To Lie : Or Not to Lie?

A couple of recent contributions to the Prisoners Families Views blogsite about having to lie on CV's in order to get a job got me thinking. Of course this issue about whether to tell a potential employer the truth or not has been around for as long as I can remember. When I say truth, I don't just mean being a bit 'economical' by inflation, exaggeration or omission, I mean direct lies about criminal convictions or fictitious information to cover periods of imprisonment. I'm pretty sure I'm right in saying it is an offence in itself and certainly leaves the individual open to instant dismissal should the truth come out.

The argument seems to be that a person is left no choice because in an age of high unemployment, what employer is going to take the risk of taking on a person with a criminal record and possibly history of imprisonment? I have a degree of sympathy with this argument and would be the first to acknowledge that the whole employment landscape has changed beyond recognition over my lifetime. For instance, I can recall the halcyon days of full employment and seemingly endless opportunities for unskilled labour, apprenticeships, supernumerary posts and even dare I say, jobs paying 'cash-in-hand' only. A criminal record was certainly no bar to many of these positions and I well remember my father employing people straight from prison just on a phone call from the local probation officer.

But this was an age before managerialism and everything became bureaucratised. We didn't have CV's back then, just a simple application form that didn't even mention criminal convictions. Now we live in an environment of health and safety, CRB checks, litigation, employers liability insurance etc. The question will come up and therefore the issue cannot be avoided - to lie, or not to lie? It will be no great surprise to anyone that a Probation Officer's advice is almost certainly to tell the truth. Fortunately, as CV's have evolved, they have become much more about experiences, qualifications and expertise than just a list of dates and employment. The aim of a CV is to get to interview stage and have a strategy prepared in advance in order to discuss any offending history.

Now I can almost hear the cries of 'get real.' But before either giving up reading any further, or reaching for the comment box, bear a number of things in mind from a potential employers point of view. Firstly, there are many, many people out there in society who have criminal records and are now in settled employment. The person interviewing you may well have been in trouble with the law years before and minded to give someone a break, indeed just like the break they got. Secondly, there are many responsible and enlightened employers who realise that a person with a criminal history, but one who is well-motivated towards change, could well be just that loyal and hard-working employee they are looking for. Thirdly, potential employers will always be interested in candidates who give of themselves and demonstrate honesty. In the end an employer not only wants staff who do a good job, but also that are honest.

Over the years I've known many clients successfully gain employment, even including former prisoners subject to Life Licence. In my experience barriers to employment are much more likely to be because of issues such as illiteracy, attitude or presentation than criminal history. Serving long term prisoners gain employment all the time as part of resettlement plans through Open Prisons on day release. The scheme works because there is honesty between the individual and the local employer. Employers don't agree to take such people on out of a sense of civic responsibility or paternalism, although there may be elements of both. They do it because they know they are getting good, well motivated employees. 

It may surprise some people to know that there are companies that positively discriminate in favour of people with criminal histories and there are some that only employ ex-offenders. An example of the former is Timpson's, a well known high street chain of shoe repairers and photoshops and a new company Blue Sky is an example of the latter. Basically there are signs of a return to a much more enlightened attitude towards ex-offenders generally amongst employers. The fact is that they often make excellent employees. So, for all these reasons, I would say think very carefully before submitting that dodgy CV.