Should You Conduct Employee Background Checks?

Jim McDonald was quoted on Hotel News Now on May 22, 2015. The article “Should You Conduct Employee Background Checks?” discussed why hotel owners should think of background checks as an investment in the hotel’s overall security and reputation, despite the cost of conducting them.

Jim was quoted on the legal liability versus legal challenges of conducting background checks.

Jim said that while background checks are not specifically required by law, they are nevertheless a good idea to help employers avoid potential liability under several legal theories.

Jim advised it’s important to remember the rules: “An employer cannot automatically exclude every candidate who has a prior criminal conviction. The relatedness of the conviction to the job, the age of the conviction and the person’s record since the conviction all should be considered.”

Jim also noted that applicants convicted of crimes “involving violence, sexual impropriety, theft or embezzlement can be safely excluded from jobs involving guest contact or their possessions.”

To read the full article, please visit Hotel News Now.