Don’t be an offender of the new rehabilitation period reforms!
26th March, 2014
The Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 was introduced some 40 years ago and intended to give ex-offenders the opportunity to progress their career, as long as they do not re-offend.
Under the current legislation, an ex-offender is considered rehabilitated following a significant ‘clean’ period following their conviction (known as the rehabilitation period). In these circumstances, their conviction is considered to be ‘spent’ and they do not need to disclose it to a potential new employer.
Certain occupations are subject to an Exceptions Order under the legislation whereby an ex-offender is required to disclose their conviction regardless of whether it is spent or unspent.
In an additional effort to reduce levels of re-offending, the government has now proposed significant reforms to the legislation with the intention of allowing ex-offenders to get back into ‘honest work’ more quickly.
Under the current rehabilitation periods, a typical custodial sentence could take 10 years to become spent, or in fact could remain unspent indefinitely. The new rehabilitation periods propose to reduce this to, in most cases, four years.
Examples of common rehabilitation periods for both custodial and non-custodial sentences can be found in the table below:
It is important to be aware of your responsibilities in relation to disclosure of previous convictions whether you are applying or recruiting for the job in question.
Aaron & Partners’ expert employment team can advise on the steps you should take, specifically tailored to your circumstances.
You might also be interested in...
Agency or Distribution?
4th December, 2019
When looking to market, sell or distribute its products a supplier may choose to appoint an agent or... Read More »
Employment Law Newsletter – December Issue 2019
2nd December, 2019
Welcome to our new-look Employment Newsletter. If you would like to contact a member of the Employment... Read More »
Napping at work…
2nd December, 2019
It was recently reported on the BBC that the US government is prohibiting staff from sleeping at work.... Read More »