I am declining a job interview because they want a credit check

[Sannum]

My personal financial history is none of anyone's business or concern but my own. It is not about hiding anything, but simply about keeping areas of my life private. I do not handle money in the course of my job, so it is not anyone's business. I do not even discuss my financial history or status with those who are closest to me. Why should I have to give this information in order to be considered for a job? It is simply not going to happen. I wouldn't be surprised if they overturned HIPPA so they could see my medical history.

[Oeditpus Rex]

1. Supposedly, your credit history tells them

what kind of person you are.

And that's more important these days than your job skills. :eyes:

[SeattleGirl]

4. Or your driving skills.

If you don't have good credit, they can deny auto insurance. They claim that there is a direct correlation between credit and driving records. To his credit, our Insurance Commissioner (who is a Republican, believe it or not) has been fighting this crap, saying there is NO correlation, and that the insurance companies are just screwing with people.

[Oeditpus Rex]

5. But that's insurance — they're EEE-villl

Wouldn't surprise me if they whipped up a study showing a correlation between poor driving skills and eating Peeps.

[SeattleGirl]

8. Then ZombieNixon would be in REAL BIG trouble!

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

[Oeditpus Rex]

9. I wouldn't let ZombieNixon drive

in the middle of the freakin' desert. Studies have found a direct correlation between reckless driving and herking.

[SeattleGirl]

10. Bwahahahahaha!

:rofl:

[TallahasseeGrannie]

36. Where does that leave me?

I don't drive!

[reyd reid reed]

2. Good for you...

I've always thought that that was kinda stupid. I mean, if you're applying for a bank teller or something...then maybe. Maybe.

Even then, though...there are enough safeguards in place that it shouldn't be necessary.

I'd prolly have a helluva time finding a job these days...spit on the swab, pee in the cup, take this test and that test and this profile thingie and that profile thingie. Sign away this and that and something else...

I don't think I could do it. It really would be an issue for me.

I don't drink. I don't recreate Anything. If I can do the job, I can do the job and I don't see where a multiple choice test asking pointless crap is going to tell them anything at all. I'm not going to apply for a job that I don't think I can do.

In short, I'm a grown up type person.

Treat me like one, dammit.

*stomp*

Hmmmmmph!

[NMMNG]

3. I don't blame you

Things are becoming so "Big Brother" nowadays. Pretty soon we're going to have to give our grade school records when applying for jobs to show what kind of kids we were. :eyes: It's getting to the point (particularly under the current administration) that people think they have a right to scrutinize every aspect of our lives for any reason, or even no reason at all.

[Sannum]

7. According to the Application, they want that too....

They want the dates of my Elementary School, Junior High, and High School. :crazy:

If I am not good enough to work for you based on my background and professional accomplishments, then so be it. If it is because of credit, then no thank you, I do not want to work for anyone willing to dig into my private life. You know, next they will want a Sexual History. It would say alot more about a person than a credit check...but it is still none of anyone's fucking business. My privacy is important to me and I guard it every day. I have nothing to hide, but that does not give anyone the right to see my personal information. I do not smoke, drink to excess, do drugs, and even if I did, would it effect my job performance? No. I am an adult and I expect to be treated as such. I stopped having a Nanny years ago. I am not going to have one again.

I have had difficulties with these so called reports as well. I ran a check on myself, and according to the reports in all of the states that I have lived in, I do not exist. But I am clearly here typing this message, so I must exist. They are so subject to error, that there is no way that it could be considered an accurate report.

[BelleCarolinaPeridot]

13. This whole thing reminds me of when I applied to work at the Post Office .

They wanted to know absolutely EVERYTHING.I remember how rude the people were throwing back the applications at people if they left out information.

[eppur_se_muova]

46. That sucks ... and I'm in the habit of writing "INFO NOT AVAILABLE". nt

[meow2u3]

18. Elementary school dates--backdoor age discrimination

They're just trying to weed out "older" workers (over 40), despite the law that bans discrimination on the basis of age.

[Sannum]

22. That's exactly what I thought

I am not at risk of being weeded out for that reason, but why do they need the dates of Elementary School? They also want me to sign something releasing them from any damages based on age discrimination. I know HR is evil, but this is beyond anything I have ever seen.

