Bill to Ban Credit Checks in Hiring Process

[draper]

I was asked yesterday by one of the cons on here about "what is the man doing to keep me down" Well, me personally, nothing. I'm employed and not "kept down" and frankly I don't think I ever said that I was. However, I found this article and found the bill to be a good idea. Many unemployed people are kept from being hired by the credit check process.

WASHINGTON -- For many of the 6.4 million Americans who have been unemployed for six months or longer, the prospect of finding a new job is daunting enough with a massive employment gap on their resumes. Checkered credit histories can be an even greater hurdle to clear.

In a move that may even the playing field for some of the long-term unemployed, Maryland State Delegate Kirill Reznik (D-Germantown) introduced a bill on Friday that would prohibit Maryland employers, with a few exceptions, from using a person's credit history as a screening tool for hiring and retention decisions. The Germantown delegate introduced the same bill last year without success, but similar legislation has now passed in Hawaii, Illinois, Oregon and Washington.

Maryland House Bill 87, called the Job Applicant Fairness Act, exempts financial institutions, including banks and credit unions, and law-enforcement agencies that are required to perform credit checks. Reznik told HuffPost that the legislation is mainly intended to help blue-collar workers.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/01/26/maryland-job-applicant-fairness-act_n_814154.html

Your thoughts?

 

[Willworkforcrak]

Thank god man, credit cards are the scum of the earth and debt collectors are the devil.

 

[Zoom-boing]

I think if I'm a business owner hiring employees I want to know how reliable they are and a credit check helps me find this out. If they are consistent in paying bills on time and don't hop from credit card to credit card, that will likely mean they will be a consistent employee who won't hop out of the job. If their credit history is bad/poor and/or they hop around from card to card frequently . . . I'd be wary of hiring them. I'd check their references as well; this just gives me another checkpoint, as it were. No, having crappy credit doesn't necessarily mean they'd make a crappy employee . . .but if I were a boss looking to hire? I'd hire someone with a background that checks out to be sound. Generally, it speaks to the kind of person they are and how responsible they are, which speaks to the kind of employee they'd make, imo.

 

[draper]

Maryland Lawmaker Reintroduces Bill To Ban Credit Checks In Hiring Process

Here's the URL, wasn't allowed to put it in as I had less than 15 posts.

 

[Willworkforcrak]

I think if I'm a business owner hiring employees I want to know how reliable they are and a credit check helps me find this out. If they are consistent in paying bills on time and don't hope from credit card to credit card, that will likely mean they will be a consistent employee who won't hope out of the job. If their credit history is bad/poor and/or they hope around from card to card frequently . . . I'd be wary of hiring them. I'd check their references as well; this just gives me another checkpoint, as it were. No, having crappy credit doesn't necessarily mean they'd make a crappy employee . . .but if I were a boss looking to hire? I'd hire someone with a background that checks out to be sound. Generally, it speaks to the kind of person they are and how responsible they are, which speaks to the kind of employee they'd make, imo.

Credit debt isn't just about bad credit cards doofus, but medical bills or auto repairs. Some people just don't have the money and this is probably why they are seeking employment.

In this day and age if someone doesn't have one tarnish on their record I highly doubt they be looking for a job.

 

[Care4all]

I don't think employers should have the right to ones personal information.....such as a credit check, if it does NOT relate to the job being hired for in a direct manner.

I have hired a gazillion employees over the years working and NOT ONCE did I need a potential hire's credit score or credit report, to make a decision on whether they would be a good employee for the job tasked.

 

[Zoom-boing]

I think if I'm a business owner hiring employees I want to know how reliable they are and a credit check helps me find this out. If they are consistent in paying bills on time and don't hope from credit card to credit card, that will likely mean they will be a consistent employee who won't hope out of the job. If their credit history is bad/poor and/or they hope around from card to card frequently . . . I'd be wary of hiring them. I'd check their references as well; this just gives me another checkpoint, as it were. No, having crappy credit doesn't necessarily mean they'd make a crappy employee . . .but if I were a boss looking to hire? I'd hire someone with a background that checks out to be sound. Generally, it speaks to the kind of person they are and how responsible they are, which speaks to the kind of employee they'd make, imo.

Credit debt isn't just about bad credit cards doofus, but medical bills or auto repairs. Some people just don't have the money and this is probably why they are seeking employment.

What part of ' If they are consistent in paying bills on time' don't you understand?

Negged for the doofus remark; totally uncalled for neeewb.

