Criminal vetting of employees 'needs common sense approach'

15 July 2010



Employers should be given more effective means of vetting their staff for criminal convictions, the Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC) has warned. It said that many recruitment agencies find it both costly and time consuming to vet their staff on a repeat basis.

"We need a system which is thorough but can also respond to the day to day reality of temping, which requires speedy placement of staff to cover for sickness or staff on leave," explained Anne Fairweather, the REC's Head of Public Policy. She noted that CRB checks are just one of the many measures that need to be taken when thoroughly checking staff before taking them on.

For example, recruitment agencies need to carry out identity checks, professional qualifications and references to ensure they have the credentials to work alongside children or vulnerable adults, Mr Fairweather stressed. She highlighted that staff should be able to freely move between jobs without the need for excessive checks.

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Posted by James Townsend

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