Tuesday 22 October 2013

Labour Dispute Management - The Secret is to be Prepared

Companies that need to reduce the risk of labour disputes and strikes turn to us at The Renwick Group to take advantage of our experience with contingency planning.
We quickly and accurately gather evidence to be used to establish an injunction, ensuring costly business disruptions are minimized.

Our Labour Dispute Management Services are based on Contingency Planning:

The key to achieving the best outcome in a labour dispute is preparation. The Renwick Group has experience in creating contingency plans for strikes and other situation, so that a management process can be initiated when disruption occurs. Not only does this enable your management team to react faster, but steps will not be overlooked during tense situations.

A contingency plan supports the role of security to prevent injury and property damage, so that the workplace is protected and ready to go back into full operation when the disruption is successfully resolved.

Other labour dispute services we provide include:

  • Picket Line Surveillance & Replacement Workers
  • Evidence Documentation
  • Security Assessments
  • Electronic Counter Surveillance
  • Police Liaison
  • Project Management
  • Executive Protection
  • Transportation of products and personnel
 The Renwick Group has the knowledge and experience to help businesses with these types of investigations. Please call us at 1 (888) 722-9807 to discuss your corporate requirements.

Tuesday 15 October 2013

Do you need a video surveillance policy at work?

Many businesses recognize the need to add video surveillance to their security systems to reduce workplace fraud, and to protect employees. While video systems are relatively easy to install, company management must give thought to implementing a Video Surveillance Policy to ensure that all employees are aware of the system and its purpose.


Elliott Goldstein, B.A., LL.B., writing about a recent employment surveillance case, pointed to 3 lessons for businesses using video security systems.

"1. Video surveillance in the workplace must be accompanied by sufficient signage to alert employees that they may be monitored.
2. If there is to be video surveillance in the workplace, employees must be informed of the purposes the information will be used.
3. Implied consent of employees for the use of their personal information collected by video surveillance is assumed to have been obtained when the personal information being collected is not sensitive and the express purposes of the video surveillance have been explained so that the employees would reasonably expect that their information be used for those purposes."

The solution is to implement a Video Surveillance Policy and communicate it to all employees.

Areas to address in the policy include;
  • Purpose of video surveillance system.
  • Where cameras are typically used.
  • Where cameras are generally never used.
  • Where the video surveillance system is monitored.
  • How video is recorded and for what duration.
  • Who is responsible for the management of the video surveillance system.
  • Who has access to video recordings and for what purposes.
  • Procedures for requesting video recordings.
  • Archival storage of video recordings related to security incidents.
information source

Here is an example of a Video Surveillance Policy.

Thinking about corporate surveillance? It's important to speak with a professional to find a solution right for your organization and to protect your company against risk.

The Renwick Group is a private investigation firm founded in 1997 and is based in Barrie, Ontario. We have evolved into a focused private investigation firm offering a unique range of regional and national services, including corporate surveillance. Please contact us to discuss your business needs. 1 (888) 722-9807  or visit our website.

Tuesday 8 October 2013

Pre-Employment Screening on the Rise

We are noticing a trend in the number of organizations, particular small companies without HR resources, take on our pre-employment screening services.

Basically, the employer wants to make sure that the applicant who is in the final stages of getting the job, is properly vetted, screened and all the final resume checks are made to determine that everything presented is true and honest.

In the process of pre-employment checks a number of factors may, give rise to concerns about the integrity or reliability of the applicant. Credit report checks can provide assurance that there are no significant credit or debt problems that could place the individual in a vulnerable position.





Other factors to look out for include:
  1. involvement in illegal activities
  2. criminal convictions relevant to the role, particularly if not volunteered by the applicant
  3. false or unsubstantiated claims on the CV or application form
  4. unsubstantiated qualifications
  5. unexplained gaps in employment history
  6. adverse references
  7. questionable documentation e.g. lack of supporting paperwork or concern that documents are not genuine
  8. evasiveness or unwillingness to provide information on the part of the candidate.
Pre-employment Screening
  
Pre-employment screening can be also be used to confirm an applicant's immigration status, nationality and identity, as well as to verify their declared skills and employment history.
  