 

[Willworkforcrak]

I think if I'm a business owner hiring employees I want to know how reliable they are and a credit check helps me find this out. If they are consistent in paying bills on time and don't hope from credit card to credit card, that will likely mean they will be a consistent employee who won't hope out of the job. If their credit history is bad/poor and/or they hope around from card to card frequently . . . I'd be wary of hiring them. I'd check their references as well; this just gives me another checkpoint, as it were. No, having crappy credit doesn't necessarily mean they'd make a crappy employee . . .but if I were a boss looking to hire? I'd hire someone with a background that checks out to be sound. Generally, it speaks to the kind of person they are and how responsible they are, which speaks to the kind of employee they'd make, imo.

Credit debt isn't just about bad credit cards doofus, but medical bills or auto repairs. Some people just don't have the money and this is probably why they are seeking employment.

What part of ' If they are consistent in paying bills on time' don't you understand?

Negged for the doofus remark; totally uncalled for neeewb.

You know exactly what I'm talking about.

Don't call me a newb jackass

 

[Madeline]

Zoom-boing, I can see where the credit report would be superficially appealing. But let's say you are hiring a hair stylist...can you explain in simple terms how someone with a higher credit score is more likely to make a satisfactory employee? You may "believe" that someone with a high credit score is more likely to make a good employee -- but wouldn't a check with previous employers tell you more relevant information? Isn't it also possible that someone with a bad credit score/report might be more motivated and thus, the better employee?

It is pretty obvious how someone looking for work with a crappy credit score/report could be harmed...so what is the counterbalancing benefit to employers, IYO?

 

[MaggieMae]

I was asked yesterday by one of the cons on here about "what is the man doing to keep me down" Well, me personally, nothing. I'm employed and not "kept down" and frankly I don't think I ever said that I was. However, I found this article and found the bill to be a good idea. Many unemployed people are kept from being hired by the credit check process.

WASHINGTON -- For many of the 6.4 million Americans who have been unemployed for six months or longer, the prospect of finding a new job is daunting enough with a massive employment gap on their resumes. Checkered credit histories can be an even greater hurdle to clear.

In a move that may even the playing field for some of the long-term unemployed, Maryland State Delegate Kirill Reznik (D-Germantown) introduced a bill on Friday that would prohibit Maryland employers, with a few exceptions, from using a person's credit history as a screening tool for hiring and retention decisions. The Germantown delegate introduced the same bill last year without success, but similar legislation has now passed in Hawaii, Illinois, Oregon and Washington.

Maryland House Bill 87, called the Job Applicant Fairness Act, exempts financial institutions, including banks and credit unions, and law-enforcement agencies that are required to perform credit checks. Reznik told HuffPost that the legislation is mainly intended to help blue-collar workers.

Maryland Lawmaker Reintroduces Bill To Ban Credit Checks In Hiring Process

Your thoughts?

I don't see how a ban could stop getting a credit check. If a potential employer knows a person's SSN, he can do it anyway. If the applicant refuses to give his/her social, that's going to be a red flag and probably won't be offered the job even before any credit check.

Personally, I think it's an abominable practice because a person's credit history (good or bad) results from a whole bunch of factors which are, frankly, nobody's business except the applicant's.

 

[Madeline]

I was asked yesterday by one of the cons on here about "what is the man doing to keep me down" Well, me personally, nothing. I'm employed and not "kept down" and frankly I don't think I ever said that I was. However, I found this article and found the bill to be a good idea. Many unemployed people are kept from being hired by the credit check process.

WASHINGTON -- For many of the 6.4 million Americans who have been unemployed for six months or longer, the prospect of finding a new job is daunting enough with a massive employment gap on their resumes. Checkered credit histories can be an even greater hurdle to clear.

In a move that may even the playing field for some of the long-term unemployed, Maryland State Delegate Kirill Reznik (D-Germantown) introduced a bill on Friday that would prohibit Maryland employers, with a few exceptions, from using a person's credit history as a screening tool for hiring and retention decisions. The Germantown delegate introduced the same bill last year without success, but similar legislation has now passed in Hawaii, Illinois, Oregon and Washington.

Maryland House Bill 87, called the Job Applicant Fairness Act, exempts financial institutions, including banks and credit unions, and law-enforcement agencies that are required to perform credit checks. Reznik told HuffPost that the legislation is mainly intended to help blue-collar workers.

Maryland Lawmaker Reintroduces Bill To Ban Credit Checks In Hiring Process

Your thoughts?

