COVID-19 Updates and Support

Our combined investment in technology and our extensive network built over the years enables us to continue fulfilling background screenings in over 95% of US jurisdictions despite ongoing court closures, and 98% of all searches where clients have opted into a statewide search. (Legal steer awaited) Now more than ever, getting people back to work is critical. At Sterling, we are “all hands on deck” to get new employees onboarded with timely, high-quality screenings that gets them back into the workforce quickly and safely. through our technology. Even as we continue fulfilling background screening in over 95% of US jurisdictions, some delays may occur. In case a criminal record search cannot be completed due to a local court closure, Sterling will close the search and indicate that it cannot be performed at this time. Sterling clients can also visit the COVID-19 support site for service-related updates and a closer view of our fulfillment capacity despite court closures. This page is updated daily. Clients can also log into their account to review all updates.

Sterling continues to offer drug and health screening services through our key partners LabCorp, Quest, and eScreen. We use a combination of daily feeds (Quest and LabCorp) and a direct integration (eScreen) to ensure our collection site database is kept as up to date as possible. With our electronic ordering and online registration, we can scale new programs quickly and efficiently. Sterling is working diligently with our partners to maintain the continuity of our drug and health services. We are monitoring changes closely and taking measures to keep our teams informed of any material changes to services. We actively maintain a current list of clinic availability in our systems. As we are made aware of collection site / clinic closures, we update our systems and proactively contact candidates. Please note that as the COVID-19 landscape changes rapidly, publishing a current clinic list is not possible. We advise all candidates to call ahead of their service to ensure the site is open and operating.

Yes. Employers may still rely on using authorized representatives to act on their behalf to conduct an in-person review with your employee to physically inspect work eligibility documents and complete Section 2. An authorized representative may be any person. However, employers remain liable for any violations in connection with the form or the verification process. Sterling offers flexible options for both onsite and remote completion. To learn more about Sterling’s I-9 services, please contact your Sterling representative.

For Form I-9 processing, the Department of Homeland Security has extended the ability for employers operating fully remotely to review an employee’s identity and key documents via video link, fax, or email through July 19. While inspection is still required, this provides needed flexibility when many new employees are getting back to work without a traditional in-person HR interaction. Read the full announcement here. In a recent blog, we addressed top questions related to remote hiring and Form I-9. We also clarified several compliance-related concerns for remote workers in another blog.

If an education and employer verification cannot be completed through automation and we know the entity is temporarily closed, Sterling will either attempt to contact the candidate to provide the required information, or close the search and indicate that it cannot be performed at this time. If the client workflow allows, Sterling will reach out to the candidate directly, via email, over the course of two days, to obtain proof or documentation. Examples of types of proof of employment Sterling will request are W2s, paystub, 1099, etc. Once documentation is received, Sterling does not validate the documentation with the entity.