Dismissed staff could soon
be blacklisted

Staff accused of stealing could soon be blacklisted in a database accessible to all employers.

THE ONLINE database could see entries composed for employees regardless of if they were found guilty in court of anything from theft to fraud. The idea behind the database is to allow future employees to check the credentials of those under consideration, similar to the way references are used at the moment.

As reported by BBC
News, major companies including Harrods and Mothercare have already signed up to the scheme. By the end of May they will be able to check whether candidates for jobs have faced allegations of stealing, forgery, fraud, damaging company property or caused a loss to their employers and suppliers.

All employees fired after a disciplinary will automatically be included, regardless of the legal out come of said charges.

TUC policy officer Hannah Reed told the BBC: “The TUC is seriously concerned that this register can only lead to people being shut out from the job market by an employer who falsely accuses them of misconduct or sacks them because they bear them a grudge. Individuals would be treated as criminals, even though the police have never been contacted.”

Set up by Surrey-based firm Hicom Business Solutions, the database will allow employers to search for potential workers by name, address, date of birth, national insurance number and previous employer.
Records on individuals - accessible online via an encrypted password system - will be kept for a five-year period and can include
photos.

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