Unfair punishment : when criminal record checks lead to discrimination

Applying for a job is stressful enough, but if you have a criminal record, even if it’s not relevant to the job you’re applying for, it can be a nightmare.

Employers in Australia regularly discriminate on the grounds that a person has an irrelevant criminal record and checking criminal records is on the increase. The number of criminal record checks undertaken in Victoria have risen by almost 6,000% since 1993.

It is concerning then that the few laws that prohibit discrimination on the basis of irrelevant criminal record lack real teeth.