States may ban credit checks on job applicants

[boedicca]

Having poor credit usually... not always... means that you have lived and purchased beyond your means.

Do you typically recommend that a employed person who owns a home and has a mortgage, that suddenly is layed off and is without income, should immediately sell their home?

That's nonsense. Hopefully, that person has some "rainy day savings" to tide them through until he finds a job (it is very imprudent to be "house poor" with no savings in case of an emergency). It costs money to sell a house; making a panicky decision to sell is usually a bad idea.

 

[beowolfe]

If I as an employer want to check credit history so as to be better informed as to the character of an applicant, i should have every right to do so.

Do you think someone's character can be summed up by a credit check? If a person has had a tough time making ends meet, should that prevent them from succeeding, if given an honest chance?

The article said it well: It's tough enough finding a job these days...

Just another erosion of an individual's right to privacy! But some Conservatives have no problem eroding personal rights, or so it seems.

Personal rights include the rights to conduct business the way i choose and to hire who i want to hire.

Within reason. Your right to conduct business the way you you choose and your right to hire who you want ends when it begins to interfer with someone else's rights as a citizen.

It's sort of like my right to swing my hand ends at your face.

 

[Dr Gregg]

We have rental properties and run credit checks on prospective tenants. Will this be banned as well? Why would a landlord sign a lease with someone who does not/cannot pay their bills?

that's a hell of a lot different from credit check for jobs when YOu are expecting the person to pay rent on time

 

[Dr Grump]

Interesting that the cons - who are all about freedom - always support this kind of shit...

Hello?

Hiring someone is a voluntary relationship, and an employer has a right to perform due diligence. A job candidate has a right to refuse to provide information for a background check if they don't want to go through it.

Via such a check, I discovered that a job candidate was convicted of embezzlement. Why shouldn't I use such publicly available information to make a better decision?

That's fine. You have no problems with background checks on firearms then? Cool.

Personally I believe in liberty for all. Down here and back home, there is no such thing as credit checks on people. Nobody's business. How about checking their spouse's credit? How about how many kids they have? the race of their spouse? the type of car they have? Too many kids?? hhhmmm, how can they afford them? Does that mean they'll take more sick days? What about school term break up, will they want more time off? They drive a Toyota? Hhh,mmmm, that's unAmerican...hhhmmm....and on and on.

The only criteria an employer needs to know is 1) Can they do the jobs, 2) Check their referees 3) Do they have a criminal record.

That's it..


This is why conservatives crack me up - seriously. They are the biggest whiners - by a huge margin - about personal freedoms but every time personal freedoms are encroached, they seem ok with it....too funny

 

[Big Black Dog]

Do you think someone's character can be summed up by a credit check? If a person has had a tough time making ends meet, should that prevent them from succeeding, if given an honest chance?

The article said it well: It's tough enough finding a job these days...

Just another erosion of an individual's right to privacy! But some Conservatives have no problem eroding personal rights, or so it seems.

Let's say you came to me for a job. You owe everybody in town and you are frequently late with your bill payments. You are just steps away from bankruptcy. That tells me a lot about you as an employee. It tells me you don't know how to handle your resources, establish priorities, and you have trouble keeping your commitments. It also shows that you don't meet deadlines well. Having poor credit, in some cases, can be proof that you are not a person of your word. I doubt very seriously that I would give you a job. Being a conservative has nothing to do with it and I'm not sure how you can throw this into the debate.

You have jumped to a huge conclusion there. Maybe the prospective employee has been out of work for some time. Maybe those resources just have not been there. Priorities might have very well been feeding a family, making sure their health is still maintained as well as one can, keeping a roof over their heads.

It appears that to you, at least, bad credit can only have one reason: bad money management. But the reality of an individual's situation is not always that cut and dried.

And I mention the Conservative stance only to illustrate the Conservative penchant for protecting commerce over the individuals right to privacy.

You have come to a bad conclussion. All of these things, background check, credit check, drug screen, reference check are part of a good employment interview. You would be pretty foolish to interview somebody prior to obtaining all of these checks. During the interview process, if there are questions, especially about credit history, that is the time to discuss it to clear up any lingering questions. Every story has two sides. The side that you see on paper and as Paul Harvey used to say, the rest of the story. As you say, there may very well be a reason for the poor credit history. That is why you discuss it. If you discover during the interview that the person does not have good underlying reasons for such a bad credit history, then you suspect the bad things like poor personal choices, low priorities, and all the other stuff. There have been some people I crossed paths with that had an understandable reason for being so deeply in debt that it was difficult to manage but generally that is rare. Just about everybody has debt. Not everyone manages their debt well.

