Having a hotel operations expert take a look at your policies and procedures and supervisory practices is a good idea if you are planning to implement employee background checks as part of the screening and hiring process. Given the complexity surrounding the many issues of compliance with federal and state laws, it is best to seek out the appropriate legal counsel before instituting a particular program. There is an informative article in HotelNewsNow.com that addresses the many areas and issues to consider when doing hospitality checks for potential new employee hires. In it, there are 10 issues to consider for background checks that a hospitality industry attorney and hotel operations expert on labor law cites regarding the various guidelines and requirements to address when doing investigations of this nature. For example, there is one suggestion that I believe is often overlooked by hotel motel management companies which states: “For each position, a hotel must consider the following criteria: 1) the nature and gravity of the offense or conduct, including the harm caused, the specific elements of the crime and whether it was a felony or misdemeanor; 2) the time that has passed since the offense or conduct and/or completion of the sentence; and 3) the nature of the job held or sought.” There is also a list of 26 tips for HR professionals compiled by industry hotel advisors that talk about, among other issues, the importance of doing self audits and erring on the side of the Americans with Disability Act’s new definitions for compliance. Lastly, if you are about to develop a criminal background check program for your hotel or restaurant and need a referral to an attorney and hotel operations expert on labor issues, please contact me directly. My phone and email are below.