Security Screening
 
With some employmnet situations, addtional security is required for the position. We can add a security screening process, including:
  • more robust procedures on confirming the individual's identity
  • a five year employment confirmation
  • robust financial checks for Court Judgements and bankruptcies
  • more robust procedures where career and history records are incomplete
  • Deep criminal records checks
  • Detailed migrant worker checks with visa and paperwork validation

We understand that hiring the right candidate can involve more than just pre-employment screening and a criminal background check.  Using the most reliable technology to search nationwide and beyond - instantly in many cases - The Renwick Group delivers the decision-making information you need. Criminal background checks, verifications, license checks and many more employee background check services are moved at speed so you, and your business, can move forward.

The Renwick Group - www.therenwickgroup.ca - 1 (888) 722-9807 - is a private investigation firm founded in 1997 and is based in Barrie, Ontario, covering Toronto and South Central Ontario. We excel in delivering our core Private Investigation Services in the most efficient, secure, and professional manner.​

Monday 7 October 2013

I Think I Need a Private Investigator !

At some point in your business or in your personal life you made need the services of a private investigator.

When looking to hire a private investigator you need to think about experience, skills, and credentials.

Here are some tips and questions to help you go through the process of finding the right investigator for your situation.

1.) Schedule a face-to-face meeting early in the process so you can get a better sense of how you could work with the investigator. Can you establish a good rapport with the person handling your case?

2.) Ask questions about the investigator's experience in specifically handling your issues. Some agencies have a broad range of experience and others are more specialized.

3.) Ask about the methods proposed for your situation. Does your case require special skills and how is the agency poised to fulfill that need? Does the agency utilize new technologies and techniques?

4.) Ask about credentials. Is the agency licensed and do they have other memberships in the investigative field? How long have they held their license?

5.) Are they a respected business in their community? Do they participate in any local business associations or show that they are involved with ?

6.) Discuss the financial aspects of the investigation until you are comfortable and clear.

7.) Discuss and ask questions about privacy and confidentiality.

The Renwick Group has experience working with many different types of businesses and organizations providing skip-tracing, fraud investigations, WSIB support, legal team assistance, evidence gathering, employee back-ground checks, and more. We also work with individuals who need help with personal matters. Call us at 1 (888) 722-9807   or visit our website for more contact information.

Tuesday 1 October 2013

Privacy is a growing area of responsibility in many organizations


Here is a recent blog post about the growing area of privacy within organizations by The Canadian Underwriters. If you are confused about privacy requirements for surveillance or fraud investigation within your company, we can help you understand the issues.

source: Survey Finds Most Organizations Have at Least One Person Responsible For Privacy

Nearly one in three respondents to a recent survey said their organizations have increased "privacy-related staff" over the past year, but fewer than two-thirds "have a defined privacy officer role," according to information technology research firm Gartner Inc.

Stamford, Conn.-based Gartner released Sept. 25 some results of its study, based on responses by 221 organizations surveyed in April and May. Those respondents — which are responsible for privacy, information technology risk management, information security, business continuity or regulatory compliance — were based in Canada, the United States, Britain and Germany.

"Thirty two percent of survey respondents said that their organizations have increased privacy-related staff from 2012 to 2013 — the most significant increase since Gartner started its privacy surveys in 2008," Gartner stated, but added only 66% of respondents have a defined role of privacy officer.

"Gartner's consistent observation is that privacy programs are only successful if someone is driving them,” Gartner research vice president Carsten Casper stated in a press release. “Almost 90 percent of organizations now have at least one person responsible for privacy. However, having privacy programs that are owned by this individual is still not the norm.

”The survey also found that 43% of respondents "have a comprehensive privacy management program in place" but 7% said they do "the bare minimum" regarding privacy laws. “The handling of personal information for employees, customers and citizens tops the list of requirements respondents believe should be included in a privacy program,” Gartner stated.

“Some organizations — concerned about violating domestic privacy laws and the risk to their reputations — do not store personal data in locations where it can be seized by foreign authorities or is at great risk from cyber attacks. However, central global storage of personal data is becoming increasingly widespread.

For the first time this year, more organizations stored their customer data in a central global place rather than in a regional or local data center, which was the dominant model previously.” More than two thirds (38%) of respondents reported they “transform personal data before transmitting it abroad,” through encryption or similar technology, Gartner reported.


The Renwick Group has the knowledge and experience to help you or your business solve problems such as fraud, skip tracing, locating people, litigation support, labour dispute management, and more.. Please call us at 1 (888) 722-9807 to discuss your situation. We offer services to clients in the GTA and Central Ontario.