The Telegraph's freedom of information request showed that 163,345 childhood convictions or cautions were flagged to employers via the government’s disclosure and barring service (DBS).
The data included candidates in their 50s, 60s and 70s who had not committed a crime in decades.
Employers should consider the context of any conviction revealed during background checks, according to Eyal Ben Cohen, CEO of background screening provider Verifile.
Speaking to HR magazine, he said: “When conducting background checks, especially for childhood offences, employers must consider context, relevance and timing.
“The updated DBS filtering rules limit the disclosure of minor offences after a set period, particularly those committed in youth. For example, a minor offence at age 14 may be filtered out after several years unless part of a broader pattern of concerning behaviour.”
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A sixth of the offences seen by Telegraph representatives were committed by people over 40 years ago, and 40% of the offences were committed more than 30 years ago.
Minor childhood crimes related to incidents such as boarding a train without a ticket, shoplifting, minor assaults and stealing a bicycle.
HR should consider whether employees are qualified for a job when considering previous convictions raised during background checks, explained Martin Warding, business director of recruitment firm Kingdom People.
“As with all vetting processes, these checks should not be taken in isolation. It’s important to consider the whole person and their particular circumstances, ensuring that decisions are made in the context of the role being applied for,” he told HR magazine.
“The focus should be on the candidate’s recent history and overall suitability for the position, rather than minor offences, especially if they took place 30 to 40 years ago.
“Decisions being made in the context of the role means that childhood offences such as not paying for a train ticket would generally not affect how well that person could do their job, especially if there had been no offences since.”
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A poll commissioned in 2022 by Working Chance, a charity that supports women with convictions, showed that 30% of hiring managers would automatically exclude a candidate who disclosed a criminal conviction.
“It’s not advisable to automatically reject candidates based on convictions,” Cohen added, noting that communicating with candidates could shed light on whether convictions could impact their ability to do their role.
He said: “Employers should allow candidates to explain their past and consider their rehabilitation efforts. Balancing safeguarding with fairness is essential, ensuring each case is judged on its full merits. This approach supports both organisational protection and fair candidate assessment.”