I don't see how a ban could stop getting a credit check. If a potential employer knows a person's SSN, he can do it anyway. If the applicant refuses to give his/her social, that's going to be a red flag and probably won't be offered the job even before any credit check.

Personally, I think it's an abominable practice because a person's credit history (good or bad) results from a whole bunch of factors which are, frankly, nobody's business except the applicant's.

Not everyone with your SSN can pull your credit report, Maggie. You must specifically agree to that....however, I will agree that people looking for work will agree to almost any conditions, even if they are illegal.

 

[Trajan]

I don't think employers should have the right to ones personal information.....such as a credit check, if it does NOT relate to the job being hired for in a direct manner.

I have hired a gazillion employees over the years working and NOT ONCE did I need a potential hire's credit score or credit report, to make a decision on whether they would be a good employee for the job tasked.

uhmmm, if a co. gives them a co CC...should they have to undergo a Cred. check? Handle cash? make purchases? Sign off on contracts?

 

[Zoom-boing]

Credit debt isn't just about bad credit cards doofus, but medical bills or auto repairs. Some people just don't have the money and this is probably why they are seeking employment.

What part of ' If they are consistent in paying bills on time' don't you understand?

Negged for the doofus remark; totally uncalled for neeewb.

You know exactly what I'm talking about.

Don't call me a newb jackass

I call 'em as I see 'em, newboob.

 

[Sallow]

I don't think employers should have the right to ones personal information.....such as a credit check, if it does NOT relate to the job being hired for in a direct manner.

I have hired a gazillion employees over the years working and NOT ONCE did I need a potential hire's credit score or credit report, to make a decision on whether they would be a good employee for the job tasked.

Sure they do.

I work in the financial industry. There is a potential for people like me, to use what I do to their personal advantage. There is an absolute need for the industry to be able to vette people like me completely. It is of the utmost importance to people working in sensitive areas to have a great deal of integrity.

 

[MaggieMae]

I think if I'm a business owner hiring employees I want to know how reliable they are and a credit check helps me find this out. If they are consistent in paying bills on time and don't hop from credit card to credit card, that will likely mean they will be a consistent employee who won't hop out of the job. If their credit history is bad/poor and/or they hop around from card to card frequently . . . I'd be wary of hiring them. I'd check their references as well; this just gives me another checkpoint, as it were. No, having crappy credit doesn't necessarily mean they'd make a crappy employee . . .but if I were a boss looking to hire? I'd hire someone with a background that checks out to be sound. Generally, it speaks to the kind of person they are and how responsible they are, which speaks to the kind of employee they'd make, imo.

As someone just checking a credit score using a SSN, you wouldn't have access to all the accounts anyway in order to see if someone had been bouncing around. When an individual wants to check his/her credit score and want to see which accounts are listed, they need to plug in all the account numbers. A potential employer would not have those.

A credit "score" can be influenced by some spouse who abused the joint credit, then took off, leaving the remaining spouse responsible for the bills. A credit "score" is influenced if a person has major credit cards and also has store credit cards (which reduces the number). The score can be reduced even if someone is shopping around for a refinance. Ironically, the credit score will actually DROP if a person pays off all his credit!! Are those bad people that will make for crappy employees? Hardly.

Don't be so quick to judge based on a measurement from a conglomeration of basic assumptions without the true facts in front of you.

 

[Zoom-boing]

Zoom-boing, I can see where the credit report would be superficially appealing. But let's say you are hiring a hair stylist...can you explain in simple terms how someone with a higher credit score is more likely to make a satisfactory employee? You may "believe" that someone with a high credit score is more likely to make a good employee -- but wouldn't a check with previous employers tell you more relevant information? Isn't it also possible that someone with a bad credit score/report might be more motivated and thus, the better employee?

It is pretty obvious how someone looking for work with a crappy credit score/report could be harmed...so what is the counterbalancing benefit to employers, IYO?

I didn't say anything about credit scores and I did say check with previous employers. It's their history on bills, cc, etc. If someone habitually pays their bills late it would indicate that doing things on time may be a problem for them. I would think that if an employer were running a credit check it would give them more information than just a credit score? I honestly don't know.

 

[MaggieMae]

I don't think employers should have the right to ones personal information.....such as a credit check, if it does NOT relate to the job being hired for in a direct manner.

I have hired a gazillion employees over the years working and NOT ONCE did I need a potential hire's credit score or credit report, to make a decision on whether they would be a good employee for the job tasked.

