Has there been an increase in the number of criminal records checks for engineers in recent years? Factor out jobs which require working with children or vulnerable adults, or those requiring certain types of security clearance.
I can see there would be an issue of you had a more serious criminal record (eg custodial sentence) and didn't declare it when applying for a job - should the employer then go down the line of compulsory DBS checking, then you could rightfully expect consequences - you'd come across as dishonest at the very least. However, in my opinion, a magistrate's fine or a caution, received over 20 years ago and whilst a teenager, really shouldn't pose a problem if it came to light, especially if you've kept your nose clean in the interim. Though you'd gain a lot more respect if you declared it at the application stage. That said, there are convicted hackers now enjoying rewarding careers in cyber-security... poacher turned gamekeeper, but that's another topic!
Don't forget the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act. After a certain number of years (depending on the type of conviction), the employer shouldn't be asking, and the potential employee shouldn't need to tell.
I can see there would be an issue of you had a more serious criminal record (eg custodial sentence) and didn't declare it when applying for a job - should the employer then go down the line of compulsory DBS checking, then you could rightfully expect consequences - you'd come across as dishonest at the very least. However, in my opinion, a magistrate's fine or a caution, received over 20 years ago and whilst a teenager, really shouldn't pose a problem if it came to light, especially if you've kept your nose clean in the interim. Though you'd gain a lot more respect if you declared it at the application stage. That said, there are convicted hackers now enjoying rewarding careers in cyber-security... poacher turned gamekeeper, but that's another topic!
Don't forget the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act. After a certain number of years (depending on the type of conviction), the employer shouldn't be asking, and the potential employee shouldn't need to tell.
