Russel Molefe
Friday, 15 August 2014
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Naidoo-van der Merwe said many families in South Africa were becoming vulnerable to attacks because of complacency in their employment practices.
She said it was important to exercise caution when employing domestic workers, gardeners and contractors.
The company also warned families not to hire anyone or let children interact with anybody in a professional capacity without a thorough background check on them.
"This is a dangerous world that we live in and trust has become a luxury we can no longer afford. Children encounter many different faces throughout any given day," Naidoo-van der Merwe said.
"But beware, these supposedly professional faces may mask an unscrupulouspast or bad intentions," Naidoo-van der Merwe said.
Recently, a gardener at a day care centre in the Western Cape sexually abused a three-year old girl in the centre`s bathroom. It was later discovered that he had previous cases of sexual assault.
In the upmarket suburb of La Lucia in Durban, a domestic worker masterminded a robbery in which a family lost jewellery worth R65 000.
Naidoo-van der Merwe said more than 25% of the people the company did criminal checks on carried certain risks.
"It is imperative that any employer performs a criminal background and reference check before engaging with potential employees who they may be allowing into their home," Naidoo-van der Merwe said.
"We so often also hear stories of people losing money from fraudulent contractors who do not complete the building or renovation jobs they were hired to do."When employing a domestic worker, gardener, painter or even an electrician you need to conduct a background check," she said.
Russel Molefe russelm@thenewage.co.za
