Should hoteliers employ ex-offenders?

Recruiting qualified, experienced personnel is an ongoing challenge for many hotel businesses and competition for well-qualified employees can be fierce. However, there is a potentially untapped resource for hospitality managers: ex-offenders.

I know of one hotel kitchen that successfully employed an ex-prisoner who had served a 12-year sentence for murder.  Now, a commercial kitchen might not seem like the most appropriate environment for a murderer, but thanks to close collaboration with prison staff and upfront and honest communication from all involved, the hotel staff and management were made to feel comfortable about the arrangement.

Changing employer perceptions and showing that ex-offenders can benefit the business is a challenge. Someone who has recently been released from prison and wants to change their life for the better needs employers to look past their mistakes and take them for what they are now.

Of course, not all ex-offenders have been involved in anything as dramatic as murder.  According to Nacro, the crime reduction charity, over 10 million people in the UK have a criminal record and some may already be working for you. So who makes up this population of ex-offenders? Consider the following key statistics:

• 68% of all sentences handed down by courts are fines.
• Only 7.9% of offenders are given immediate custodial sentences.
• 72% of employers who had knowingly employed someone with a criminal record said they were equally or more trustworthy than other staff.

For businesses, hiring an ex-offender can satisfy a number of different needs including financial, moral and societal. It can even assist a company in meeting its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives. The benefits for the individual can be even greater.

The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) conducted a survey of employers that showed “the employers’ experiences in employing ex-offenders were far more positive…” than expected. Employers reported that “re-offending when in employment was very rare indeed, underlining the contribution getting a job can make to reducing re-offending.” In addition, the majority of the employers in the study found that ex-offenders integrated well with other staff, were reliable, had good attitudes and were honest.

Ex-offenders are often looking for someone to give them a chance, but are anxious about disclosing a criminal record. If given the opportunity, ex-offenders are keen to prove that they are loyal and hard working. Stable employment for an ex-offender can reduce or remove the risk of re-offending and give the new employee independence and confidence. It is a ‘win-win situation’ for the employer, the employee and society as a whole.

There are some matters to consider when determining whether an ex-offender is suitable for a vacancy in your business. Luckily, a number of resources exist to help businesses make the right decision.  Here are some questions worth considering:

• How does my business integrate a new employee and ex-offender into the workforce?
• Are there certain offences which would preclude an ex-offender from working in my business?
• What if a loss occurs in the business as a result of an ex-offender?
• Where can I find a policy to support hiring ex-offenders?
• What is my “duty of care” and other legal requirements for employing ex-offenders?

These questions and more can be answered by many of the following organisations: Business in the Community; CIPD; the Discloure and Barring; Narco; The Ministry of Justice and the Clink Charity, which specifically trains prisoners for catering jobs. 

This feature first appeared in the April 2015 issue of Hotel Owner.