Ex-Offender Policy

GEM Rides recognises that criminal-record information is sensitive and that people who apply to work with us deserve to be treated with dignity, clarity, and respect.

This policy explains our current recruitment position. It applies to applicants for employment and, where relevant, to individuals seeking booking, dispatch, driving, chauffeur, or other operational work with Baltic Standard Ltd.

Our current position

At this time, because of our present operating model, passenger-safety responsibilities, private hire licensing conditions, insurance arrangements, and available compliance resources, Gem Rides is unable to progress applicants where a lawful criminal-record check discloses a previous conviction that the company is legally permitted or required to take into account.

For roles that are legally eligible for a check or question covering spent convictions, this current restriction includes spent convictions. For roles that are not eligible, Gem Rides will not ask an applicant to disclose a spent conviction, seek an ineligible criminal-record check, or make a recruitment decision based on information that the law does not permit us to consider.

This is a statement of Gem Rides' current operational policy. It is not intended to make a judgement about any applicant's character, rehabilitation, skills, or potential.

Recruitment checks

The type and level of any criminal-record check will be determined by the role and the applicable law. This may include a basic Disclosure and Barring Service check for booking and dispatch staff, licensing checks for private hire drivers, or another check where the role is legally eligible.

We will explain relevant checks during recruitment and handle criminal-offence information confidentially, with access limited to people who need it for recruitment, licensing, safeguarding, insurance, or legal compliance.

Information for applicants

Please answer recruitment and compliance questions accurately, but do not disclose a spent conviction unless the application materials clearly explain that the role is legally eligible for that information.

We appreciate the time, interest, and trust involved in every application. We understand that this policy may be disappointing to some prospective applicants, and we are grateful for their interest in joining Gem Rides.

Review of this policy

We will review this policy as our recruitment processes, operating model, insurance, licensing requirements, and compliance capabilities develop. A future review may result in a different approach. The version published on this page is the policy currently in effect.

Questions

For a confidential question about this policy or a recruitment process, contact us at contact@gem-rides.co.uk. General information about how we handle applicant data is available in our Privacy Policy.