Contractor employment prospects following potential criminal conviction

[ContractorSince2011]

Hi.

Potential criminal record --- aagghhh!

I'm an experienced IT contractor in Financial Services, been working since 2011 with multiple contract extensions in each contract. I'm currently working through an unbrella company (inside), like most of us, but had a limited company for many years (outside), like most of us.

I'm here looking for advice on hiring policies given an unfortunate change in my circumstances having been charged with a breach of the peace (shouting, causing fear and alarm). I need help with understanding the effect that a potential conviction will have on my employability given that even a fine (most likely outcome if guilty) would appear on an Enhanced Disclosure as a spent conviction.

Can anyone tell me (or signpost me) if I'll be automatically passed over for subsequent inside/outside contracts in FS? This is to help my lawyer gather evidence of the effect a criminal record would have on my future employability. I guess that could be either official policy or simply the way the market works.

Obviously this is not something I would like to share at present with my current umbrella or the FS client with whom I'm contracted.

Thanks all.
Anon.

[northernladuk]

A bigger crime is your total lack of understand of what contracting is and what you do. That lot is a disgrace. Hiring policies, employability? Makes my eyes bleed. You are more likely to get passed over for being a crap contractor than your conviction.

You've have been judged and you will never take an outside contract ever again. I am the laaaaaaw.

[Fred Bloggs]

Obviously this is not something I would like to share at present with my current umbrella or the FS client with whom I'm contracted.

Honestly, in the cold light of day - What do you think? What do you think will happen if you don't tell them and they find out anyway?

[ContractorSince2011]

Honestly, in the cold light of day - What do you think? What do you think will happen if you don't tell them and they find out anyway?

If I'm convicted, I will definitely be upfront about it as it will come through on the Enhanced Disclosure anyway. I'm just trying to find out what impact the conviction will have.

[northernladuk]

If I'm convicted, I will definitely be upfront about it as it will come through on the Enhanced Disclosure anyway. I'm just trying to find out what impact the conviction will have.

Hopefully the impact will be that you sit down and learn more about what you do. It won't answer the whole question but understanding what a contractor is and what they do will have clarrified much of it.

[ChadGates]

Hopefully the impact will be that you sit down and learn more about what you do. It won't answer the whole question but understanding what a contractor is and what they do will have clarrified much of it.

He says he is currently Inside, via an umbrella. Therefore he is an employee.
Certainly in my experience, FS HR depts use the same policies for both permy and contract for general areas like "has a criminal record" -spent or not.

[northernladuk]

He says he is currently Inside, via an umbrella. Therefore he is an employee.
Certainly in my experience, FS HR depts use the same policies for both permy and contract for general areas like "has a criminal record" -spent or not.

He's an employee of the umbrella. He's not an employee of the client and they are the ones that provide the work. I very much doubt his question is about his employability to an umbrella because that's not going to bring him any income in.

Can anyone tell me (or signpost me) if I'll be automatically passed over for subsequent inside/outside contracts in FS?

He then says the above so he's clearly not talking about employability to an umbrella.

[ContractorSince2011]

He says he is currently Inside, via an umbrella. Therefore he is an employee.
Certainly in my experience, FS HR depts use the same policies for both permy and contract for general areas like "has a criminal record" -spent or not.

For sure I'm an employee now. And maybe when the govt gets its act together and changes the legislation, I'll go back to being outside. Inside or outside seems less relevant than what the policies are for "has a criminal record" and that's what I'm trying to get to the bottom of. I had to go through an agency to get the current gig and they'll have their own policies as well about whether they would even put me forward for a role. So any insight on this would be appreciated.

[ladymuck]

https://unlock.org.uk/advice/financial-services-sector/

[ContractorSince2011]

https://unlock.org.uk/advice/financial-services-sector/

Hi ladymuck, yes, I saw that page but it's more for controlled functions and that's not what I do. I'm a data analyst using all the normal tools. That does mean though I, like all of us, go through Enhanced screening, but not for a controlled function. And I'm more trying to get to the heart of what policies an agency or recruitment firm would have in this regard.