At Instawork, we’re committed to promoting safe interactions for everyone in our community, including Partners and Professionals. As part of this commitment, we reference multiple sources to confirm the information provided by each person who uses our platform, including work history, references, and certain secure consumer reports provided by Checkr.

This article will outline the background checks and factors to consider.

The initial background check returns standard information, including whether you have:

We ask Professionals to authorize these types of reports after they book their first shift through the app, and again from time to time.

Sometimes, a business partner will require an extended background check. That report includes everything in the initial background check, plus information from other sources, including a comprehensive county-level criminal history report.

Instawork does not disqualify a Professional simply for having a conviction record. When reviewing, we consider each conviction alongside factors including, but not limited to:

Convictions that are more likely to disqualify an Instawork Professional depending on further consideration of the factors above include:

For example:

When prompted to complete a background check, we'll direct you to our third-party provider, Checkr, Inc., to provide the personal information needed to process the report. Instawork views and assesses your eligibility using the information provided by Checkr.

While many of the reports Checkr runs will typically return results immediately, in some cases, it could take several weeks to process.

For the trust and safety of the broader community, Instawork reserves the right to deactivate your account at any time, should your report or background check reveal criminal convictions that would threaten Instawork’s commitment to creating a safe working environment for our community.

This means you can no longer book or complete shifts through the app. Any income earned will be paid to you in the next payment period.

If you believe that the contents of your report are inaccurate or incomplete, you can contact Checkr through the Checkr applicant portal.

Once you receive an updated result, please contact Instawork Support at screening@instawork.com to reassess your account.

You’ll also be given the chance to provide additional information for our consideration before any final decision is made.

Why are you conducting background checks?

We’re committed to promoting safe interactions for everyone in our community, including Partners and Professionals. As part of this commitment, we rely on multiple sources to confirm the information a person has provided to us, such as reference checks and certain secure consumer reports provided by Checkr.

I already completed the background check with you. Why am I now required to complete another one?

From time to time, we’ll request you authorize a background check. A common reason is that a business partner requires information from different data sources.

What happens if I fail a report/check?

For the trust and safety of the broader community, Instawork reserves the right to deactivate your account at any time, should the report or background check reveal criminal convictions that would threaten Instawork’s commitment to creating a safe working environment for our community. If you believe that the contents of your report/check are inaccurate or incomplete, you can contact Checkr through the Checkr applicant portal. Once you received an updated result, please contact Instawork Support at screening@instawork.com to reassess your account.

The report isn’t right, how can I appeal the decision?

We review every report to determine work eligibility. If you believe that the contents of your report/check are inaccurate or incomplete, you can contact Checkr through the Checkr applicant portal. You have the right to contact Checkr before or after any final decision is made. If we have not made a final decision yet and you realize information in the report is inaccurate or incomplete, you should also let us know that directly by so that we are aware. Once you received an updated result, please contact Instawork Support at screening@instawork.com to appeal the decision and reactivate your account.

My test is still in progress and I have a shift coming up. Can I still work the shift?

It depends. If you have a shift coming up in a couple of days and your status is still pending, please reach out to Instawork Support so we can work with you on a resolution.