Convicted Persons, Employment Of
Key points § The Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 effectively entitles a person with a previous criminal record to withhold information about any spent convictions when he (or she) applies for a job. Although there are exceptions to this general rule (see below), the rationale behind the 1974 Act is to encourage the rehabilitation of people whose criminal records would otherwise deny them an opportunity to seek, obtain or retain gainful employment. Note Under Part V of the Police Act 1997 (discussed later in this section), employers seeking reassurance about the suitability of job applicants for certain types of work (eg, work involving the care and supervision of persons under the age of 18) will be afforded an opportunity to seek and obtain information about convictions which have not become spent or, in exceptional circumstances, to receive details about all of an employee's (or would-be employee's) convictions ( spent and otherwise). ...