 

[manifold]

What about the employer's individual right to vet a candidate to whom they are going to entrust company resources and customer relationships?

I'm pretty sure that doesn't include the right to force the candidate to forfeit their rights in the process. But I could be wrong.

 

[manifold]

Excellent point.

Maybe employers should be able to review a potential employee's medical record.

Yeah.

And maybe they should be allowed to review their tax returns too.

And their credit card statements.

And their netflix account.

And if it's a dude, check the size of his shlong. Afterall, everyone knows that dudes with little dicks try harder.

 

[boedicca]

And if it's a dude, check the size of his shlong. Afterall, everyone knows that dudes with little dicks try harder.

Wow! Your Self-Awareness is So Refreshing!

 

[Big Black Dog]

Do you think someone's character can be summed up by a credit check? If a person has had a tough time making ends meet, should that prevent them from succeeding, if given an honest chance?

The article said it well: It's tough enough finding a job these days...

Just another erosion of an individual's right to privacy! But some Conservatives have no problem eroding personal rights, or so it seems.

Personal rights include the rights to conduct business the way i choose and to hire who i want to hire.

Within reason. Your right to conduct business the way you you choose and your right to hire who you want ends when it begins to interfer with someone else's rights as a citizen.

It's sort of like my right to swing my hand ends at your face.

As an employer, I have the right to know as much about a person I am going to hire as I can obtain through public records and a job interview. That includes a police check and a credit check. These are all a matter of public record. You, as a person seeking employment from me, have every right to refuse to make that information available to me. I can then use that refusal in my decision-making process that I use to determine if I want to offer you a job. It costs a lot of money to hire someone, train someone, and bring them up to a level where they are going to be an actual benefit to the company. For the sake of conversation, let's say that the position I am trying to fill pays $18.00 an hour. If by conducting a credit check I can clearly assertain that you can't live on an $18.00 an hour job, I am certainly not going to hire you so you have some income until you can find yourself a job that you can make ends meet on. That would be just plain silly of me to even consider. It would be a very bad use of company funds. Also if that credit check proves to me that even the $18.00 an hour that is to be your salary can't cover your expenses, you will be hounding me for a raise everytime you turn around. Call it whatever you want to call it, businesses are in business to make money - not simply to pay for your 52 inch tv. Nobody owes you anything. That is, unless you are manifold with that small penis. An exception could be made there under the hire the handicapped policy.

 

[manifold]

Personal rights include the rights to conduct business the way i choose and to hire who i want to hire.

Within reason. Your right to conduct business the way you you choose and your right to hire who you want ends when it begins to interfer with someone else's rights as a citizen.

It's sort of like my right to swing my hand ends at your face.

As an employer, I have the right to know as much about a person I am going to hire as I can obtain through public records and a job interview. That includes a police check and a credit check. These are all a matter of public record. You, as a person seeking employment from me, have every right to refuse to make that information available to me. I can then use that refusal in my decision-making process that I use to determine if I want to offer you a job. It costs a lot of money to hire someone, train someone, and bring them up to a level where they are going to be an actual benefit to the company. For the sake of conversation, let's say that the position I am trying to fill pays $18.00 an hour. If by conducting a credit check I can clearly assertain that you can't live on an $18.00 an hour job, I am certainly not going to hire you so you have some income until you can find yourself a job that you can make ends meet on. That would be just plain silly of me to even consider. It would be a very bad use of company funds. Also if that credit check proves to me that even the $18.00 an hour that is to be your salary can't cover your expenses, you will be hounding me for a raise everytime you turn around. Call it whatever you want to call it, businesses are in business to make money - not simply to pay for your 52 inch tv. Nobody owes you anything.

Nice soap box rant!

There is always a cost of doing business. One is uncertainty.

 

[beowolfe]

Personal rights include the rights to conduct business the way i choose and to hire who i want to hire.

Within reason. Your right to conduct business the way you you choose and your right to hire who you want ends when it begins to interfer with someone else's rights as a citizen.

It's sort of like my right to swing my hand ends at your face.