It has become out of control.

[Floogeldy]

6. I back you up 1000%.

It has nothing to do with your employment and it is none of their fucking business.

[Random_Australian]

11. What I have read in this thread settles it. I am never going to America

for a job. Even if they offer me twice my eventual salary.

(Which they do. See 'Brain drain'. No, I am not employed yet, thus 'the eventual')

[Melsky]

17. It's going to go the other way

I think the brains will start draining out of the US if things keep looking like this.

[TallahasseeGrannie]

37. I wonder if this is done

in other countries?

[Melsky]

41. I'm writing from Canada

My husband couldn't find a job in California but a Canadian firm was happy to snap him up. He works in a high tech field.

[Random_Australian]

64. It's the only thing keeping your IQ near the level. Your school system

is in trouble, I hear.

Americans pay lots and lots, especially for a few countries, ie. those who offer services cheaply, and those who have extra-good health, education & work life expectancy stats. The latter is Aus.

(A peculiarity of our system means we get through multiple university degrees a LOT faster than you, so we have much younger persons with equal qualifications)

[libnnc]

12. I don't blame you. It's fucking bullshit on a stick.

Is there no area of our lives that is private anymore? Fuck them all to hell.

[KT2000]

14. Checking a credit check

I also heard that just checking the credit report adds another score to your credit rating. Something about how numerous credit checks indicates something that is not good.
What a bunch of crap.
Good for you - this stuff is getting out of hand.

[dorktv]

15. The only reason I could see is if they are going to issue you a company

credit card.

[wain]

16. Good.

There would be more to come in "giving up yourself" for the company. I'm always amazed at how HR management types jerk us around with their crap. And I'm always flabbergasted at how much the average staff person goes along with this to the point of enthusiasm.

The company is paying me for services rendered. That does not entitle them to invade my private world or to psychoanalyze me.

I admire your principled stand. There are a lot of other companies out there that do not play such games.

:)

[AngryAmish]

19. I don't hire anyone without a credit check

Responsible people don't repeatedly stiff people. If someone has a certain incident where they missed a few payments over a short finite period of time for a good reason (medical problem, brother in jail, etc.) then I may let it slide.


Plus people with a lot of debt may be more tempted to steal.

[Sannum]

20. That's the thing---I essentially have no debt

It is a matter of personal privacy.

Stealing has nothing to do with debt. When I worked for Neiman Marcus, the people to steal were those who had the cash in hand. It is like that everywhere.

So you are saying that those who have bad credit are going to steal?

[AngryAmish]

21. Go to Cook County Jail

Run credit checks on the first five inmates there. I bet they will have awful credit.

And yes I am saying people with bad credit are more likely to steal.

[thinkingwoman]

23. wow, hope nothing bad ever happens to you

Hope your business never fails. Hope you're never a victim of identity theft. Hope you never have a catastrophic chronic health setback.

Rude awakenings are a bitch.

[AngryAmish]

24. I think we all have those hopes

Meanwhile I have to protect myself and my clients as best I can.

[thinkingwoman]

40. funny how you think

those credit checks protect you.

[Sannum]

25. No Thanks

;)

I have never been one to hang around criminals.

This position does not involve any contact with money. Not even petty cash. If I were being considered for a position that involved money, I would probably do the check. That is not the point. I want to protect my personal privacy. If someone did have bad credit due to a medical issue, which is actually the number one cause of bankrupcy and bad credit now, then that would require telling said employer about the medical issue, thus making medical privacy float away... It is a very slippery slope.

Then don't hire me...I am not sure I would want to work for someone who is willing to look into that aspect of my life. Verify my experience, my education, references, my personal life is off limits.

[Gormy Cuss]

35. The sad truth of it is, the credit reports give employers a lot of info

beyond your creditworthiness. Each and every item can be used against you in other ways. What if the hiring manager thinks people with big mortgages are better hires because they need the job more than the people with solid bank accounts and little debt? What if the manager has had bad experiences with New Yorkers and sees that you lived there for a long time? What if medical charge-offs appear on the credit report -- does that mean the candidate has a chronic illness? Why does this person applying for a minimum wage job have all these accounts at expensive stores -- does he have good credit now but maybe won't in a couple of months when he's tending the register?

