ons based on past knowledge of a prospective employee’s occupation dismissal history. Speaking at the latest MachineGuard Security Symposium held in April, MD Gary Pettengell explained that MachineGuard has been given permission by the Data Protection Commission to operate the scheme, believed to be the first of its kind in the UK. The MachineGuard Database will be allowed to hold individual records on the register as long as it is fit for purpose. This means people would remain on the list until they reach retirement age. Pettengell said, “The Dismissed Employee Register Scheme is effectively a database of information on individuals. It logs the person’s details, the employer’s company name, the position they held at the company and during which dates, together with details of why they were dismissed from the position. This information is then shared with other organisations when they apply to us for a record on the specific individual. Importantly, the information is also shared with the individual themselves so they are fully aware of the details that are held on them. This makes the benefits of the scheme far stronger in terms of acting as a deterrent from wrongdoing. “If employees are aware that if they are dismissed from their position their details will be held on record for the remainder of their working life they are much less likely to commit an act which could affect their future prospects.” Pettengell likened the Dismissed Employee Register Scheme to a burglar looking at two houses, one fitted with an alarm and one without. The burglar was far more likely to target the unprotected property in the same way a dishonest person would rather work for a company not part of the scheme. The other main benefit of the Dismissed Employee Register scheme is for businesses to use it as part of their recruitment process. When they have short listed an individual it makes good business sense for them to check the person against the Dismissed Employee Register in the same way that they would check for references from a former employer.

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