As an employer, I have the right to know as much about a person I am going to hire as I can obtain through public records and a job interview. That includes a police check and a credit check. These are all a matter of public record. You, as a person seeking employment from me, have every right to refuse to make that information available to me. I can then use that refusal in my decision-making process that I use to determine if I want to offer you a job. It costs a lot of money to hire someone, train someone, and bring them up to a level where they are going to be an actual benefit to the company. For the sake of conversation, let's say that the position I am trying to fill pays $18.00 an hour. If by conducting a credit check I can clearly assertain that you can't live on an $18.00 an hour job, I am certainly not going to hire you so you have some income until you can find yourself a job that you can make ends meet on. That would be just plain silly of me to even consider. It would be a very bad use of company funds. Also if that credit check proves to me that even the $18.00 an hour that is to be your salary can't cover your expenses, you will be hounding me for a raise everytime you turn around. Call it whatever you want to call it, businesses are in business to make money - not simply to pay for your 52 inch tv. Nobody owes you anything. That is, unless you are manifold with that small penis. An exception could be made there under the hire the handicapped policy.

You're absolutely correct. Those are you legal rights as it stands today. However, it is within the power of your state government to change those rights.

 

[GHook93]

The Oneida Daily Dispatch: Serving Oneida, NY and Madison County (OneidaDispatch.com)


I'm not sure how I feel about this.

What say you?

This is a GREAT thing and I work for a credit bureau.

Your credit should dictate whether a company should give you a loan, but it shouldn't prohibit you from getting a job. Usually people fall into credit troubles because of a job loss, now they want to make it harder to get a job because of your credit.

I say good job politicians and I will personally be effected because I sell $50K of this specific product (note credit reports for job applicants are called employment insight). Yet I think this is a positive move.

 

[Nonelitist]

Do you think someone's character can be summed up by a credit check? If a person has had a tough time making ends meet, should that prevent them from succeeding, if given an honest chance?

The article said it well: It's tough enough finding a job these days...

Just another erosion of an individual's right to privacy! But some Conservatives have no problem eroding personal rights, or so it seems.

Personal rights include the rights to conduct business the way i choose and to hire who i want to hire.

Within reason. Your right to conduct business the way you you choose and your right to hire who you want ends when it begins to interfer with someone else's rights as a citizen.

It's sort of like my right to swing my hand ends at your face.

What rights do I infringe when I look up someones Credit History? That isn't private information. If it was, it wouldn't be so easy to get. Whats next.. criminal history is also private?

 

[Dr Grump]

[

As an employer, I have the right to know as much about a person I am going to hire as I can obtain through public records and a job interview. That includes a police check and a credit check. These are all a matter of public record. You, as a person seeking employment from me, have every right to refuse to make that information available to me. I can then use that refusal in my decision-making process that I use to determine if I want to offer you a job. It costs a lot of money to hire someone, train someone, and bring them up to a level where they are going to be an actual benefit to the company. For the sake of conversation, let's say that the position I am trying to fill pays $18.00 an hour. If by conducting a credit check I can clearly assertain that you can't live on an $18.00 an hour job, I am certainly not going to hire you so you have some income until you can find yourself a job that you can make ends meet on. That would be just plain silly of me to even consider. It would be a very bad use of company funds. Also if that credit check proves to me that even the $18.00 an hour that is to be your salary can't cover your expenses, you will be hounding me for a raise everytime you turn around. Call it whatever you want to call it, businesses are in business to make money - not simply to pay for your 52 inch tv. Nobody owes you anything. That is, unless you are manifold with that small penis. An exception could be made there under the hire the handicapped policy.

As an employer, the only right you have is to know whether I can do the job and check my referees...my credit history is none of your business. Neither is my dating history. Nor my television-watching history. Nor my reading history.

 

[Ravi]

Personal rights include the rights to conduct business the way i choose and to hire who i want to hire.

Within reason. Your right to conduct business the way you you choose and your right to hire who you want ends when it begins to interfer with someone else's rights as a citizen.

It's sort of like my right to swing my hand ends at your face.

What rights do I infringe when I look up someones Credit History? That isn't private information. If it was, it wouldn't be so easy to get. Whats next.. criminal history is also private?

Actually, it is private...lenders and creditors and insurers can see it and employers can see it with your permission.

