Employee Background Checks Keep Workplace Safe And Secure

A man who was employed by a company that set bouncy houses for kids’ birthday parties has been arrested and jailed for failing to register as a sex offender.

Greg Sissala had been found guilty of a sexual crime in 1995 in Chisago County. However, he withheld this information from his employer, Kurt Wresh, the owner of USA Inflatables.

Wresh confirmed that his employee had never told him about his sexual offenses and his past issues with the law. Wresh said that the arrest of Sissala came as a surprise to him, but it did prove to be an eye-opener and that, having learnt it the hard way, he was passing the information to his colleagues and friends, apprising them about the importance and legality of checking backgrounds of those who work for you.

“It came as a complete shock to us,” said Wresh, who has run, his company USA Inflatables for more than a decade. He has 20 employees working under him and he acknowledges that most of the time they refrain of doing extensive background checks.

“We do a driver’s license background check, we do a DOT background check, a drug check  when they get hired, but unfortunately we had no idea what happened with this employee,” said Wresh.

Wresh accepted that he was taken by surprise when the Osseo police arrested Sissala and interred him at Hennepin County Jail, for his failure to report that he had been convicted for sex offenses. Wresh says that at the time of hiring, Sissala was asked about his background, but he kept mum about his criminal history.

Wresh said, “As soon as we found he was obviously terminated. We haven’t talked to him, he is still in jail.”

He said, that Sissala worked during the summer months and his arrest was not in connection with any think he did during his employment at USA Inflatables. “His work consists of being around the workhouse, not in any public function at all, so he was never around kids.”

The Anoka County Sheriff’s Department said that Sissala had violated conditions of his release earlier as well, by not registering, and that he had an extensive history of crime. The latest transgression, will probably mean, that he will face more charges and a longer stint in the jail.

Wresh said that the experience had made him wiser and he has formulated a new policy at his company. “Starting today we background checked all 20 of our employees,” he said.

Wresh advised fellow employers to peruse free websites like mncourt.gov and the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension public criminal history page, where important information is provided on how backgrounds of potential employees can be checked.