I've been on too many hiring committees. I know all sorts of ways that soft info is used against candidates. I have no doubt that credit reports are used this way far more often than employers care to admit.

If I really wanted the job I would authorize a one-time release to obtain my credit score only. That is sufficient to judge credit history. As for the elementary school info, the other poster was right on the money. That's a veiled attempt at determining the candidate's age.

[KamaAina]

29. I'd bet they'd have no credit at all

four out of the five, anyway. Prison inmates tend to be drawn from the ranks of those who never even participated in the aboveground credit-based economy in the first place.

[serryjw]

34. Sorry, but that is total bushit

You're either honest or your are not, having difficulties with debt in th last few years has hit most of the country. You are missing many people that would have been great employees BECAUSE they need the job
You must have missed the 25 year on 60 minutes last week that can't get an aerospace job because Sallie Mae has ruined his credit.

[TreasonousBastard]

26. Good luck getting a job, then...

I object to this nonsense, too, and several times refused to pee in a bottle.

But, just about every employer runs background checks now and even back in the '70s I found out employers would run them, including credit checks, on most employees. Never told them then, though. I found out when I "accidentally" ran across one they did on me.

Although credit and driving records may have nothing to do with the job itself, HR types say they are a reflection of character and ability to fit in. Besides, it's the closest thing to accurate records thay can get their hands on. Like college transcripts, they aren't resume puffery or questionable interviews with friends and former employers.

There's also the question of bonding some employees.

[Deja Q]

31. Bonding employees - to insurance, I presume?

In which case I'm already a high risk person. I've nothing contagious, but I have pre-existing conditions.

[TreasonousBastard]

33. Not that kinb of bonding...

bonding as in surety bonds that the employee won't rip off the customers, sell company secrets, etc. I'm not sure exactly what's involved, except that I know I've been bonded here and there in the past.

[KamaAina]

27. Probably a good move. Think what it must be like to work there.

Sounds like the Workplace from Hell: DU (but not FR, of course) blocked by firewall, pee breaks monitored, smoking banned even off-hours, etc.

Strict definition of fascism: the union of state and corporate power. You can look it up.

Now go back and get a real job (if there are any left that is).

[ghostsofgiants]

43. Apparently you didn't look it up.

Webster.com
A political philosophy, movement, or regime (as that of the Fascisti) that exalts nation and often race above the individual and that stands for a centralized autocratic government headed by a dictatorial leader, severe economic and social regimentation, and forcible suppression of opposition.

Dictionary.com:
A system of government marked by centralization of authority under a dictator, stringent socioeconomic controls, suppression of the opposition through terror and censorship, and typically a policy of belligerent nationalism and racism.

[KamaAina]

80. Straight from the horse's mouth (or perhaps some other orifice):

http://www.dissidentvoice.org/Nov2004/Mills1110.htm

"Fascism should more properly be called corporatism because it is the merger of state and corporate power."

-- Benito Mussolini.

Q.E.D.

[GirlinContempt]

81. Not exactly

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fascism_and_ideology

He also said Fascism was a religious concept, which it isn't.

It can INCLUDE a merger, but it is not defined by the merger.

[Droopy]

28. They probably use it as a guage of your level of responsibility

I wouldn't let a credit check get in the way of me getting a good job, but I understand your wish to keep it private.

[Fox Mulder]

30. Apparently...

employers assume potential employees who have bad credit or are in debt will steal money from the company.

As if. I'm ~$25,000 in debt from college and I work the till in a grocery store and I have NEVER been tempted to steal any money from the company.

It's not fair that potential employers assume everyone in debt will steal money.

[bigwillq]

32. My friend was denied a job

because he "failed" the credit check.

I say good for you for turning this job down. :hi:

[Jack_Dawson]

38. Mistake

You're turning down a job because of what MIGHT happen? Shortsighted if you ask me, and the next place will probably run the same checks. I know it's ridiculous but why don't you let it play out and then offer an explanation if one is warranted?

