Criminal record and public safety checks
Criminal record checks can be tricky because while they are essential for many lines of work, they should be proportionate to the role in question. For that reason it’s best to consult with an expert before you commit time and money to different checks.
Criminal record checks are affected by a number of highly specific and complex articles of legislation. This includes the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974, which rules that some offenders aren’t required to tell employers about their conviction after they have completed their sentence, under the condition that they haven’t re-offended in a given time period. Employers can still ask about a candidate’s criminal record, but the law limits the extent to which this can influence a hiring decision.
Remember that in many regulated industries, companies are also required to carry out public safety verifications, with specific screening for terrorist activity, money laundering, or different types of serious organised crime.
Unless the role involves managing large sums of money on a regular basis, you should also consider whether a credit check is really necessary. Bad credit can be associated with huge business risks like fraud, but for the sake of saving time and money, you should work with an expert to judge whether or not to carry out a credit check on a case-by-case basis.