Nurses forced to pay for criminal record checks when moving jobs
Posted 12 December 2023 - 08:00
Checks are legally required when working with vulnerable people but nurses face a lottery, with some employers demanding they pay for it themselves, union says
Nurses and other public sector workers face a ‘lottery’ when it comes to who pays for an essential check needed to do their jobs, a health union has warned.
Nursing staff working with vulnerable people have reported having to fork out for their own criminal record checks, which their employers have a legal duty to carry out. A survey by Unison of 10,950 public sector workers found 42% (4,583) were forced to pay for these checks out of their own pockets.
Some 74% of staff who need the checks are women and 85% of them are low-paid, such as nurses and clinical assistants, according to Unison.
In some NHS trusts, bank staff were disproportionately affected as they had to pay additional costs that permanent staff are reimbursed for. The union said it could not ascertain why some employers paid the costs and others did not.
Nurses taking on second jobs were made to pay for a further check
A bank nurse from Greater Manchester, named only as Jackie in Unison’s report, said: ‘It is wrong that bank staff have to pay for this, especially when staff who have a permanent position get it paid for.’
NHS staff who took on second jobs as bank or agency workers for the same trust they were employed at were asked to pay for a second check, despite already having one as part of their permanent role.
Edinburgh nurse Fiona said: ‘I worked for two NHS trusts in my career. I joined the staff bank and was informed I had to pay £50 to join despite already working in the trust.’
Another nurse based in Yorkshire named Jessica said: ‘Given that I have worked here for almost 20 years, I find it quite frustrating that I had to pay for this. We are so short-staffed in my team. If the hospital is serious about trying to recruit then it should cover the cost of checks.’
Cost could exacerbate recruitment and retention crisis in public sector services, says Unison
Unison’s survey found 69% of respondents would be put off applying for a job if they had to pay additional costs, with the union warning this could exacerbate the recruitment and retention crisis in public sector services.
Other NHS staff reported having to pay for a new check if they got promoted or moved jobs within the same organisation. Unison called for the law to be changed so employers could not pass on the costs.
Assistant general secretary Jon Richards said: ‘People already struggling with the cost-of-living crisis should not be forced to pay to work. Most staff who need these checks earn below the national average and money docked from their pay is cash they can ill afford to lose.’
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