The first day of the sold-out ASA Staffing Law Conference in Washington, DC, began with an animated discussion featuring commissioner Victoria Lipnic of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, who praised attendees for the critical role they play in promoting hiring practices that comply with the law.

She encouraged staffing professionals to examine their overall system for hiring, take note of where in the process criminal background checks become a factor, and look for any systemic red flags that could result in an investigation. “Nothing spares you investigation,” Lipnic stressed.

Attorney Helen L. Konrad of McCandlish Holton PC added that in the past there may have been a few hundred cases per year, but now there are approximately 3,000. “Don’t be afraid to push back on discriminatory requests from clients,” she advised staffing and recruiting professionals.

The sold-out crowd also attended sessions on collecting direct-hire contract fees, conducting investigations into temporary employee harassment and inspections of client work site safety, and complying with EEOC’s criminal background check guidance.

If you were unable to attend this year’s Staffing Law Conference, you can order audio recordings, slides, and handouts from the sessions at americanstaffing.net.