Checks performed after employment start

algray

My employer, who I've worked for for 3.5 years, recently asked me to consent to them performing a background investigation in connection with my employment. I understand from other employees it's a check of full employment history, education history, and criminal records check.

I work in Marketing for a software company that sells to the education/academic sector.

I appreciate my employer should probably have done this when I first joined, but didn't. Now, over three years later, would my employer have grounds to take any action if I refuse to provide the information?

Legally I appreciate this can be routine to offer someone a job, but what about in established employment?

Sandtree

In financial services random credit and criminal record checks are often written into contracts, in practice credit checks are done but not know the criminal records repeated after initial screening even if it allows for it.

Why do you want to refuse? Presumably you werent wholly honest?

elsien

Sandtree said:

In financial services random credit and criminal record checks are often written into contracts, in practice credit checks are done but not know the criminal records repeated after initial screening even if it allows for it.

Why do you want to refuse? Presumably you werent wholly honest?

Or maybe they were honest but don’t want employers doing unnecessary checks out of the blue with no good reason? 

Dakta

^ that. 

Considering the three years where this hasn't been chased, I think the query is a valid one even if the employee is honest. It's hassle.  If they really want to do it might just be easier to get it done with, if it was company policy for these checks to be done for your role, no matter how long it took someone to notice not having the required checks isn't a nice place to sit even without the aggro.


 

algray

For the avoidance of doubt - I have nothing to hide. This is happening to all employees in the company also, not just me.

I agree there is nothing unreasonable about an employer wanting to do these checks prior to or at the start of employment, but after over three years service?

It is unnecessary and with no good reason given. Not to mention much of it is there in my CV - if they're so interested...

TELLIT01

algray said:

For the avoidance of doubt - I have nothing to hide. This is happening to all employees in the company also, not just me.

I agree there is nothing unreasonable about an employer wanting to do these checks prior to or at the start of employment, but after over three years service?

It is unnecessary and with no good reason given. Not to mention much of it is there in my CV - if they're so interested...

What a person puts on their CV isn't always totally accurate, or even close to accurate.  The content is often taken on trust.  I wonder if they have doubts about the qualifications of a specific staff member and are using this to flush them out.

Assuming they are going to do all the work to confirm employment history and do the criminal record check I would let them get on with it.  All that staff should need to do is provide certificates to prove qualifications.

AskAsk

does seem a bit odd.  have you asked them why they have decided to pick you out?  the only time i had to do this was when I had to do a security check before i could work on a sensitive client but the checks were slightly different.

are they doing this for everyone or is it just you?  wonder if it may be a new requirement from their clients?

strawb_shortcake

This sounds vaguely familiar to an older post, seem to recall that the checks were prompted by either a change to policy in education or a requirement of the contract as there may be a need for the individual to be on school grounds

74jax

AskAsk said:

does seem a bit odd.  have you asked them why they have decided to pick you out?  the only time i had to do this was when I had to do a security check before i could work on a sensitive client but the checks were slightly different.

are they doing this for everyone or is it just you?  wonder if it may be a new requirement from their clients?

@AskAsk. Op has said
For the avoidance of doubt - I have nothing to hide. This is happening to all employees in the company also, not just me.

Undervalued

TELLIT01 said:

algray said:

For the avoidance of doubt - I have nothing to hide. This is happening to all employees in the company also, not just me.

I agree there is nothing unreasonable about an employer wanting to do these checks prior to or at the start of employment, but after over three years service?

It is unnecessary and with no good reason given. Not to mention much of it is there in my CV - if they're so interested...

What a person puts on their CV isn't always totally accurate, or even close to accurate.  The content is often taken on trust.  I wonder if they have doubts about the qualifications of a specific staff member and are using this to flush them out.

Assuming they are going to do all the work to confirm employment history and do the criminal record check I would let them get on with it.  All that staff should need to do is provide certificates to prove qualifications.

Sadly very true!

We often remind people on here that making a false statement in order to obtain employment can backfire on you at any point in the future.

As has been said it is not unreasonable in law for the employer to do this at any stage. Any refusal or reluctance is only likely to make them look harder. Even if the OP has nothing at all to hide I don't think it would be a wise move to refuse.

prowla

I think it would be reasonable to do periodic checks on people who work in education and come into contact with children.

Of course, the checking criteria should be against information relevant to the job, as opposed to just plain snooping (eg. Someone having been declared bankrupt could be critical in a financial environment, but completely irrelevant in an educational role).

An alternative approach an employer could take is to have a contractual requirement that their workers have a current CRB/DBS check (I've had that in a contract before).