Would you employ an ex offender?

[Skintfriend]

I have a friend who has run out of money. She has a history of fraud which she has served time for. She is not likely to steal again. Her last conviction was ten years ago. I have employed her with no issues but I'm retiring on health grounds.
She claims she can't get a job and to be fair her ex husband tells any employer about her history. Her conviction is spent but she is worried she will be asked about her past. It was during a very violent marriage and she was financially abused. I guess my question is in all honesty is do you think she will get another job? She's not old enough for her pension. She fit and healthy.

Multiple convictions? No. I wouldn’t hire.

Others might.

One thirty years ago, one ten years ago.

I would if it was shoplifting as a teen or a mistake that seemed out of character but multiple convictions of dishonesty would concern me.

I wouldn't, sorry.

How do all these potential employers know who her ex husband is and why are they contacting him and not the referee she puts on the form?

I hope this friend isn’t pestering you for money, OP?

How does her ex-husband know who her employers or potential employers are?

There's a bit missing from this story.

She gets the customer facing job the her exh finds out and rings up with a nice Internet link. She can't stop him as he has threatened to kill her. He has a violence against the person order but it doesn't stop him. I've told her to tell the conpanies she hasn't offended for ten years and front it out. She's wasted her life on this. Men seemed to get a second chance, women not so. She's a brilliant sales person and marketeer.

I judge people on their own behaviour, I wouldn't take the slightest bit of notice of a malicious anonymous phone call.

I'll ask again, Is your friend asking you for money in any way?

Well she needs to follow up with police if he is still threatening her .

i still don’t understand how he finds out .

In all honesty the big gap just tells me if she is desperate enough she will resort to crime … so essentially no .

Yes I would and I have. I would encourage to look disclose to the employer to ensure exH has no hold over her.

I have employed many ex offenders they key is spent convictions, but interesting two of I have previously employed their convictions were never spent.

@RosieLeaf no. No loans. I have always given her freelance work and that's been fine. I'm unwell so I can't offer anything.
I do think what happened ten years ago was extreme, it wasn't shoplifting. Business. I can't say more.

None of my friends would employ her sadly but to me fair we are all winding down.
My friend lost a fortune to the ex and now lives with her boyfriend. He's not happy to keep her. She's had some inheritance that has all gone (it was years ago).

If it's nowhere near money and has no financial responsibility then yes.

If it was 10 years ago what has she been doing in the meantime?

In what capacity would you be employing her ?

Why has she not taken up the harassment with the police?

As PP stated, if she's desperate for money, she may well reoffend, though I hope not

I don't employ anyone & the answer has to depend on what job they'd be doing. fwiw, I go out of my way to shop at Timpsons because of their policies on trying to rehabilitate offenders.

I hope your friend finds courage to keep trying, OP.

@AgnesX she has been working for me. I have closed my company due to ill health.
I never her give any financial responsibility. No credit card etc. She does marketing and sales. She invoices me. No issues.

I am worried she will become desperate and re offend. I don't know this new boyfriend well. He's young and seems hardworking. Therefore he doesn't see why she cannt pay her way. She looks very prosperous but she's not.
She has tried retail. Boots, tesco ex will employ ex offenders but she's often told she's over qualified.
Personally that shouldn't be a concern but it can be as she still lives near her ex and he seems to keep tabs on her.

No as I work in financial services, however the ex shouldn’t make a difference as virtually all employers ask for any criminal record to be declared at the time of applying for a job.

Our last cleaner in the UK had a conviction for fraud, we had nothing worth stealing so it didn’t bother us, as far as I’m aware nothing ever went missing.

Won’t it be filtered out by now? I have a record of common assault from nearly 20 years ago and it was filtered out on an enhanced dbs for my current job in a school I didn’t even declare as knew it would be filtered . She should check as it changed a few years ago to include more things to be filtered that’s why I went back to work as prior to that I’d have had no chance

Yes, we do. We have two, who have spent criminal convictions.

Our internal rules preclude them from working in accounts, marketing or HR, but they can work in engineering, quality control or logistics. They each had an extended probationary period, six months instead of three.

So far, no issues. Both are hard working and conscientious.

Given that something like 30% of men have a criminal conviction of some kind, we can't be that rare.

@Simonjt i think the issue is it's spent after five years and she doesn't have to declare it. Next thing we know she's been sacked for not revealing it. I would say these hiring managers don't know the law so she just leaves without pointing out she's not obliged to disclose unless it is an enhanced DBS. She is lucky if she makes a month without the so say issue coming to light.
I suppose people could claim the till might be an issue but tbh the cameras can spot a freckle on your hand and few pay with cash.
She has had my support and protection for all these years but I wish she would fight back. Either you have a conviction or you don't. Locally to us it feels like she's got an angry mob following her with pitchforks.
I've been a prison visitor and women don't get any help on the outside as they're usually non violent. We live semi rurally so there aren't that many jobs.

Many years ago I had a colleague whose previous job had been to find work for ex offenders.

Some employers were reluctant but he would point out that they almost certainly employed offenders, they just hadnt been caught yet.

Obviously her ex is being malicious
But ISNT she supposed to disclose this though when applying for a job?

It would very much depend on the nature of what they had done tbh. Vandalism as a daft teenager thirty years ago - probably. Anything violent - definitely not. Hand in the till - probably not unless there were very strong extenuating circumstances.

If in the uk it may be worth her looking at Timpsons
. They employ ex offenders and are meant to be a good company to work for

Depends what job. If she had to be responsible for money unsupervised then no. Otherwise yes

@whyonearthinallofthis she doesn't have to declare it after five years (it use to be 7).Its non violent so falls off the sheet unless it is enhanced disclosure for safeguarding such as a nursing home or charity.
Her crime was high profile for a little rural Town and doesn't involve any individuals savings. No beating up old ladies. It was actually stupid and she's a terrible crook. The amount was peanuts compared to today or any of the TV people. But she was made an example of due to her crime twenty years previous and it made the media. She is also a bit posh.