If you are tempted to lie about your employment history or which University you attended, you'd better think again, according to Security Risk Management Ltd (SRM), a UK provider of operational risk management services. The company has unveiled the surprising results uncovered whilst conducting a personnel screening project conducted on behalf of its clients.

In a random sampling of 100 employees from 10 different companies, SRM discovered that 12 of the companies' current employees had inconsistent employment histories, according to the details contained on their curriculum vitas. Of the 12 questioned, five chose to resign, rather than complete the screening process. All 10 of the firms affected requested that their names be kept private.

SRM was performing the checks according to the criteria set out under BS7858:2004, the British Standard for employee screening, which should be used for anyone who is involved with the custody or care of persons or property, of critical data or information, and in any other occupation where integrity and reliability are considered crucial. SRM was recently appointed as administrators and custodians of the new IPSA BS7858:2004 accreditation programme, a comprehensive personnel vetting scheme launched by the International Professional Security Association (IPSA).

"No business wants to think that it can happen to them, but dishonest employees can infiltrate virtually any kind of company, in any industry, at any time," says Stephen Brown, Managing Director, Security Risk Management (SRM) Ltd. "References can be faked, and entire employee histories can be made up with amazing ease. Any company that it is serious about security needs to wake up and realise that action needs to be taken now, and that British Standards have been created to cover this area for a very good reason."

Personnel vetting and screening is recommended for any organisation that wants to promote a secure environment that will protect its clients, property, and staff from intrusion or risk caused by inadequate personnel screening. The new BS7858:2004 accreditation programme, endorsed by IPSA, improves on the standard that is currently accepted by industry Inspectorates and commercial companies, since current standards simply require companies to provide evidence of the steps being taken to ensure the integrity of contractors' staff and managers.

The BS7858:2004 employee vetting scheme includes current address verification, a Credit Check (including County Court Judgments, Insolvency, and a Bankruptcy search), a ten-year written employment verification, and two personal written references. For even greater security, certification to an enhanced version of BS7858:2004 is also available, as is certification to a level deemed acceptable by the Financial Services Authority (FSA). All three certifications are important not only at the recruitment stage, but also at regular intervals throughout the period of employment.

[This type of serious breach of the privacy of job seekers or even existing employees can perhaps be tolerated in the current climate with plenty of jobs to go around, allowing an employee to tell their employer to mind their own business, as indeed five did in the story above. However, this level of invasive snooping needs to be looked at and suitable legislation to prevent it introduced if necessary. Employers should only be allowed to ascertain that an job seeker or employee is qualified to do the work on offer, nothing else. Discrimination based on past history should be just as illegal as racial or age discrimination. --Ed].

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