Integrity Testing and Workers’ Compensation: Accounting for Job Tenure and Time at Work

Research has shown that pre-hire screening of job applicants with integrity tests may reduce the incidence and size of workers’ compensation claims within an organization. However, we identify two possible confounds in previous research making this link: Job tenure and opportunities to file a claim. In two samples analyzed in the present investigation, job tenure and the time employees have spent at work were greater for screened than unscreened applicants. Time spent at work was strongly related to the likelihood of a claim, and after controlling for these variables, no relationship between integrity screening and the likelihood of claims was observed. We also present a unique data set from a quasi-experiment that minimizes the effects of these confounds. In this sample, screening of job applicants reduced the likelihood of claims. We conclude that integrity screening reduces the number of claims, although not as strongly as previously reported. We also find some evidence that screening reduces the size of claims.