Employment History | Everything you need to know

What is an employment history?

An employment history highlights the job roles and experience you have undertaken since you started work. Its commonly found on CVs, oftentimes abridged for conciseness and relevancy. A typical employment history includes the name of the company, the duties performed, the length of the employment, and achievements.

Can employers check your employment history?

Most employers have a verification process to determine the authenticity of your employment history. The most common forms of verification are referencing, employment history and gap analysis, and job title verification. Another common form of verification includes company checks, to see if a company was trading during the time of the employment stated on your CV.

How far back do companies check employment history?

This depends on the type of industry and role. For example, the aviation industry requires all airside staff to undergo a 5-year background check, which includes information on all employers from the last 5 years (as well as gap periods, education, etc). For government roles, a 3-5 year background check is required under the BPSS pre-employment screening process, which must include employment history.

The general rule of thumb for most companies is to obtain 3-5 years work history of the candidate. If your work history is incomplete (gaps), you will be asked to provide further information. It is recommended on a CV and/or application form to clarify what you were up to during all gaps (e.g., travelling, extended, sick leave, etc).

Can employers check salary history?

In theory, an employer can use information from your P45 or P60 to determine what your previous salary was. However, this practice is very uncommon, as upper management rarely see personal financial documents (unless they request to). Oftentimes, only payroll and HR staff are likely to see this information.

If your employer asks what your current (or previous) salary is, or they ask you to disclose your full salary history, it is up to you whether you disclose this information or not. You are under no legal obligation to provide this information . In addition, employers are not allowed to obtain this information under GDPR laws without your consent. Do note, it is highly unlikely (unheard of in some industries) that an employer will ask for an extensive salary history.

How do I find my previous employment history?

You can use online HMRC services to access PAYE records, which will detail your employment history (including dates, salaries, etc). Of course, voluntary/unpaid roles will not appear in these records. It is recommended to keep an up-to-date CV or document which details all your previous roles. This should include company names, addresses, referee details (name, email, contact number), and length of employment per role.

Under certain circumstance (e.g., an industrial injury, road traffic accident, medical negligence, hardship) you can request proof of your work history through the government website.

How do I send my work history to employers?

Employers prefer to receive a candidate’s work history via an online application form, rather than a CV. If the employer does not have an online application form, then you can send them your work history via Employment Check App.

Employment Check App allows you to send potential employers your data, documents, work history, and background checks in one go.

Employment Check App helps employers with their hiring decisions and shows them you are ready to work.

Learn more about Employment Check App at https://ebcgobal.co.uk/app

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