certificate of conduct . Logistics Sector Warning Register (WLS): What's the Difference?

A certificate of conduct an official document issued by Justis (part of the Ministry of Justice and Security) that states whether a person’s criminal history constitutes an obstacle to a specific position or purpose. Justis assesses the applicant’s criminal history against one of the established screening profiles, which are tailored to the type of position. A certificate of conduct therefore only certificate of conduct what has been officially recorded about a person in the criminal justice system—that is, through the Public Prosecutor’s Office and the courts.

The WLS is an industry initiative launched by ACN, TLN, and FENEX that allows participating logistics companies to share information with one another about employees who have been terminated due to fraud, theft, or other reprehensible conduct in the workplace. This applies even if no criminal charges were ever filed. Other participants can consult this registry during a hiring process.

The key difference lies in the source of the information. A certificate of conduct based on judicial and criminal records. Only incidents that have actually led to a police report, prosecution, or conviction can certificate of conduct in a certificate of conduct . The WLS is based on internal reports from the participating companies themselves. This also includes incidents that were never reported to the police but did result in immediate termination for cause.

This is precisely why the logistics sector certificate of conduct the WLS in addition to the certificate of conduct : many cases of internal fraud and theft are never reported to the police, even though the risk to the next employer is very real.

As an employer, you do not apply for a “ certificate of conduct ” on behalf of the employee. The employee must always do this personally. What you do as an employer is specify which screening profile applies to the position and, where relevant, initiate the application process with Justis. The employee can then submit an application to the municipality using the correct reference number or digitally via DigiD. The processing time typically ranges from a few days to several weeks, depending on the complexity of the criminal history that needs to be checked.

A “ certificate of conduct ” and a WLS inquiry complement each other rather than overlapping. The “ certificate of conduct ” provides an overview of a candidate’s criminal history in general. The WLS specifically provides insight into incidents within the logistics sector that never led to criminal charges but are relevant to the security of your organization. By incorporating both as standard steps in your pre-employment screening process, you can avoid the major blind spot that remains when relying solely on a certificate of conduct .

Not a WLS participant yet? Find out how to join and what the requirements are on the website of Stichting WLS, and be sure to read our guide to pre-employment screening in logistics for a comprehensive screening process.