New online database will hit vulnerable workers

A new national database could leave workers vulnerable to false accusations and even the risk of un-employability, warns an employment specialist at Preston law firm, MWR Solicitors.

The National Staff Dismissal Register (NSDR) will allow employers to access information on whether any potential employees have ever been accused of theft or dishonesty causing a loss to their employer, from forgery to stealing and even damaging company property, regardless of whether they were convicted of the offence or not.

Sadiq Vohra, employment partner at the Cannon Street based law firm, MWR Solicitors, said: ìWhen recruiting new employees, security checks are obviously of paramount importance. If an applicant has a conviction, the employer has a right to know about I before he or she is employed.

ìHowever, the danger of a system like NSDR is that genuinely innocent people, who have never been convicted of a crime, may be present in the database with those who have convictions. This poses the threat of innocent individuals being treated like criminals and not getting a job because they are on the register, when in fact they have done nothing wrong.î

Big retail industry names such as Selfridges, Mothercare, HMV and Harrods have already signed up to the scheme.

According to the Information Commissionerís Office, employers will not be allowed to use a potential employeeís inclusion on the database as the sole reason not to employ them and in accordance with the Data Protection Act, people will be told when they are added to the database and when their entry is accessed. They will also have rights to correct any inaccuracies.

Sadiq concluded: ìThe main issue with this database is that there is a real risk of people struggling to find work due to an ex-employer who falsely accused them of misconduct or simply had a grudge against them.

ìAs long as employers use The Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) check to vet any potential employees and ensure that they take up references before they employ anyone, that will provide them with enough protection, without having to get involved with a risky scheme like the NSDR.î