Who’s In Your Building After Hours? Why Background-Checked Cleaning Staff Matter
But when people have after-hours access to offices, storage rooms, mail rooms, and sensitive areas… it matters a lot.
- You lock doors.
- You control fobs.
- You protect data and assets.
And then, every night, you hand over the keys to people you’ve never actually vetted.
Why Background Checks Aren’t “Nice to Have”
For facility managers, property managers, and building operators, cleaning staff are often:
- The last people in the building at night
- The ones with keys or fobs to multiple spaces
- The people who can move around when no one else is watching
That doesn’t mean cleaners are untrustworthy. Most are hardworking and honest.
But without a proper screening process, you’re relying on hope instead of a system.
A police/background check helps confirm:
✔ No relevant criminal history
✔ No disqualifying issues for working in secure environments
✔ That the person you’re giving keys to has been vetted and approved
It takes time and money to do this properly.
That’s exactly why many vendors skip it or only apply it to a few staff.
We build it into our process because building security depends on it.
A Real-World Example: “Can You Send Me Everything?”
Earlier this week, a property manager reached out with a straightforward request:
She wanted:
- Updated police checks
- WSIB clearance
- Insurance certificates
For every ClearCare team member who sets foot in her building.
For a lot of vendors, this would trigger a scramble:
- Digging through old email chains
- Calling HR or a supervisor
- Realizing some checks are missing or expired
- Sending partial documents and promising “the rest later”
For her, that’s more chasing, more follow-up, more uncertainty.
For us, it was simple.
Because the checks and documents are built into our onboarding and operations system, she had everything in her inbox within three hours.
Not because we rushed around.
Because it was already organized.
That’s the difference when your cleaning team is:
- trained
- insured
- background-checked
- supported by a real operations system
What a “Security-Ready” Cleaning Vendor Should Provide
If your cleaning contractor has people in your building after hours, you should expect more than just “we’ll send our best people.”
At a minimum, they should be able to provide:
1. Police / background checks
For all staff with access to your building
Updated on a clear schedule (e.g., every few years, or per client requirement)
2. Proof of insurance
General liability
Any specific coverage needed for your environment
3. WSIB / workplace safety coverage
So you’re not exposed if someone gets hurt on-site
4. Documented onboarding process
How staff are screened, trained, and approved to work in your building
5. Clear access control
Who has keys/fobs
How access is added/removed when staff change
If a vendor hesitates when you ask for this—or can’t produce it quickly—that’s a red flag.
Quick Security Audit: Questions to Ask Your Vendor
You don’t need a full investigation to see where you stand.
Ask your current cleaning provider these four questions:
1. Do you run background checks on every staff member who works in my building?
If yes, ask: “How often are they renewed?”
2. Can you send me copies of police checks, WSIB clearance, and insurance certificates for our site?
Watch how long it takes and how organized the response is.
3. What happens when a cleaner leaves your company?
How quickly is their access removed? Who’s responsible for collecting keys/fobs?
4. If I needed a full list of who has access to my building tonight, could you give it to me?
If the answer isn’t an immediate “yes,” there’s a gap.
You should always know who’s in your building after hours.
Your vendor should make that easy.
How ClearCare Handles It
At ClearCare, security isn’t an afterthought. It’s woven into how we operate:
- All staff with building access are background-checked
- We maintain up-to-date WSIB clearance and insurance
- Documents are stored and organized so they can be sent on demand
- Our operations system tracks who is assigned where and when
That’s why that property manager had everything she needed in three hours—without a fire drill on our end.
Want to Feel Confident About Who’s In Your Building?
If you’re a facility manager, property manager, or building operator and you’re not completely sure:
- Who’s in your building after hours
- Whether everyone has been properly vetted
- Or how quickly your vendor could prove it
…then it’s worth a quick conversation.
Book a 15-minute Security & Cleaning Review and we'll walk through:
- How access and screening currently work for your buildings
- Where the risks and gaps are with your vendor
- What a background-checked, system-driven cleaning team could look like for you