Employers check criminal records before employing people, particularly in high security industries, or businesses that require their staff to handle large amounts of money. In these instances it is perfectly legal for employers to search records for criminal history and to pursue staff screening to ensure that they select the right person for the job. This is often done with the help of the police and other security industries to ensure maximum potential of identification. If you have a criminal record, regardless of how old it is, or what it was for you should never hide this fact when applying for a job. If you do you can lose your job because of dishonesty.
Although you may be a free person, your prospective employer is entitled to check criminal records before employing you. In many companies this simply does not happen because the nature of the work is casual or does not require you to handle valuable items or information. If, however, your new job will require you to be involved with sensitive information, money or valuable goods it is likely that your prospective employer will search records to match your identification number with suspected criminal activity, or convicted activity. By revealing your record to your employer you may provide yourself with the opportunity to explain your record or indicate how it is no longer a problem.
Crime may pay in the short term, but if you get caught it is a permanent mark on your identification document. The police keep your crime on record and although you are a free person the crime will never disappear. Honesty is the policy when you apply for a job and you should always make sure that you reveal your history to prospective employers so that they are not surprised when they check criminal records before employing.