS of the Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) are due to stage a series of marches around the country late next month, culminating in a one-day mass stayaway on October 5. The Real Threat: Inside One of the top sources of information leakage and data theft is from within your own business, says an information security awareness consultancy. Employees, contractors and business partners are all potential security risks, yet a survey at the 2011 Gartner Security and Risk Management Summit found that addressing the "insider threat" was ranked the second lowest priority for the information security industry. The Security Company reveals the latest moves to combat this threat in a new report on its web site. Immigration Amendment Act Becomes Law
On Friday, 26 August 2011, Government Gazette No. 34561 (Volume 554) was published. This action heralded the coming into being of the Immigration Amendment Bill into law.
SA Crime Stats Released South Africa's murder rate dropped by 6.5% to 15 940 murders in 2010/11, Police Minister Nathi Mthethwa said on Thursday. One Offender name on Child Protection List Sixteen months after it became operational, only one person deemed unsuitable to work with children has been named in the national Child Protection Register (CPR). In a written reply to a parliamentary question tabled on Monday, Social Development Minister Bathabile Dlamini confirmed the register was “fully operational”, with an allocated budget of R1.7 million. The Biggest Risks Facing Your Business Statistics revealed by a recent IMC (Institute of Crisis Management) report shows that white-collar crime is behind 18% of reported business crises in 2009, followed closely by mismanagement with 16%. The most recent and spectacular of examples is that of Bernard Madoff, CEO of Bernard L. Madoff Investment Securities. His fraudulent activities cost his investors billions of dollars, making this particular case the largest incident of investor fraud ever recorded.
Disgruntled Employees The DA was accused of corruption by the Sunday Times. This all came about thanks to a disgruntled employee who leaked a part of the tender process documentation to the paper. Jenny Reid, Direcotor of iFacts, says political parties are not the only ones at risk of disgruntled employees.
Give Deviant Behaviour a Red Card
Currently, the World Cup, taking place in South Africa, can be used as a prime example of how internal discord and deviant behavior can derail a team and often a business’ success. France fell to pieces thanks to an alleged internal snitch and England’s almost coup, by a disgruntled “employee”, was thwarted by his fellow teammates who seemed to know better about sticking together for a greater cause.
Home Safe?
Many security fundi’s have had to provide safety measures for business travel and pondered the question, “Is company information safe when employees work away from the office?”, but largely due to an increase in employees working from home there has been a shift in focus.
Due to new technologies such as laptops, handheld devices and wireless access, rising property prices and a better work-life balance, many companies have incorporated work from home policies. In the USA people working from home has increased by over 50% in the last 20 years and the UK has even instituted a National Work from Home Day. It has been reported that 24% of those who work from home in the US work for an employer. Telecommuting is a growing trend.
Ensure Your Child is Safe
Wednesday, August 25th, marked another tragedy on South Africa’s fatal roads. Nine children were killed when a taxi driver allegedly jumped a boom gate and was struck by a train, in Blackheath, just outside Cape Town.
Many parents across South Africa rely on taxi’s and alternative transport to get their children to school and have faith that this will be done safely. Unfortunately, this is in blind faith. How can we be certain that the man behind the wheel has knowledge of basic road safety rules and a valid driver’s license?
Employee Debt is Your Debt With the recent tough economic conditions experienced the world over, it is not surprising that potential and current employees may be feeling the pinch and experiencing personal financial difficulties. Most employees are under immense pressure with the constant rising costs of health care, food, clothing and retirement planning.
Research shows that South Africa has approximately 3 million employees who experience negative cash flow every month and over 4 million employees with bad credit records.
Many corporate companies ask whether employee debt can be considered their problem. Is it something they should be concerned about and is an employee’s private life any of its business. Well, it is.
Cost of Crime
One of the most serious threats to the success of a business is employee theft. Economic cycles have indicated that more difficult times, such as the current recession, will likely accelerate criminal activity ranging from robbery to fraud to embezzlement.
Know your Security Personnel to Fight Crime
South Africa has become a hot bed of crime and fraudulent behavior and there are many places and people for whom we can lay blame. For many businesses and private residential estates, security is high on the agenda and outsourcing of these services is a given. Instead of placing blame, you can prevent criminal activity, by ensuring you know your security service provider and their staff.
CCTV Operators
Corporations across South Africa have to invest in outsourcing security services due to the high incidences of crime and fraud. Unfortunately, many security personnel are unqualified for these respective conditions.
