Police have existed in some form or shape for as long as modern humans have existed. There has always been a need to control the masses in certain situations, to enforce laws, and to protect the common folk. Over the centuries, police forces of countries and regions were more and more regulated and nowadays they are one of the pillars of every country. Although with its own set of issues and challenges, the world would be in anarchy without it.
A lot of people believe the police are there only to perform the duties we associate with them. Patrolling the streets, regulating traffic, and keeping things in check when they get out of hand. In reality, the whole institution is much larger and it covers a lot of areas that are useful for the citizens. One of them comes in the form of police checks.
About Police Checks
National police checks are usually a summary of an individual’s police historical information. This service carried out by the government is offered to a company for employment or an individual, for registration, volunteerism, or work-related licensing. It gives insight into how well-behaved somebody has been and whether or not they have had problems with the law.
The whole idea about this intercheck is to prevent danger or any type of legal harm not just to employees but to other co-workers as well. This is not to say every person who has had legal problems will do it again, but it is something worth knowing if you are to trust them and spend time around them. Wondering why police checks are so important? Keep on reading to find out more information about this.
Conducting Police Checks on Existing Employees
Due to the laws in place, obligatory criminal record checks may be needed in some lines of work. Most of the time, these checks are finalized at the phase of pre-employment when the employer does a complete backcheck of every potential employee.
The intercheck can equally be done once in a while, depending on the requirements of the field of work, to make sure there were no problems in the meantime. Employers should be familiar with the requirements in their respective industry and do the checks centered on these particular needs.
Should there be a case concerning an existing worker taking on a new position, they should have to go through the police check procedure again because the new role comes with a higher level of risk and larger set of responsibilities. The employee needs to complete their police check every time before they switch to a new position.
Protect Company Interest
One of the reasons why police checks are vital is to protect the interest of the organization. By carrying out a police check whenever it is needed, employers can decide if the candidate has a criminal record that is connected with the role they are applying for. Certain criminal activity in somebody’s past prevents them from performing some jobs, which is only one of the ways in which the company protects itself, the rest of the staff, and the customers.
It is equally in the best interest of the employer to safeguard their business assets. Since it is the job of employers to ensure the safety of their clients and other employees, they should be responsible for the poor conduct of the new employee. Some of the popular crimes most companies have experienced over the years include cybercrime, bribery, corruption, and accounting fraud.
With national police checks, the possibility of these crimes occurring can be greatly reduced. The last thing a company wants is to hire somebody who has had legal troubles due to work related misconduct, and have them commit the crime again. The consequences are worse for the company in question if they never perform a background check of this sort.
A Safe Working Environment
With difficult periods, prospective clients and consumers go in for the products and services of brands that guarantee the credibility of their workers. This is particularly correct for sectors like education, health, home-service, healthcare, cleaning services, installation, and repairs, just to name a few of the common ones. Clients want to be certain if the staff they are letting into their home are experienced and credible.
Both the upper management and their colleagues on the same level need to know who they are dealing with. Working with somebody who has repented and learned their lesson is not a problem, but there needs to be enough transparency for that and it all starts with a police check.
Promote Good Employee Conduct
If employers include yearly police checks in their policy, they can ensure that none of their workers have any incriminating issues that can negatively affect other staff, customers or damage the company’s reputation.
When employers include this rule, they can aid their employees to become more conscious of their actions and prevent any poor conduct that could cost them their job. Although it may seem like overkill and a drastic measure, certain positions and companies have to do it because of the sheer volume of the work they do, or the type of services they offer. It is a normal thing in modern society.
What are your Rights?
Apart from these checks being done for police study, it is essential to note that the investigation can only be done with the person’s approval. This simply means no criminal history even for employment can be released without the signature of the candidate.
Of course, the candidate risks never being appointed to the position if they refuse, which is also fair as the company still needs to protect itself. If they have nothing to hide, they should be willing to go through with it.
If a candidate refuses, they may not be that trustworthy to begin with. The first step a former convict or somebody with less serious legal troubles needs to take towards gaining their life and career back is owning their mistakes. Not giving their approval for a police check could therefore be a red flag.
Conclusion and Takeaways
For some fields of work, performing frequent criminal history checks is a compulsory obligation and that will never change. Nonetheless, several companies carry out these criminal history checks as a practical way and a major way of handling risks.
It is a good practice and basically the only way for a company to truly know who they are dealing with. There is no mention of legal matters in the CV, in the cover letter, or the recommendation from a prior employer. A police check makes sense in any situation and we should be glad it exists.