My $.02.

JD

[Sannum]

47. They want it BEFORE the interview.

Ya see why this is not something I agree with?

[Jack_Dawson]

70. Sorta - but still...

Why shoot yourself in the foot?

[judaspriestess]

39. posted a thread on how I got turned down for a job because of

a credit check. Wish was complete utter bullshit. Yeah I have an issue on my credit that appeared in December, nothing prior to that, but I had documentation showing how I had hired an attorney before it ever became an issue and that attorney did not do jack shit. They still turned me down. My background check and drugtest came back fine to boot.

You know, now that I think about it, I'm glad I did not get that job it was selling new homes which I have over 5 years experience doing. The market is a bitch right now here in Vegas and quite frankly due to my strong selling skills I can do anything.

I am now selling PRIVATE EQUITY in a biotech fund. Its a tough sell but the rewards are quite nice, the minimum buy in is $100K. They did not care about checking my credit and the company I am associated with is very high end. Once they go public, in quiet time right now, its gonna bust open.

whats gonna happen now that I HAVE to file a BK to make the bleeding stop? I worked very hard for what I have and one of them was my credit which is now shot to hell. Its temporary, I will recover from this setback on my credit. I know I am an honest person and my credentials back that up.

[Redstone]

42. Good for you. Someone needs to stand up and say NO to that bullshit.

In fact, we all do.

Again: Good. I'm proud of you.

Redstone

[pitohui]

44. cutting off nose to spite the face

so you limit yourself to low level jobs or to jobs where you have a powerful friend or lover who can get you a position?

that is not the way i want to live my life, friend

that is not liberation either

pick. your. battles.

[Lars39]

45. Why do you assume that she cannot get a job without someone using

his/her influence on her behalf?

[pitohui]

52. because good jobs require credit checks etc

no one likes jumping thru hoops but if you don't jump thru hoops then you get by on other people's coattails

[Sannum]

54. I have had very good jobs without a credit check

In fact when I worked in the design department of a handbag company that is based in Spain, I wish that I could have given THEM a credit check. It was two years of hell because the company had no money. But as an employee, I did not have that right.

And FYI, with my work history, I have never gotten a job while flat on my back. I wouldn't even consider it. My credentials speak for themslves.

[pitohui]

56. but apparently you don't have them NOW

unfortunately times have changed and employers require more

shoot yourself in the foot if you must, i think it's sad and pointless, but some people can't tolerate prosperity, i suppose

[Sannum]

60. I have left 2 positions due to personal reasons.

If I had don background checks on them, I would have learned a hell of alot more than them than they would see about me. Cocaine charges, DUI, you name it. I am clean as a whistle. I still do not want my private information out there. Check my professional achievements, my background, my references and my education, but stay out of my wallet.

I tolerate prosperity very well, thank you.

[Lars39]

63. Your scope has been limited; not all good jobs require that

a person gives up all of their personal information to a possible employer.

[Sannum]

48. What does THAT mean?

:shrug:

[salin]

51. libertarian type assumptions perhaps?

survival of the fittest (ala all jobs *must require this* and if you don't have good credit, screw you even if it has nothing to do with the job, and if you have good credit, don't fight it because whether or not it suggests something about the character of the company, you should submit - as to not do otherwise suggests that the only way you could get a job would be through powerful connections.) Absurd in my mind - but many folks think this way. :shrug:

[pitohui]

55. the opposite of libertarian assumptions

only a fool thinks he is so special that he can play bartleby and still have the great job

i get no pleasure from watching young people destroy their future for no reason, apparently, many people do

if you are not from the "right" elite background you are not going to get the top job w.out rigorous hoop jumping and qualifying, if you want someone to work hard, get the credentials, get the experience -- and then be cheated of the reward because they didn't allow the formality of a credit check, well fine, i'm not that way

no one will be saved, no heroism will be committed by destroying this person's chance at a better future

they should get the credit check and move forward instead of making their story about a stupid sacrifice that helped no one -- and hurt them

[thinkingwoman]

83. and Rosa Parks should have kept standing?

People should just follow all rules and laws, no matter how stupid, arbitrary, and discriminatory because if they don't they're just destroying their "chance at a better future"?