Typical problems experienced by corporations are security officers appointed to premises, whose profile does not match the tasks they are supposed to perform, and questions about their integrity are raised. In some situations, clients are assured that the officers were subjected to verification tests, which is a prerequisite for employment with the security service provider, only to discover after a security-related incident, such tests were not in actual fact performed. Continuous integrity testing, which can take many forms, is the exception rather than the rule.
I'm Qualified, I Promise!
Many people are resorting to fibbing on their CV’s and supplying fraudulent documents as proof of their qualifications. Are you accepting such documentation at face value or do you head to the source for confirmation?
iFacts works to confirm qualifications at the source. Our array of services will assist in determining the validity of qualifications from Matric to degree level both locally and internationally. It is critical that these institutions and documents are deemed genuine, that the awarding body exists and that the grades and dates of attendance match those claimed by the person being checked.
The Orange Climate Survey
The Orange is pleased to announce a new service for their clients: Corporate Climate Survey.
Corporate Climate is the general feeling and atmosphere within an organisation that is mainly created by the attitudes of its managers towards their work, their staff and their customers and that can affect such things as productivity, creativity, and customer focus.
The Orange Corporate Climate Survey can be distributed internally, to your staff or externally to customers, depending on your requirements and objectives.
Preventing CV Fraud
You’ve found the perfect candidate, well, so their CV says, but can you trust the facts presented are true?
It has been reported that almost 1 in 3 people exaggerate or falsify the details in their CV. More and more applicants are taking desperate measures such as embellishing their credentials and misrepresenting their backgrounds in an effort to improve their chances of meeting job requirements, outshining their competitors and therefore securing an appointment for an interview.
Management Material
There are so many components within a business that can affect your success within your industry.
A manager is defined as a person who has control or direction of an institution or business; OR a person who manages people, whether it be individually or as a group.
A manager is in a position to influence their workforce greatly, but what steps can a manager take in order to ensure he is influencing them in an appropriate and positive way?
Smaller the Business, Bigger the Fall
Many entrepreneurs are under the impression that white collar crime, such as fraud, is exclusively reserved for large corporate companies. Despite fewer employees and smaller revenues, small businesses are more susceptible to crime. Fraud and corruption is rife across the continent and big corporate’s have the capacity to harbour the brunt of such cases, but for small and medium enterprises, it is a very different scenario, such incidents could shut down businesses.
EEOC to Consider Current Use of Criminal Records in Employment Screening
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has scheduled a July 26, 2011 meeting to evaluate arrest and conviction records as a barrier to employment. The meeting will be open to the public but will not be broadcast on television or the internet.
27 with Terrorist Links Held Aviation Licenses The Transportation Security Administration cannot determine the real identities of thousands of the people to whom the Federal Aviation Administration has issued licenses as pilots and aircraft mechanics, but has located an additional 27 who should not have held them because of terrorist connections, according to an internal report by the Department of Homeland Security. Unemployment Rises to 25.7% Stats SA Releases Annualised CPI Rate Stats SA have released the annualised CPI as at June 2011 as 5% Implications of AARTO for Employers The numerous problems experienced during the test phases of AARTO in Johannesburg and Pretoria during the past two years resulted in a delay in implementation. The implementation date is not yet known, but it is certain that AARTO is here to stay. Screening Employees and Contractors Crucial in Reducing Workplace Violence A Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) workplace violence survey found that more than 50% of the respondents were concerned that workplace violence might occur at their organization. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, an average of 564 work-related homicides occurred each year in the United States from 2004 to 2008. iFacts is a Gold Class member of the Security Association of South Africa. iFacts has recently been accepted as a gold class member of the Security Association of South Africa. We are the first employee screening company to be accepted in this category. Our clients are invited to join SASA Gauteng for a presentation by Dr Johan Burger, followed by a networking session at 3pm on Wednesday 27 July, at the Lion Enclosure, Johannesburg Zoo (Parkview). Senior Managers Committing More Workplace Fraud A recent study by KPMG has found that approximately 18 percent of workplace frauds are committed by managing directors and chief executives, compared to 11 percent in 2007. These results were based on an analysis of 348 white collar crimes between January 2008 and December 2010. Other findings from the "Who is the Typical Fraudster?" report showed that 32 percent of those who commit fraud work in finance, and 57 percent have more than 10 years experience, while 53 percent were in either a senior management role or a board role. ID Fraudster Arrested in Johannesburg A 44-year-old Ghanaian was expected to appear in the Johannesburg Magistrate's Court on Monday after being arrested for allegedly forging official documents, police said. Broughton Report Issue 4 Management Material-Protecting your organisation and its employees. NSBC Mag iFacts/ The Orange is in the latest edition of the NSBC (National Small Business Chamber) Mag. iFacts/The Orange in the Media iFacts/The Orange appeared in this month's Broughton Report. Read the article on page 10 here. Land Bank ex-boss in court over fraud Former Land Bank CEO Philemon Mohlahlane and three others appeared briefly in the Pretoria Commercial Crimes Court on Tuesday in connection with fraud charges, the National Prosecuting Authority said. Punish Corrupt Public Servants:PSC Corrupt government officials often received lenient punishments, and usually after being suspended on full pay for long periods, the Public Service Commission (PSC) said Jobless Rate Rises Again The unemployment rate increased by 1% to 25% between the fourth quarter of 2010 and first quarter in 2011, Statistics SA said on Tuesday. Solicitors warned on employee theft Solicitors have been warned by the Law Society to tighten up security to prevent a significant increase in theft by employees. People with Fake Degrees to be Prosecuted The University of Johannesburg (UJ) and the University of Cape Town (UCT) have both vowed to prosecute people who use fake degrees purporting to have been issued by their institutions. Unclaimed ID's languishing at Home Affairs More than half of the 1.3 million people who applied for a re-issue of their identity documents (IDs) in the past year, failed to collect them, Home Affairs Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma said on Tuesday. Most Prison Officials Not Vetted The majority of the more than 40000 prison officials in SA have not been vetted for the appropriate security clearance, Correctional Services Minister mouseover="
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" on People Act more Morally than they Think Would you cheat to make a few extra bucks? Home Affairs Tackles Permits Backlog The Department of Home Affairs has given an assurance that applications for study, work, business, temporary and permanent residence permits would soon be completed. "Bogus Doctor"passed SA Board Exam THE Eastern Cape doctor accused of using fake documents to get a job at a state hospital passed a board examination required by the Health Professions Council of South Africa for registration to work in the country, the organisation says. SAPS Safety Tips When Driving Hi-jackings are a constant threat to motorists across South Africa. The South African Police Service offers some valuable safety tips on their website. We list some of them here for you. Verify Driver's and Car Licenses From the 1st February our traffic officials are going to be more stringent with enforcing the new traffic laws and rules of the road. Are you and your staff aware of the changes? Do you and your staff have valid driver's and car licenses? Card Fraud - 3 Arrested Cape Town - Three men, believed to be part of a card fraud syndicate have been arrested in Cape Town, Western Cape police said on Sunday. A police spokesperson said that police on Saturday noticed an attachment over the face of an ATM in Welgemoed. Expunge Your Criminal Record Work-seekers who live in fear of their criminal records being exposed when applying for jobs can now have those files expunged. South Africans have a culture of violence, criminality
A study by the Centre for the Study of Violence and Reconciliation reveals.
SASA Represented at Security Vetting Conference
Crime is not new but ways of handling crime need to be adapted and regularly amended.
The Security Association of South Africa is pleased to be presenting at the Security Vetting Conference in Stellenbosch on 27th- 28th October and Jenny Reid, President of SASA, will be discussing ways companies and individuals can work with the industry to prevent criminals from entering the business.
Employers ignore workplace stress at their peril Employers understand the detrimental effects stress has on their organisations and are responding with multiple strategies to help workers cope. This is the indication of a recent survey by Buck Consultants, a Xerox company.
The Stress in the Workplace survey identifies the areas most affected by stress and the strategies employed by organisations to reduce stress for their workers.