Equally as important, I've worked with a good many people over the years and never known anyone who was fired for poor performance even though I knew for a fact some of them were deeply in debt. Chances are if they are, they really need the job. It's a no-brainer.

 

[Zoom-boing]

I think if I'm a business owner hiring employees I want to know how reliable they are and a credit check helps me find this out. If they are consistent in paying bills on time and don't hop from credit card to credit card, that will likely mean they will be a consistent employee who won't hop out of the job. If their credit history is bad/poor and/or they hop around from card to card frequently . . . I'd be wary of hiring them. I'd check their references as well; this just gives me another checkpoint, as it were. No, having crappy credit doesn't necessarily mean they'd make a crappy employee . . .but if I were a boss looking to hire? I'd hire someone with a background that checks out to be sound. Generally, it speaks to the kind of person they are and how responsible they are, which speaks to the kind of employee they'd make, imo.

As someone just checking a credit score using a SSN, you wouldn't have access to all the accounts anyway in order to see if someone had been bouncing around. When an individual wants to check his/her credit score and want to see which accounts are listed, they need to plug in all the account numbers. A potential employer would not have those.

A credit "score" can be influenced by some spouse who abused the joint credit, then took off, leaving the remaining spouse responsible for the bills. A credit "score" is influenced if a person has major credit cards and also has store credit cards (which reduces the number). The score can be reduced even if someone is shopping around for a refinance. Ironically, the credit score will actually DROP if a person pays off all his credit!! Are those bad people that will make for crappy employees? Hardly.

Don't be so quick to judge based on a measurement from a conglomeration of basic assumptions without the true facts in front of you.

Your first paragraph . . . I don't know what information a potential employer gains from a credit check; thanks for providing that.

Your second paragraph . . . I wasn't talking about credit scores.

Your third paragraph . . . Whose judging? I was merely stating my opinion.

 

[MaggieMae]

Zoom-boing, I can see where the credit report would be superficially appealing. But let's say you are hiring a hair stylist...can you explain in simple terms how someone with a higher credit score is more likely to make a satisfactory employee? You may "believe" that someone with a high credit score is more likely to make a good employee -- but wouldn't a check with previous employers tell you more relevant information? Isn't it also possible that someone with a bad credit score/report might be more motivated and thus, the better employee?

It is pretty obvious how someone looking for work with a crappy credit score/report could be harmed...so what is the counterbalancing benefit to employers, IYO?

References from prior employers is THE most revealing factor when hiring. The key question, at the end of any conversation with said prior employer is "Would you hire this person again?" Even the slightest hesitation is a red flag, and assuming you will want to pursue this potential employee anyway, is a topic for the interview. The answers are very revealing.

 

[MaggieMae]

I was asked yesterday by one of the cons on here about "what is the man doing to keep me down" Well, me personally, nothing. I'm employed and not "kept down" and frankly I don't think I ever said that I was. However, I found this article and found the bill to be a good idea. Many unemployed people are kept from being hired by the credit check process.

WASHINGTON -- For many of the 6.4 million Americans who have been unemployed for six months or longer, the prospect of finding a new job is daunting enough with a massive employment gap on their resumes. Checkered credit histories can be an even greater hurdle to clear.

In a move that may even the playing field for some of the long-term unemployed, Maryland State Delegate Kirill Reznik (D-Germantown) introduced a bill on Friday that would prohibit Maryland employers, with a few exceptions, from using a person's credit history as a screening tool for hiring and retention decisions. The Germantown delegate introduced the same bill last year without success, but similar legislation has now passed in Hawaii, Illinois, Oregon and Washington.

Maryland House Bill 87, called the Job Applicant Fairness Act, exempts financial institutions, including banks and credit unions, and law-enforcement agencies that are required to perform credit checks. Reznik told HuffPost that the legislation is mainly intended to help blue-collar workers.

Maryland Lawmaker Reintroduces Bill To Ban Credit Checks In Hiring Process

Your thoughts?

I don't see how a ban could stop getting a credit check. If a potential employer knows a person's SSN, he can do it anyway. If the applicant refuses to give his/her social, that's going to be a red flag and probably won't be offered the job even before any credit check.

Personally, I think it's an abominable practice because a person's credit history (good or bad) results from a whole bunch of factors which are, frankly, nobody's business except the applicant's.

Not everyone with your SSN can pull your credit report, Maggie. You must specifically agree to that....however, I will agree that people looking for work will agree to almost any conditions, even if they are illegal.

Aha, but if the employer plugs in the name, address, and SSN of the potential employee (as if he's him), he can get the information.