While many employers rely on their ability to perform background checks to ensure a reliable workforce, the U.S. Equal Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has recently cracked down on “blanket policies” concerning who becomes ineligible for a job based merely on a criminal background check. The EEOC has opined that such blanket policies may unintentionally result in discrimination against some protected categories of potential employees. Employers can avoid such discrimination claims by using background checks in a manner that is narrowly tailored to achieve actual business needs.