Which Australian industries require police checks for employment
In most industries in Australia, organizations carry out pre-employment background checks. It is only natural for them to do so because they have to ensure that there is nothing in your past as the job applicant that could potentially harm the company or become a liability for it. The type of background investigation a company chooses to carry out usually depends on the nature of the job, but one thing that can commonly be found in all forms and types of background checks are police checks.
What are Police Checks?
A national police check involves a comprehensive of the Australian national police’s databases, to see if any matches come up against the entered query. Through a police check, the employer can contain any information that is open to the public about any previous charges brought against you or any past convictions (subject to spent convictions legislation). Employers wish to carry out police checks because it allows them to reduce any potential risk of theft from the company, of fraud or other criminal activity undertaken by the new recruit. However, if the job you are applying for entails you working with individuals that belong to vulnerable groups of people, your organization may make it an obligation to carry out police checks and get clearance from these checks so that individuals who may have been serious offenders can be weeded out.
If such is the case and your prospective employer thinks that police clearance is essential for the job application, they will most likely state this clearly in the job listings, in the information provided to candidates and in recruitment instructions to employment agencies.
The Police Check industry in Australia
It is not the easiest of tasks to run an extensive background check through national and local databases.
If you are applying for a job where you yourself have to provide the police clearance certificates, fret not; there are many companies on the internet that offer their services to run online national police checks. These very services are also available to organizations and employers if they are the ones conducting the police check on any of their potential hires.
The cost of online police checks can vary from provider to provider. There are a number of reputable providers on the market that you can choose from.
We would advise that you compare the offerings of several companies and then reach a conclusion as to which offer works best for you.
Industries that mandate pre-employment police checks
The following is a comprehensive list of Australian industries that require a police check for employment, volunteering, and licenses:
- Public Vehicle Drivers
If the job you are applying to entails driving public transport, such as buses or taxi drivers, your prospective employer will run a police check to ensure that public safety is not threatened. Therefore, you need clearance that you have no history of violations of road safety, sexual violence, or assault.
- Government Positions
Police checks are required for many government positions, especially if you are applying for the police force or positions of authority.
- Legal Jobs
Law firms and jobs in the judiciary require applicants to pass police checks as well. Hiring applicants with past criminal records is simply a violation of the essence of such jobs.
- Prisons workers
If you are applying for a job as a correctional officer or warden, your employer will undoubtedly run a police check to confirm no records of criminal history. For jobs such as these that often entail working in high-pressure environments, employees may feel tempted to exercise authority over the prisoners unduly. Background checks help ensure that the individuals in prison are safe from such actions.
- Working with Vulnerable Demographics
Vulnerable persons include children, the elderly, people with illnesses, people with disabilities, etc. These persons are deemed to not being capable of keeping themselves safe from harm or from being exploited, so if your job entails working with anyone who belongs to these demographics, your employer will run a background check to make sure no criminal activity exists in your past so that they know you have no malintent towards those under your care.