Handling Cheating Employees Identity fraud in the workplace continues to grow, with many employees abusing manual time attendance or clocking systems. Leading by example in women's month In Vol 28 No 8, Security Focus magazine profiled Jenny Reid, MD of iFacts and The Orange, in their article Spotlight on Women. The article appears on page 18 of the magazine, which is available online here: http://www.digimagsa.co.za/v2.2/ViewIssue.aspx?issue=43 Facebook hacking analysed - how your identity could be stolen Global IT vendor Panda Security has received numerous reports from users whose Facebook profile has been hacked and whose identity has therefore been placed at risk. Tips to Prevent Workplace Violence Many companies fail to take precautions that would prevent workplace shootings because they do not think that such incidents could happen to them. Apple manager pleads not guilty in kickbacks case Do you think an integrity test prior to employment could have prevented this? When Violence Strikes the Workplace "My executive assistant is opening the mail with a butcher knife." Law Review: Spotting a troubled employee before mass murder is almost impossible, law experts say Identifying the one-in-a-million person on the verge of committing mass murder is akin to finding a needle in a haystack. Employment falls 8.1% in July: Adcorp Employment in SA fell sharply by an annualized 8.1% between June and July 2010, with all sectors, provinces and occupations recording declines in employment. Ex-HP boss embroiled in sex scandal Former Hewlett-Packard chief executive Mark Hurd has reached an amicable agreement with a former marketing contractor who accused him of sexual harassment. Stress weighs heavily on workers around the world More than half of the world's private business owners - 56 percent - believe that stress in the office has increased in the past year. Gratitude is a gift, so give it! IOL columnist John Mullins says that instead of building your entire career path on material gain, start with finding ways to reach your full potential by being grateful for the little things you have and by giving of yourself, you will find that the prizes will come in due time. Read the full story on IOL Sick leave myths busted Unsure whether to bring a sick note after being off ill for two or three days? Here are the facts! The BEE Conundrum The government's Black Economic Empowerment Advisory Council recently held its third meeting and the Minister of Trade and Industry, Rob Davies said that many elements of the BBBEE Framework had been put in place, including sector charters, codes of good practice and verification processes. Demerit 'system': Cape taking ANC to court for delay The City of Cape Town and the Cape Provincial government will approach the Western Cape High Court this week in an urgent bid to delay the local implementation of a new road traffic offences system. Click here for the full story on motoring.co.za Workers behaving badly In the wake of market crashes and company frauds, many organizations have called for a zero-tolerance policy on unethical workplace behavior. Statistics employers need to know 47% of employees are linked to another company Jenny Reid profiled in Security Focus In Vol 27 No 12, Security Focus magazine chose Jenny Reid, MD of The Orange and iFacts, for their personality profile. The article appears on page 10, and can be found in the online issue of Security Focus here: http://www.mymag.co.za/files/119996209/v2.0/electromag.asp?latestIssue=1070 Employee risk 2010 2009 was something of an exhausting year for most and the hope of some financial gain, the excitement of a new year and the looming FIFA 2010 World Cup has got to offer some light at the end of a tunnel. Workplace drug abuse an 'epidemic': Sanca Drug abuse in the workplace has reached "epidemic" proportions, said the SA Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence (Sanca). Healthy employees increase productivity Does your employee's poor health pose a threat to your business? Special report on fraud from CIFAS As part of National Identity Fraud Prevention Week, CIFAS has today issued to the media and others a Special Report into identity fraud and account takeover fraud. Featuring collaborations from a wide range of other industry participants, this Special Report is available to download. As with Spectrum, the contents page is interactive, enabling you to navigate straight to the articles that you most want to read. Please take a little time out of your busy workload to read the report for the latest news, statistics, opinion and preventative tips on identity fraud and account takeover fraud. Uncertainty About Job May Be A Cause Of Workplace Violence When Raymond Clark III was arrested in the death of Yale graduate student Annie Le, New Haven Police Chief James Lewis said that the case was not about urban crime or university crime, but about workplace violence. Creating Loyal Employees When it comes to employee loyalty, the bottom line is, it's all about you. Here's what you can do to create a loyal staff. Financial News Deputy Finance Minister Nhlanhla Nene, recently highlighted the importance of saving at the SA Savings Institute breakfast. He announced that household savings as a percentage of disposable income have fallen from 5,4% in 1980s to 0,28% between the years 2000 and 2008. Nene says that the low savings rate is worrying because it leaves household income vulnerable to rising prices. He adds that the recent economic crisis emphasises the “danger of being overly dependent on others and the importance of making responsible decisions for the future”. Compared to international standards, South Africa’s savings rate is very low. As an example, China’s gross savings rate is over 40%. Business Insight: Bullying thrives in the workplace, especially in a downturn Gary Namie, author of The Bully at Work: What You Can Do to Stop the Hurt and Reclaim Your Dignity on the Job, calls bullying one the business world's dirtiest secrets. Exposed: fraudulent financial statements A fraudster says "We buy fake papers for R450 then purchase goods on credit worth R23 000" Interesting statistics about crime in SA Be vigilant and safety conscious - it could save your life! SA companies fall prey to world’s biggest illegal money-spinner Nearly three-quarters of SA companies are victims of business crime. Owners should set good example to help combat employee theft Q. How can a small business avoid employee theft? A. That’s a timely question because