In 22 countries it is mandatory to organize a medical examination before hiring someone, regardless of the position they are applying for. In most countries, reference and education checks are permissible with consent of the individual, bearing in mind data protection and privacy considerations. For criminal background checks, either consent of the individual is required, or the employee needs to be applying for specific jobs justifying such a check. In 11 countries, however, criminal background checks are allowed for each hiring.