In a move being declared by ASIS Int’l (ASIS) as its “most significant legislative victory in its 49-year history,”  President Bush has signed into law a bill that removes workplace misconduct investigations from the notice and disclosure requirements of reauthorizing the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA).

Until Bush signed the reauthorizing of the FCRA on Dec. 4, a worker suspected of misconduct had to be notified before any investigation. According the ASIS, this gave the worker the opportunity to tamper with evidence, or influence or threaten witnesses. ASIS pushed for the bill citing the FCRA’s threat to workplace security in its original form.

“Because of the changes, employers can now hire outside experts to investigate incidents of workplace misconduct without fear of liability under FCRA,” said Josh Ulman, Director, Labor Law Policy for the U.S.
Chamber of Commerce, in a statement. “Clearly, this will facilitate employers in their ongoing efforts to combat workplace violence, harassment, and other threats to workplace safety.”

ASIS had pushed for the bill for the last four years alongside the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the
Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), and the National Council of Investigation and Security Services (NCISS). NCISS represents professional investigators and ASIS represents the security managers who often hire them to conduct investigations.

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