 

[Nonelitist]

[

As an employer, I have the right to know as much about a person I am going to hire as I can obtain through public records and a job interview. That includes a police check and a credit check. These are all a matter of public record. You, as a person seeking employment from me, have every right to refuse to make that information available to me. I can then use that refusal in my decision-making process that I use to determine if I want to offer you a job. It costs a lot of money to hire someone, train someone, and bring them up to a level where they are going to be an actual benefit to the company. For the sake of conversation, let's say that the position I am trying to fill pays $18.00 an hour. If by conducting a credit check I can clearly assertain that you can't live on an $18.00 an hour job, I am certainly not going to hire you so you have some income until you can find yourself a job that you can make ends meet on. That would be just plain silly of me to even consider. It would be a very bad use of company funds. Also if that credit check proves to me that even the $18.00 an hour that is to be your salary can't cover your expenses, you will be hounding me for a raise everytime you turn around. Call it whatever you want to call it, businesses are in business to make money - not simply to pay for your 52 inch tv. Nobody owes you anything. That is, unless you are manifold with that small penis. An exception could be made there under the hire the handicapped policy.

As an employer, the only right you have is to know whether I can do the job and check my referees...my credit history is none of your business. Neither is my dating history. Nor my television-watching history. Nor my reading history.

Wanna bet? I can even check out your facebook account to see if I want to hire you.

 

[beowolfe]

Personal rights include the rights to conduct business the way i choose and to hire who i want to hire.

Within reason. Your right to conduct business the way you you choose and your right to hire who you want ends when it begins to interfer with someone else's rights as a citizen.

It's sort of like my right to swing my hand ends at your face.

What rights do I infringe when I look up someones Credit History? That isn't private information. If it was, it wouldn't be so easy to get. Whats next.. criminal history is also private?

The only reason it isn't private is because a state government decided that it isn't private. That very same state government can decide on a whim that credit information if private and then boom........it's no longer public information. If your state government decides that job applicant credit reports infringe on the rights of the applicant, then you won't have the right to view credit reports as a part of a job application. I'm old enough to remember when applying for a job didn't mean the prospective employer would pull a credit report on you.

And now that I think about it, credit reports are not public information. You have to be have an account with the credit reporting agency to view the records they keep; unless that has recently changed.

 

[xotoxi]

Personal rights include the rights to conduct business the way i choose and to hire who i want to hire.

Within reason. Your right to conduct business the way you you choose and your right to hire who you want ends when it begins to interfer with someone else's rights as a citizen.

It's sort of like my right to swing my hand ends at your face.

What rights do I infringe when I look up someones Credit History? That isn't private information. If it was, it wouldn't be so easy to get. Whats next.. criminal history is also private?

What would you do if you didn't have that information available to you? Do you still think that you would be able to hire people?

Maybe more information would be helpful. Medical records would let you know if someone has a history of migraines, which can result in sick days.

However, the information contained in medical records is not available to you...yet you are still able to hire. I'm willing to bet that you will still be able to hire if credit reports are not available to you.

 

[xotoxi]

[

As an employer, I have the right to know as much about a person I am going to hire as I can obtain through public records and a job interview. That includes a police check and a credit check. These are all a matter of public record. You, as a person seeking employment from me, have every right to refuse to make that information available to me. I can then use that refusal in my decision-making process that I use to determine if I want to offer you a job. It costs a lot of money to hire someone, train someone, and bring them up to a level where they are going to be an actual benefit to the company. For the sake of conversation, let's say that the position I am trying to fill pays $18.00 an hour. If by conducting a credit check I can clearly assertain that you can't live on an $18.00 an hour job, I am certainly not going to hire you so you have some income until you can find yourself a job that you can make ends meet on. That would be just plain silly of me to even consider. It would be a very bad use of company funds. Also if that credit check proves to me that even the $18.00 an hour that is to be your salary can't cover your expenses, you will be hounding me for a raise everytime you turn around. Call it whatever you want to call it, businesses are in business to make money - not simply to pay for your 52 inch tv. Nobody owes you anything. That is, unless you are manifold with that small penis. An exception could be made there under the hire the handicapped policy.

As an employer, the only right you have is to know whether I can do the job and check my referees...my credit history is none of your business. Neither is my dating history. Nor my television-watching history. Nor my reading history.

Wanna bet? I can even check out your facebook account to see if I want to hire you.

You can also drive past someone's house or map their address on Google Earth.

You can even look at their face and tell if they are black or white.

 

[Gadawg73]

I own 3 businesses and one is a detective agency. We do background checks for many businesses.
We ONLY do credit checks of job applicants if they give us approval with a signed authorization. No exceptions. We advise all businesses to do them as credit is a good indication of how responsible someone is.
If the employee wants the job and authorizes it there should be no law to ban it.
EVERY job has a fidiciary relationship to it.
The owner of the business has their $ on the line when they give anyone a job.