By Lora Pabst

One of the great things about Whistleblower is that we are able to tackle a variety of subjects. In Sunday's paper, I wrote a column about background checks and the privacy concerns they raise for employees. James Shiffer's front page story delved into the personal struggle of a woman who is trying to become independent again after she was placed under the care of a court appointed guardian. The story won't be online until Wednesday so watch this video in the meantime.

Matthew Baken, a college student from Rogers, surely isn't the only job hunter to be surprised by a claim on a background check. While there are federal and state laws in place to protect employees, there are limits to these protections. Screening companies don't need to double check statements unless the employee disputes the accuracy. Like Baken, a lot of people don't know what recourse they can take in those situations.

Privacy Rights Clearinghouse is a national nonprofit organization that has a lot of information about employee rights. Also check out the useful tip box that my colleague Jane Friedmann put together.