Founded in 1988, TABB INC., headquartered in Chester, New Jersey, has firmly established itself as a leading provider of student background investigations and pre-employment screening services. Over the decades, TABB INC. has developed thousands of unique background investigation programs tailored to meet the diverse needs of employers and educational institutions. The company’s commitment to information security, client education, and data standards is evident in its robust operations and substantial client base. TABB INC. sets itself apart by closely collaborating with employers and college leaders to ensure compliance with critical regulations, including the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), Equal Employment Opportunity Commission guidelines, and state and federal labor laws. Through its industry expertise, active professional engagement, and dedication to compliance, TABB INC. has earned a stellar reputation as a trusted authority in background screening.
The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) provides rules and regulations for pre-employment background checks. They help companies hire candidates who fit the job description and organizational needs, without raising specific red flags. The Act also protects employment seekers, especially after errors in the background report are exposed.
Background checks offer several benefits, such as safeguarding against negligent hiring claims and corporate liability should unpredictable incidents, such as workplace violence, occur.
Passed by Congress in 1970, the FCRA addressed America’s fast-expanding and unregulated credit and background screening industries. The Act delineates the legal responsibilities of credit bureaus and background-check companies, while defining consumer rights.
Key rights include informed consent before any organization reforms pre-employment background checks. The job applicant must have the opportunity to review any resulting information. Job applicants also have the right to know when information organizations gleaned via pre-employment background checks affects them adversely, such as their job offer. They can appeal such adverse decisions when they believe inaccurate information prevented them from obtaining employment.
FCRA lawsuits have increased rapidly over the past decade, alleging various non-compliance with federal mandates. In May 2025, a job seeker alleged that the employment screening provider reported felony and misdemeanor charges unrelated to him, as part of a background check report provided to the prospective employer.
The plaintiff had a twin brother with the same birthday and a similar name. The background check report contained misleading and inaccurate information that the plaintiff had faced Class A misdemeanor and felony charges. As a result, the cable and connector manufacturing company rescinded its employment offer, which was contingent upon passing the background check.
Furthermore, the plaintiff alleged that the provider failed to undertake a reasonable investigation into his dispute of the erroneous information, as required by FCRA. While the employer finally did receive a corrected background check, it failed to reinstate the job offer, which caused significant emotional distress and loss of opportunities.
Another case involved Automatic Data Processing, Inc. (ADP), a leading HR management services and software company. According to the plaintiff, ADP’s background-check screening platform generated an incorrect report that a job candidate was a convicted drug dealer. This erroneous report involved proprietary “ADP Crim Radar” software for a pre-employment background check, including courthouse records.
The company revoked its conditional job offer based on these misleading and false records. Following FCRA guidelines, the employer allowed the job candidate to dispute ADP’s information, requesting a re-investigation. However, ADP delayed the re-investigation, as the process could only progress after meeting specific milestones. ADP failed to conduct further investigations, such as confirming whether or not the individual named in the courthouse records and the plaintiff were actually the same person.
The employer followed proper FCRA dispute protocol and absolved itself of liability. Companies must have a secure, reliable document compliance system, with FCRA processes reviewed regularly to ensure the upholding of candidate rights.
One proven employer and candidate solutions provider is Tabb, Inc., which offers comprehensive background investigation and screening services.