Massive expansion planned for 'no-work' database

The operator of a new private database that allows big shops to share information on suspected dodgy staff is holding talks with major corporations to expand into other industries. Early adopters in the retail sector are also trialling the system with a view to collecting data about other alleged transgressions such as …

[Paul]

I can see it being like...

a 1930s film. Back to the days of being dismissed without references.

[dervheid]

Nothing New Here.

The UK offshore industry were always rumoured to have operated a 'similar' thing, (always denied, never proven). Workers purportedly categorised under the term 'NRB' would (apparently) find it nigh on impossible to find work in the industry thereafter. (NRB - Not Required Back)

Schemes like this are bad news all round.

[Christopher Cramp]

How About an Incompetence database

I think one of these shared between employers could be useful too !!

This is all very big brother prehaps next thing will all have to take polygraph tests before we can get a job, I thought this is why when you applied for a job you provided detials of refrences, surely making this type of database sort of useless and surely making a few phone calls to your previous employers is cheaper than joining this scheme for most small companies. I can see some huge litigation if the evidence on the database was proved incorrect and somebody was denied a job due to this system (like a lifetimes salary). As we all know that a database is only as good as the data in it (garbage in garbage out)

[dervheid]

And the words...

"Kangaroo" and "Court" spring to mind here!

(Apologies to our antipodean sector)

[Anonymous Coward]

> which reported similar dodgy patterns in its accounts

That doesn't sound like something that would be addressed by this.

I suspect that the previous employer did not, in fact, sack the employee for embezzlement, so those patterns would not have made it into the record. They probably discovered or verified them after review, prompted by the second employer's contact.

Sounds like "weasel words" to me. I highly recommend Scott Adams' "Way of the Weasel." -A seminal business techniques manual.

[ElFatbob]

What's the end game?

So, another vast database monitoring our lives. Has the issue of false or malicious accusation been properly addressed by this company? No - i didn't think so.

Where will it end?

[Svein Skogen]

Disclosure et alles

As long as a potential employer is open regarding "you cannot be hired due to data in register X", and register X is legally obliged to allow a person to see what data is stored about them, I have no problem with this register. Especially since storing incorrect data about an ex eployee would be internationally illegal, and as such a good reason to start lawsuits.

//Svein

[Sebastian Brosig]

BOFH

new risks... and opportunities galore, for the BOFH!

[James Robertson]

The robot takeover has started

Anyone else read Marshall Brain's thought essay entitled "Mana"?

You should: it's really scary - http://www.marshallbrain.com/manna1.htm - and this is one of the precursors he thinks is required...

[Anonymous Coward]

Blimey

CRB Checks, Sacking Checks at this rate no one will be able to get a job as we will all be barred.

Or it will take for ver to get the results back and we will all be on hand outs waiting for our new contracts to kick in.

Time to move to Poland to fill the skill shortage me thinks.

[Anonymous Coward]

Employer's misleading references

But don't Employers already have the opportunity to desribe their opinion of a worker?

Fear of legal action causes the majority to provide 'neutral' comments, when in fact some employees may be real sh1ts.

[OK, OK, some employers can be real sh1ts too, but it's easier for a disgruntled employee to walk, than it is for a disgruntled employee to give a worker the shove.]

"NRB" is succint, truthful and honest.

[Anonymous Coward]

How about the reverse?

A comprehensive database of all the alleged PHBs, lusers and morons in the various employers and all the dodgy things the companies have been accused of, whether proven or not?

I can get it started with about 35 names of people I've worked with, and a couple of companies, then we can look through El Reg's archives, Private Eye's back issue index, etc etc.

[Anonymous Coward]

Privacy Laws?

Isn't revealing information about the details of your dismissal to a prospective employer a breach of some privacy law?

[Anonymous Coward]

I'd volunteer

...For the incompetence register.

But I'm too lazy.

Look, see how it goes, and if you really want me to come back next week and I'll see if I can manage it by Thursday,

I'm not saying which Thursday, though.

Oh, is it really 5.00pm?

Pass me my coat.

[Anonymous Coward]

As a victim of bullying

I am all for it

[Anonymous Coward]

The effects of the Law of Unintended Consequences

can be seen from here :

As employers enter data in this database without control and on a voluntary basis, it will be used as a management and strategic tool.

- the threat of being inscribed in it will be used to make employees comply to unwholesome requests.

- it will be in the interest of the company to accumulate dirt on someone valuable leaving for legitimate reasons, so as not to release this employee to competitors.

- conversely, it will be in the company's best interest not to say anything bad about someone authentically dishonest and/or incompetent, so as to cripple competitors. With the added bonus of keeping blackmail potential against the newly departed

This will end well...

[Mark]

Privatised justice

So now the private sector is apparently Judge, jury and executioner. Treating people like shit really is one of the areas where the British are the worlds most innovative,

[Harry Stottle]

@ How About The Reverse

it exists, but I've just wasted half an hour of my all too precious time looking for it and I can't find it. Somewhere out there, though, is a web page where EMPLOYEES can rate their employers in order to pre-inform potential job applicants.

What the Trade Unions should do, in response to this nonsense, is formalise that approach and create a national - or even international - database of bad employers with verifiable examples of their practices...

[Ishkandar]

@Christopher Cramp

Somehow, I don't think this will work since many of the incompetents are in the management !! If you don't believe me, find out why the NHS new IT system never worked !!