What do most employers look for in background checks?

An employer might check on information such as your work history, credit, driving records, criminal records, vehicle registration, court records, compensation, bankruptcy, medical records, references, property ownership, drug test results, military records, and sex offender information.

What can an employer expect from a background check?

Generally speaking, a background check for employment may show identity verification, employment verification, credit history, driver’s history, criminal records, education confirmation, and more.

What comes up in a background check?

A background check is a legal investigation into a potential employee’s history. Background screening often involves criminal background checks, identity verification, and education and credential checks. It can also include health checks, DVLA checks, social media screening and drug screening.

What does unspent criminal convictions mean?

Spent convictions are those convictions that have reached a set period as defined by the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974, and are removed from an individual’s criminal record. Unspent convictions are those records that have not yet reached this defined time and will appear on a Basic Criminal Record Check.

What is typically on a background check?

The most common background checks consist of criminal history, education, previous employment verifications, and reference checks. These reports could also include results of pre-employment drug testing. The goal is for an employer to feel confident a new hire will not bring foreseeable trouble to the workplace.

How long until a conviction is spent?

Essentially, a conviction cannot become spent until the order ends. Some orders run for many years longer than the ‘main’ sentence. If someone received a 4 month prison sentence, this would be spent 2 years after the end of the full sentence.

Will I ever get a job with a criminal record?

Many employers are willing to hire people who have a criminal record. Whether it makes a difference can depend on the reason you have a criminal record and the type of job for which you are applying. You are more likely to find work doing something unrelated to your prior conviction.

How long does criminal record clear?

You can apply to have your criminal record expunged when: a period of 10 years has passed after the date of the conviction for that offence. you have not been convicted and sentenced to a period of imprisonment without the option of a fine during those 10 years.