The easy guide to employee background checks in Mexico
In this article
For global companies hiring employees in Mexico, background checks are a crucial part of your due diligence. By conducting background checks as part of the hiring process, you can verify your new hire's identity and credentials, ensure they have the right experience, help protect your company from potential threats, and make informed decisions about the best employees to hire.
But global employers already know that conducting international background checks can be a daunting process. To keep your background checks compliant, you need to understand Mexican state and federal laws, know how to handle and store employees' sensitive information, and more.
If you're looking for a guide to running comprehensive and legally compliant employee background checks in Mexico, you've come to the right place—read on to learn more.
Table of Contents
Are you legally required to run background checks on Mexican employees?
It isn't mandatory to run background checks on employees in Mexico, but most Mexican employers (and global employers who hire in Mexico) choose to do so.
Mexico is less strict about background checks than many other Latin American countries, and doesn't prohibit employers from collecting certain types of information, as long as they handle employees' sensitive data in accordance with privacy laws (more on that below). But that's no reason to be lax with your background check policies—you still need to know and understand Mexican labor laws so you can ensure that you aren't using any information collected in a background check to discriminate against a protected class in Mexico.
It's also important to note that Mexican law requires employers to obtain consent from employees before gathering any of their data. While you can send employees a notice and consider it tacit consent if they don't object to a background check, many employers tend to err on the side of caution and obtain written consent to be sure they're in compliance.
Is it legal to run background checks on Mexican contractors?
Provided you have the contractor’s consent, yes—it’s legal to run background checks on independent contractors in Mexico.
What types of background checks do businesses commonly run on Mexican employees and contractors?
In Mexico, you can conduct different types of background screenings, based on a new hire's role. Here are the most common types, and a few other background checks you can consider (more on each one below).
Common background checks | Less common background checks |
|---|---|
Criminal record check | Medical screening |
Employment verification | Credit history check |
Education history | Social media check |
Reference check | Motor vehicle report (depends on role) |
| Working with children check (WWC) (depends on role) |
Disclaimer
Rippling and its affiliates do not provide tax, accounting, or legal advice. This material has been prepared for informational purposes only, and is not intended to provide or be relied on for tax, accounting, or legal advice. You should consult your own tax, accounting, and legal advisors before engaging in any related activities or transactions.
Author
Christina Marfice
Christina is a writer, editor, and content strategist based in Chicago. Having lived and worked in Argentina, Colombia, Mexico, and Peru, she’s bringing her expertise on hiring in Latin America to Rippling.
Explore more
The easy guide to employee background checks in Lithuania
When hiring employees in Lithuania, a background check is vital. Read on to learn about running comprehensive and legally compliant employee background checks in Lithuania.
The easy guide to employee background checks in Argentina
When hiring employees in Argentina, a background check is vital. Read on to learn about running comprehensive and legally compliant employee background checks in Argentina.
The easy guide to employee background checks in Colombia
When hiring employees in Colombia, a background check is vital. Read on to learn about running comprehensive and legally compliant employee background checks in Colombia.
The easy guide to employee background checks in Italy
When hiring employees in Italy, a background check is vital. Read on to learn about running comprehensive and legally compliant employee background checks in Italy.
The easy guide to employee background checks in Germany
When hiring employees in Germany, a background check is vital. Read on to learn about running comprehensive and legally compliant employee background checks in Germany.
The easy guide to employee background checks in Brazil
When hiring employees in Brazil, a background check is vital. Read on to learn about running comprehensive and legally compliant employee background checks in Brazil.
The easy guide to employee background checks in Japan
Learn how to conduct comprehensive and legally compliant employee background checks in Japan.
Does an independent contractor need a business license?
Here, we’ll address some common questions about independent contractor business licenses, as well as the basic steps you should take to set yourself up as a self-employed worker, and more.
See Rippling in action
Increase savings, automate busy work, and make better decisions by managing HR, IT, and Finance in one place.