Employment Background Checks

I found this article from CBC really interesting. It's short and sweet, but raises a privacy concern that I had never really thought about. Basically, "background checks" when you are applying for a job don't necessary only include your criminal history. At least in British Columbia, a "background check" is better characterized as a "police information check," which can yield the following information:

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• Warrants for arrest.
• Information about adverse police contact.
• Investigations that do not result in charges.
• Information related to the Youth Criminal Justice Act.
• Information about an individual's mental health.
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BC's privacy commissioner is launching an investigation to see whether the practice violates privacy laws.

Here's a link to the online article: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/background-checks-for-jobs-raise-privacy-concerns-1.2524956