1. Swiss Home-Care Incident Raises Questions About Background Screening

A recent media report by the Swiss newspaper Blick concerning alleged thefts during home-care visits in Scuol, Switzerland, raises important questions about employee background screening. According to the report, jewellery and other valuables worth approximately CHF 100,000 allegedly went missing from the homes of several elderly women.

The case raises a fundamental question: How thoroughly should individuals be screened when their professional responsibilities provide access to other people’s private environments?

Whether in home care, nursing homes, childcare or social services, employees often hold positions of considerable trust. Their responsibilities may involve access to private homes, sensitive personal information and valuable possessions.

While trust is essential to these professional relationships, employers must also consider which preventive measures are appropriate to identify and mitigate potential risks.

2. Background Checks for Positions Requiring a High Level of Trust

Background checks help employers verify relevant information about candidates before making employment decisions.

Depending on the position, these checks may include identity verification, employment history, professional qualifications and references.

For particularly sensitive roles, additional screening may be appropriate. Criminal record checks, for example, may be relevant where permitted by applicable legislation and justified by the responsibilities of the position.

Verification of professional licences or specific qualifications may also be necessary.

However, screening requirements should always reflect the actual risks associated with a role.

In Switzerland, Article 328b of the Swiss Code of Obligations limits the processing of employee data to information relevant to suitability for employment or the performance of the employment relationship.

A risk-based approach therefore remains essential.

3. Financial Integrity: A Sensitive Aspect of Background Screening

The incident in Scuol also raises questions about the potential relevance of financial integrity checks.

Was the accused individual subject to a background check before employment? Was financial integrity considered? Were any potential financial difficulties known to the employer?

The answers to these questions have not been publicly established. It would therefore be inappropriate to draw conclusions about the individual’s financial circumstances or the employer’s screening procedures.

Financial integrity checks may be relevant for certain positions, particularly where employees manage substantial financial resources or have direct responsibility for third-party assets.

However, financial difficulties must never automatically be interpreted as evidence of dishonesty or an indication of future misconduct.

In Switzerland, debt enforcement register checks must therefore be justified by the specific responsibilities of the position.

Their use must comply with applicable employment and data protection requirements and remain proportionate to the risks involved.

4. Balancing Prevention, Privacy and Employee Rights

Background screening can contribute to effective risk prevention, but it must not result in disproportionate interference with employees’ privacy.

This balance is particularly important in healthcare and social services.

Employers must determine which information is genuinely relevant to a specific position, which checks are legally permissible and how candidates can be treated fairly and transparently.

Applying identical screening requirements to all employees, regardless of their responsibilities, may be inappropriate.

Instead, organisations should assess role-specific risk factors, including access to sensitive information, responsibility for valuable assets and independent work in private households.

It is equally important to recognise that background checks cannot eliminate the possibility of misconduct.

Effective prevention requires a broader framework combining appropriate screening, internal controls, clear responsibilities and organisational safeguards.

5. Risk-Based Background Checks and Human Risk Management

The Swiss home-care incident highlights the importance of regularly reviewing employee screening and risk management procedures.

Pre-employment background checks can help organisations verify relevant information and identify potential discrepancies before an employment relationship begins.

However, risks may also change during employment.

This is why Human Risk Management is becoming increasingly relevant.

Rather than focusing exclusively on recruitment, this approach considers people-related risks throughout the entire employee lifecycle.

Alongside appropriate background screening, effective Human Risk Management may include internal controls, employee training, clear reporting procedures and defined responsibilities.

The objective is to strengthen organisational resilience while respecting employee privacy, proportionality and applicable legal requirements.

Strengthen Trust with Risk-Based Background Checks from Validato

Healthcare providers, home-care organisations and social service institutions face the challenge of balancing trust, security and employee privacy.

Validato supports employers with modular, risk-based background screening solutions tailored to specific positions and applicable legal requirements.

Our services include identity verification, education and employment checks, reference verification and, where legally permissible, criminal record and financial integrity screening.

Would you like to understand which background checks are appropriate for your organisation? Contact Validato to discuss your requirements.

Source:

⁠Blick – Home-care incident in Scuol involving alleged thefts of jewellery and valuables worth approximately CHF 100,000