Recently, a Senate panel in Arizona voted to pass SB 1432, a bill which would require hotels to screen employees with access to guest rooms for a sex-offender status. The bill was brought up after two separate incidents occurred involving a single hotel employee. The hotel employee was fired after attacking a guest, but found employment at another hotel, where a second attack took place. The suspect in both attacks was a Level 3 sex offender.
Hotel owners are responsible for providing safe accommodations for their guests. By not properly screening their employees, hotels are taking unnecessary risks that can not only endanger their guests, but also open themselves up to litigation.
Any comprehensive background check should include the following:
• Validated criminal database
• Single county searches (7 year address history)
• Validated Nationwide Sex Offender search
• Validated Department of Corrections
• SSN Verification
• Government Sanctions
One thing for sure, it now seems the Arizona legislature recognizes gaps in the screening processes hotels use and is trying to fill them. This is a positive step for the safety of the public and educating members of the hospitality industry in what their responsibilities are.
Here is a link to more information:
Bill requiring sex-offender checks on hotel workers advances