Not even a criminal background check but a credit check on two apps. today

[Crazy Dave]

One for a parts delivery driver, the other an electricians helper. On both apps. they wanted you to authorize that you would take a pre-employment drug test and for them to run a credit check on you but no background check.

So if you killed somebody or robbed from your old boss....no big deal but if you missed one JC Penney credit card payment you'd make a lousy employee :shrug:

[nickgutierrez]

1. I wonder about that.

What's the legitimate purpose for obtaining credit information about your employees? Should that be legal?

[Crazy Dave]

4. Don't know

The car and home owner's insurance started doing it about five years ago so they could jack up your rates. You are more accident and arson prone if you have bad credit they justify it with. Maybe with employers that are not in the banking or other financial areas it's to pay employees with bad credit less. Thanks to both mine and my wife's ex's, both our credit scores are screwed.

[RandomThoughts]

6. seems like

Its a shift from rule of law, to rule of corporation.

Businesses can claim that money and finance is the determiner of social value. Not how you act within that society.

Although Felons that have served their time should be able to find work. Obviously some sectors would be more stringent then others, but work for released prisoners is essential to lower prison populations, and crime. But lowering crime in lower income communities, does not make money for companies. Prisoners do, in private sector prisons. This is a problem where the profit motive hurts society, and helps Cheney and his friends.

[MrCoffee]

7. Why shouldn't it be legal?

It's not discriminatory, and there's a legitimate interest in knowing whether a potential employee has a motive to steal from you.

The Fair Credit Reporting Act has protections for employees who suffer an adverse employment action based solely on a poor credit report.

[RandomThoughts]

9. If needing money is a motive to steal,

wouldn't applying for the job be an equal motive to steal?

I think there is some comment made about a person with bad credit, a comment about social conformity. How well they follow the rules applied by economic society. I think it is more of a insider/outsider thing, or possibly a moral thing for those that put money first.

However, the financiers on wall street all blew their credit rating, so should they not have a job?

[MrCoffee]

10. I was responding to the legality of it

I agree with your moral argument, but that's neither here nor there regarding the legality of it.

[RandomThoughts]

12. That might depend on which law is higher

Ones own moral law that governs ones conduct,

Or the materialistic one that governs wealth acquisition.

[quakerboy]

11. Its not discriminatory?

So, people of different groups are likely to have roughly equal credit scores?

And people with poor credit are likely to steal from you?


Pardon the language, but those are some fucked up assumptions there.

Edited to add, I think it should be illegal. Unless and until the company is required to provide credit checks on itself in return, that potential employees may be able to evaluate whether the company is a good fit for them.

[NightWatcher]

2. most employers NEVER check it, but they keep the authorization on file

they are only really looking to see if there is a history of liens or wage garnishment (ie, more paperwork for them).

[rcrush]

3. Or if you smoke refer on your own time

Then you are unworthy to have a job.

[CreekDog]

5. being unemployed can be hell on credit

which just sucks.

[Crazy Dave]

8. No doubt

:thumbsup: :hi:

[Danger Mouse]

13. Because we are all slaves to the almighty corporations.

[mike_c]

14. being a good consumer is FAR more important than being a good citizen...

...in other respects. :sarcasm:

[SOteric]

15. I was commenting on the absurdity of some of these checks

just last week to DS1. I can understand checking into your credit history if you're applying for a job as a risk analyst for a credit card company. But some of the places looking for background and credit checks are just absurd.

The only reason I can think for asking the delivery driver is that some insurance companies will not insure drivers with poor credit scores, or insure them only at a much higher rate. (Which is a whole 'nother rant.) I've got nothing on the electrician's helper.

[dawgmom]

16. Unlikely that one missed payment would affect your chances

However, a credit report that reveals dozens and dozens of late payments and defaults over more than just one period of time -- as in a lifetime -- shows a pattern of behavior that an employer has a legitimate interest in. Especially if they are for credit cards. That interest is particularly legitimate if the employee is going to be handling money.

However, I agree that it's odd to do the credit check but not the background check. I would do both.

[HarukaTheTrophyWife]

17. Pfft

They had a cop come in and finger print us today.