Comply
Free with every reportThe FCRA adverse action process, step by step, in the product.
When a report could change your decision, PreHireBadge runs the whole adverse-action sequence: assessment, pre-adverse notice, a business-day waiting period, candidate responses, dispute pauses, and the final notice — each step locked until the last one is done.
- Pre-adverse notice with the report and Summary of Rights
- Waiting period counted in business days
- Final notice locked until it's allowed
Consider adverse action
Case opened from report
Individualized assessment
Saved
Pre-adverse notice
Report + Summary of Rights sent
Waiting period
Ends Nov 7, 9:00 AM · business days
Final notice
Locked until the waiting period ends
Illustrative example with sample data.
How it works
5 steps, start to finish
- 1
Consider adverse action
From a Records-found report, an owner or admin opens a case. Proceed does not open one.
- 2
Save the assessment
Answer every factor on the individualized assessment form. The pre-adverse button stays locked until it's saved.
- 3
Issue the pre-adverse letter
The candidate receives the report, the Summary of Rights, local notices, and a link to respond. The waiting period starts.
- 4
Wait and review
Review any statement or file the candidate sends. A dispute pauses the case and extends the clock.
- 5
Send the final notice
Only when the page allows it. Then download the evidence bundle for your records.
Why it matters
What you get with adverse action workflow
Steps that enforce their own order
Assessment before pre-adverse. Waiting period, responses, and disputes before final. The product won't let a step run early.
Business-day clock, holidays included
The report shows the exact date and time the final notice becomes available, counted in business days including federal holidays.
Complete notices
The pre-adverse email includes the report, the Summary of Rights, location notices, and a response link. The final notice names ScreenForge Labs, its address and phone, the 60-day free-copy right, and the right to dispute.
Local language added automatically
New York mail adds Article 23-A and the Correction Law 754 right to a written statement of reasons. NYC adds the Fair Chance Notice. California adds Civil Rights Department language.
Free, every time
There is no adverse-action add-on. The workflow comes with every $5 report.
Where small employers get FCRA wrong — and how the product prevents it
The FCRA requires a two-step process before you take adverse action based on a background check: a pre-adverse notice with a copy of the report and the Summary of Rights, a reasonable waiting period for the candidate to respond, and then a final notice. Fair chance laws add assessments, extra notices, and longer waits. Most mistakes come from doing a step too early or skipping one.
PreHireBadge makes the order impossible to break. After a Records-found report, an owner or admin chooses Proceed or Consider adverse action. Consider opens a case. The pre-adverse notice refuses to send until an individualized assessment is saved. The final notice refuses to send until the waiting period ends, every candidate response is marked reviewed, and any open dispute is resolved — one minute early, the button refuses.
If you decide to continue with the candidate at any point before the final notice, Withdraw closes the case and marks the candidate hired. The report and these buttons never say hire, do not hire, pass, or fail.
FAQ
Questions employers ask about adverse action workflow
Still unsure? Ask Peter, our assistant, in the bottom-right corner, or browse the help center.
What is the FCRA adverse action process?
Before taking adverse action based on a background check, an employer sends a pre-adverse notice with a copy of the report and the Summary of Rights, waits a reasonable period for the candidate to respond, and then sends a final adverse action notice. PreHireBadge runs each of those steps in order.
How long is the waiting period?
The report shows the date and time the final notice can be sent, counted in business days including federal holidays. A dispute extends it by the business days the dispute was open, and in California the candidate can ask once for extra business days.
Can I send the final notice early?
No. One minute before the time on the report, the button refuses. It also stays locked while a candidate response is unreviewed or a dispute is open.
Can I cancel an adverse action?
Yes. Withdraw closes an open case from any step before the final notice. The case becomes cancelled and the candidate is marked hired.
Does adverse action cost extra?
No. The adverse-action workflow is free with every report.
Pairs well with adverse action workflow
Every featureYour next candidate is one $5 report away.
No credit card to sign up, no expiration on what you buy. Run one report for $5, or stock up with the 10-pack for $45 and use them whenever hiring picks up.
- No monthly fees
- FCRA compliant
- Most clear reports same day. Records verified within 72 hours.
- No contracts