“Friendly” employers

The chances are, anyone who has been involved with the criminal justice system will have experienced some difficulty in relation to employment. 

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The Fair Checks campaign state that 50% of employers would not hire someone with a criminal record. That’s a pretty scary statistic when you’re trying to make positive steps in your life. 

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Ban the Box

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Ban the Box calls on UK employers to give people with criminal records a fair chance to compete for jobs. They encourage employers to remove the tick box from application forms and instead ask people about criminal convictions later in the recruitment process. 

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Employers who have signed up to the Ban the Box campaign:-

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• Do not request information about unspent criminal convictions on application forms
• Examine their own recruitment policies and practices to identify how positive disclosure of criminal convictions can take place later in the process
• Register their commitment to offering fair opportunities for people with convictions on the Ban the Box website

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A list of employers who have signed up to the Ban the Box campaign is available on their website.

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Friendly employers

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The charity, Unlock*, has a list of employers known to recruit people with convictions. 

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Some of the largest organisations on this list include:

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• Compass Group
• Co-op
• Enterprise
• Greggs
• Iceland
• Pets at Home
• Sainsburys
• Virgin Group

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In time, we are hoping to develop a similar list of Scottish “friendly” employers. Watch this space!

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Supportive recruitment agencies

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We are not in a position to recommend specific private sector organisations. However, thanks to community recommendations, we are aware of Ex-Seed, which is a private recruitment agency that supports people who have a criminal record.

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They have a very comprehensive list of “friendly” employers on their website, which may be of use to people looking for work.

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Their founder, Phil Martin, has also written the book ‘How To Get a Great Job When You Have A Criminal Record: A clear pathway into employment or self-employment including all the templates you need to get results’, which some people may find helpful.

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Although the recruitment challenges of some convictions are more pronounced than others, Ex-Seed has confirmed that it works with people with every type of conviction. 

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If you are aware of any other supportive recruitment agencies in Scotland, please Contact Us so that we can feature them here.

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Being Self-Employed

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If you decide that being self-employed is the best option for you, you may find our Self-Employment page helpful.

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