Most companies, organizations and people understand the need for background screening including criminal background checks for tenant and employment screening purposes.  However an often overlooked area is contractor screening, most importantly in-home contractor screening.  Recent news shows the need for thorough background screening on in-home contractors.  Recently a couple hired a moving company in New Brunswick that advertised they have a policy that they run background checks on their employees.  However they ended up hiring someone with a criminal record to help do the job.  The result was theft as the couple noticed some of their best jewelry missing.

This incident and many more highlight the need to properly background check contractors especially in-home contractors that may have unsupervised access to the home.  Theft can be a big issue but there are other possibilities far worse that could endanger family members in the home while the contractor is there.  One of them is sexual assault which also emphasizes the need for a national sex offender search as part of the vetting process.  A 50-State sex offender registry search is normally included as part of a criminal background check.

A third party background screening company can assist in this process by providing background reports like criminal background reports on any contractor being given access to the home.  Additionally it is a wise move to first find out if the contractor is properly licensed before letting them in the home which if they are takes away some of the risk.  A license is critical because it helps protect both parties if something goes wrong in the process.

It is now clear that the safest practice/policy for ensuring any contractor entering the home is not a threat is to first fully vet and background check the contractor.  This procedure is one of the most important steps a person, family or entity can take in order to protect person, family, organization and property/possessions.

To read more about this subject read recent press release found here.