employee theft is more likely during a recession. Fraud, theft and industrial espionage Fraud, theft and industrial espionage are costing the South African economy R80 billion a year – and the perpetrators are predominantly employees. Research Suggests Screening More Important Now An economic downturn means many companies will be disposing of unnecessary or less profitable services, but as recent studies suggest, background screening should not be one of them. The truth is, in harsh economic times there is a tendency to see increases in employee theft. People, like businesses, are trying to cut spending and maximize the resources that they currently have. Too often, however, the resources people have at their disposal are actually the company’s property. ID fraudster bust during job interview An identity thief gave herself away – by applying for a job with a stolen ID book. And when victim Belinda Buswana, 30, of Tshiawelo, Soweto, met the Zimbabwean impostor yesterday she was more disappointed than angry. Click here to go to the article Careers24 Salary Survey Results Jan 2009 Careers24, supported by Workinfo.com, Blue River Stone and Da Vinci Labs, has published the results of their 2008 online salary survey in which 21 000 South Africans took part. Case Law Unmasks Trouble Seekers and Hot Heads Human Relations managers can now find out whether they might be considering appointing a potential trouble seeker who had previously taken employers to court or at least the CCMA. Screening Employees Secures Workplace Failure to do proper due diligence exposes firm to liability suits if violence occurs BLACKLISTING CAN’T BE USED TO DENY EMPLOYMENT ANYMORE!!! The question is: does being blacklisted justify denied employment? Manie van Schalkwyk, Credit Information Ombudsman has good news. National Credit Act What is the National Credit Act everyone is talking about and how does it affect the consumer? Edgars Financial Services explains what it means for you. 2007 Trends in Screening Eric Boden, Chairman & CEO of HireRight Global Screening: Not as Easy as All That Many people think screening is easy –- but consider the problems faced by screening companies in India and the Far East: - There are 27 different ways to spell the name Muhammad. India will add some 12 million jobs to its job market this year alone. - Each person born in India has two dates of birth—one biological and one when the birth is officially recorded. American Banks Face Challenge In Screening Employees To Avert Inside ID Thefts When two of America’s largest banks were forced to notify thousands of customers that their financial records may have been stolen, there wasn't a hacker, a missing laptop or a lost box of backup computer tapes to blame. This time, police believe, customers of Wachovia Corp. and Bank of America Corp. were the victims of bank employees, workers whose jobs at the Charlotte-based banks granted them access to information valuable enough to sell for $10 an account. Cape Town cop 'drove without a licence' A senior City of Cape Town law enforcement officer has been caught after driving patrol vehicles and an NSRI response car without a driver's licence for 13 years. The Ottery-based officer is facing disciplinary action by Metro Police. He has not been suspended, but is confined to a desk at the Ottery office. His allegedly illegal status was discovered when he collided with a stationary vehicle in Lukkanon Drive, Strandfontein. Kerzner resort guests exposed to possible identity fraud The identities of more than 50 000 customers of major Bahamas resort Atlantis have been exposed to possible identity fraud following the theft of personal information from the hotel, the owners said. Home affairs in a sorry state, says experts The department of home affairs has failed to properly implement the immigration regulations which came into effect seven months ago, resulting in a crisis, according to several prominent immigration lawyers and practitioners. “The situation continues to get worse,” said Rod Maxwell, Chief Executive of South Africa Migration International. “We’ve written to the department of home affairs and said we have a problem, and they’ve said: ‘We’re not interested’, and stonewalled us.” JHB Metro Police Crime: Urgent Need for Integrity Testing The revelation that 56 percent of all crime in the Johannesburg metro police department takes place in the licensing department, is a shocking indictment and will shake public confidence in the systems unless local government immediately starts a concerted program of integrity testing, says Jenny Reid, managing director of GriffithsReid, this country’s oldest corporate security company. “The public need to be assured that the officials they are dealing with are honest, as they have access to all manner of personal details which can easily be used for fraudulent and criminal purposes should it fall into the wrong hands,” Reid says. Do you know what you are getting into? Employing people is like a relationship: it pays to know exactly what you are getting into before you sign on the dotted line, because the consequences of an incorrect decision can be highly harmful to your business - and your health! How much do you know about your staff? Do you know if they have the qualifications they claim to have? Do you know if they have a criminal record? Is that driver's licence valid? Do they have any substance abuse problems which might affect productivity or heighten the possibility of criminal activity? Drivers' Licences: It's Worse Than You Think Much media attention has of late focussed on the alleged chaos in the licence issuing process. Just how bad is it? Jenny Reid, iFact's resident fraud expert, investigates and reveals the bare bones truth behind the media hype. Yes, it’s true: more than half of South African driving licences are invalid, this according to the Department of Transport (DoT) itself. “The DoT has only started to go through about 10 percent of the seven million drivers’ licences in South Africa,” says Jenny Reid, a director of iFacts. Selecting the "Best of the Rest" in a Tight Labor Market When a position is critical or has been open for a long period of time, a common mistake some companies make is lowering their hiring standards in order to find someone to fill the position. Instead of lowering your screening standards, consider other options to find a qualified candidate in a seamingly array of available third-string job candidates. |
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