WASHOE COUNTY BACKGROUND AND REFERENCE CHECKS
POLICY AND PROCEDURES
POLICY
In keeping with Washoe County’s commitment to provide the highest quality service possible,
this policy establishes the County’s position on reference checks for candidates for employment
and on background checks for certain individuals in any category of employment defined by
Washoe County Code, including existing employees, independent contractors, and volunteers.
The Board of County Commissioners recognizes that in addition to statutory requirements to
perform a background check on individuals seeking certain positions, that access to certain
information maintained by County departments may give rise to the need to perform a
background check, and that persons desiring to hold certain positions of trust with the County
should also be required to have a background check performed.
The intent of this policy is:
1. To provide clear guidelines and consistent procedures for conducting background checks and
reference checks.
2. To ensure that the County conforms to all state and federal regulations and requirements
regarding the employment of certain individuals in specific occupational areas.
3. To ensure a thorough level of background screening for positions identified in this Policy in
Attachment A, which attachment may be revised by Human Resources as appropriate.
4. To provide supervisors with consistent procedures for conducting reference checks for
candidates being considered for employment and background checks for existing employees.
The essential parts of this policy are as follows:
A. REFERENCE CHECKS
All appointing authorities, through their supervisory personnel, are required and responsible for
performing a complete reference check prior to making an offer of employment to a candidate.
The reference check may include verification of employment, performance and any factual
information represented on the application. Reference check procedures are included in
Attachment B.
B. BACKGROUND