Would a google search find someone with a conviction?

Sambucus_Nigra

williacg wrote: »

Hostility? perhaps you're right, however, putting the legal implications to one said, I found it most disturbing to think that someone could take some 'water cooler' gossip, a rumour, as she herself admits it is, and is prepared to start a witch hunt against this colleague, and I would certainly hope that any employer worth their salt would look at exactly what her motivation is for doing so.

I didn't see evidence of a witch hunt, I saw Davina alerting her employers to look further into an individual's past history. Surely every employee would do the same, if it was relevant to the job role and the circumstances that the employee would be put in?

Uncertain

Sambucus_Nigra wrote: »

I didn't see evidence of a witch hunt, I saw Davina alerting her employers to look further into an individual's past history. Surely every employee would do the same, if it was relevant to the job role and the circumstances that the employee would be put in?

I think the real problem is that by looking you may find something which you are not legally able to act on.

As Nicky has pointed out a person is legally allowed to deny that they ever had a conviction that is now spent (in most fields of work). So what happens if you find out that they did have one? You are not allowed to discriminate against them in any way so you are actually safer (legally) not knowing.

Also they are still the same person today, when you know, as they were yesterday when you didn't know.

Sometimes I think there is far too much information available these days.

scooby088

Unless the job is working with children and or vulnerable adults, I can't see why anyone's criminal past is anything to do with anyone at work.

Twopints

scooby088 wrote: »

Unless the job is working with children and or vulnerable adults, I can't see why anyone's criminal past is anything to do with anyone at work.

So you'd employ an arsonist in a fireworks factory?

lucadobe

Davina40 wrote: »

My apologies for a badly phrased OP on my part

I put in too much detail and wasn't looking to start a debate, I was genuinely curious as to whether the details of court cases can all be found somewhere on the internet or not.

I am in a position in my organisation where if I hear something like this I have a duty not to let it pass.

i think you will probably be known as a ' Brown nose ' if you ' care about your company' get a life!:(

Forever

My cousin had a load of made up rumours pass around about her after working with a couple of not so nice work colleagues. These rumours then followed her to her next job.

She had to change careers completely in the end even though the rumours were completely unfounded.

Maybe the rumours about this person are true and maybe they aren't. But from what I have seen, I would personally suggest to let it go rather than go on a witch-hunt.

Angry_Bear

Twopints wrote: »

So you'd employ an arsonist in a fireworks factory?

Or a convicted thief in a position with unsupervised access to money? Or someone with a conviction for violent crime in a volatile environment like a busy bar ....

As previously said, if the conviction is spent then legally it is all finished with, the time gap without any other convictions suggests the person has learned their lesson or it was only ever a one-off.
If there is a conviction that is unspent but was declared, or if there is no conviction then bringing it to the employers attention won't cause any problems. But if there is an unspent conviction, and the person lied on their application (about criminal convictions) then they should be sacked.

Forever

Angry_Bear wrote: »

Or a convicted thief in a position with unsupervised access to money? Or someone with a conviction for violent crime in a volatile environment like a busy bar ....

As previously said, if the conviction is spent then legally it is all finished with, the time gap without any other convictions suggests the person has learned their lesson or it was only ever a one-off.
If there is a conviction that is unspent but was declared, or if there is no conviction then bringing it to the employers attention won't cause any problems. But if there is an unspent conviction, and the person lied on their application (about criminal convictions) then they should be sacked.

So you are recommending to go on a witchhunt based on a bit of water-cooler gossip?

Someone can do something dodgy without a previous conviction anyway.

It's pointless.

Angry_Bear

Forever wrote: »

So you are recommending to go on a witchhunt based on a bit of water-cooler gossip?

Someone can do something dodgy without a previous conviction anyway.

It's pointless.

You're confusing a reasonable amount of looking into something (i.e. asking the person, maybe doing a CRB check if it's warranted and wasn't done before) with a "witchunt". It's perfectly possible to find things out without resorting to a witchunt.

By your argument there's no point having criminal records at all as they're pointless. I'd trust someone who doesn't have a criminal record (including someone who doesn't have one because all convictions are spent) LONG before I'd trust someone who has a criminal record for theft or fraud (for example).

And I'd expect my bank (again, for example) to do a reasonable amount of checking if they came across reason to believe that someone working with my money and details had a conviction for one of these things.

Forever

Angry_Bear wrote: »

You're confusing a reasonable amount of looking into something (i.e. asking the person, maybe doing a CRB check if it's warranted and wasn't done before) with a "witchunt". It's perfectly possible to find things out without resorting to a witchunt.

You would then have to admit to that person that the reason you are asking is because you have heard some gossip!

How is the concerned person going to feel if he/she is a) innocent or b) the conviction is spent.

It is pointless going down this path. As I said before, anyone can do something dodgy whether they have a previous conviction or not.

Anyway, on a different note, CRB checks can only be requested if the person is working with children or vulnerable adults.

CRB checks are not there to ensure people who have once had a conviction can never work again in their lives and can only live on the dole. Many people may make mistakes and then never repeat it again.