From a worker who is unqualified for the job to an employee who steals from the office, bad hires are potentially costly. How much so? According to the U.S. Department of Labor, the price tag on the average bad hiring decision is equivalent to 30 percent of the individual’s first-year earnings. Fortunately, careful pre-employment screening can go a long way towards ensuring only quality professionals join your team—but the process has to be compliant. Consider the following background check mistakes that can take a big bite out of your business bottom line.

Ready or not…

If you are an applicable large employer with 50 or more full time employees and full time equivalents, you have to provide all full time employees with IRS Form 1095. This form is based on the 2015 tax year and must be distributed to full-time employees by February 1, 2016. The penalties for non-compliance are huge – $250 per violation.

We all know that unhealthy lifestyle choices increase the prevalence of chronic disease in our society as a whole as well as within our nation’s workplaces. Employees who are sedentary, practice poor nutrition or use tobacco products are more likely to suffer from dangerous conditions such as diabetes, heart disease and cancer. Not only do these diseases decrease quality of life and lead to premature disability and death, they also cost employers money.

Questionable claims are worker’s compensation claims insurers refer to the NICB for closer review and investigation because they appear to be fraudulent. According to the NICB’s analysis, insurers reported 3,474 claims as questionable in 2011. That number continues to increase based on data analysis of the first six months’ reported questionable claims.

Salary alone is not enough to recruit and retain your industry’s best professionals. A comprehensive benefits package is necessary as well. Most employers know this, and they spend billions of dollars a year on benefit offerings as a result. However, the recruitment and retention value of any benefits program is wholly dependent on employee participation. An outstanding package, complete with all the bells and whistles, is essentially worthless if few of your employees elect to enroll.