Interesting.

[pitohui]

53. you know exactly what it means

if people were honest w. you instead of high-fiving you for shooting yourself in the foot and destroying your future, they would tell you that you're going to have to jump through the same hoops that EVERYBODY ELSE has to jump thru to get a job

today, unless you have special influence, you've got to take the test or pass the credit check or have the clean pee

if you don't really want or need a job, fine, i'll join in and high-five you too

but if you actually need to work, these people are doing you no favor, i don't see anybody else here refusing to get a credit check or giving up a good job or housing because they had to have a credit check

too many people munching popcorn and having fun watching you destroy your future

i won't participate in that, sorry

i hope you have a good future

and to get a good job, almost certainly, you will be credit checked whether you are aware of it or not, yeah, your credit may be shitty, guess what, lots of people's credit is shitty, it is simply a formality

[Sannum]

58. Destroying my future?

A little dramatic, isn't it? I have calls coming in daily, but I am destroying my future because I do not want to release personal information PRIOR to an interview for one position?

When I did a credit check for my apartment, it was a no-brainer. I am an open book that way. I had to prove that I was able to pay THEM. Why don't I do a check on an employer to see if they can pay ME? My credit rating, as if it is any of your business is not the problem. It is the fact that that I do not want personal financial information out there to employers.

I have nothing to hide. You seem to assume that I do. Does the fact that I do not want the Bush Regime to hav access to my phone records prove that I have something to hide too? It goes both ways.

And I have never used influnce to find a job. Ever.

[Lars39]

66. But you must have...

you're a woman with wiles. :silly:

[Sannum]

67. True that....

I keep on forgetting that in order for a woman to be successful in this world, she must spread her legs. :crazy:

It can't be based on achievement. We simply can't match men with our intellect.

*runs off to oven to bake a pie*

:D

[Lars39]

71. Don't forget your frilly apron!

I was going to post a picture of one, but googling 'frilly apron' doesn't quite yield the results I thought it would. :blush: :D

[Jack_Dawson]

69. High-Five

Agree wholeheartedly. What makes me sad about DU, as much as I love this place, is a lot of people have - whether they realize it or not - a conscious or subconscious inferiority complex "yeah you don't need to pass background checks...screw 'them' for making you pass one." WTF people? It's a formality. I don't like wearing a tie to work every day and working for people who voted for G-Dub but guess what? It pays well and I'm investing every month and doing what I can to get ahead so I don't have to live paycheck to paycheck.

[salin]

72. Doesn't it rather depend on the context?

If it is the only job available, for which one is eligible - yes. If it is not standard procedure, for a job that has nothing to do with handling money, and one has multiple job opportunities - and one asks - does this say something about this particular company... isn't that a different scenario? I have no idea from the OP of the situation, except that the credit check was required before an interview, and was allegedly not in a field where a credit check made sense per the job responsibilities. I would suggest that the context is important per the advice. Lots of assumptions seem to be made in this thread without any context.

[Nikia]

49. I have gone to lots of interviews. They never asked for credit check

For one, I had to sign for them to do a criminal background check, but not a credit check. I specifically asked and they said that it was only for the criminal background check.
None of the other jobs that I had interviewed for asked or told me about a credit check.
These jobs were all lab or quality assurance positions. A couple of these jobs were manager level.
I am in Wisconsin so perhaps things are different in other parts of the country.

[pitohui]

57. they checked your credit all right

they just didn't tell you

see upstream

this person's potential employer was stupid to be honest, i guess

[Droopy]

61. I don't know about that

I think you have to have someone's social security number to check their credit. I don't know if the OP supplied that information already.

Besides that I agree with you in that I wouldn't let a credit check get in the way of me getting a good job.

[Sannum]

65. One has to sign a release form that information in my state.

[salin]

50. Interesting assumption

that one can only get a good paying job through a powerful friend or lover... because all good jobs must require a credit check even if handling finances has nothing to do with the job.

[pitohui]

59. your credit has been checked

it was just less of a big deal than you think and they didn't make the mistake of telling you

yes, most good jobs in theory require responsibility, and a credit check is one indication of how you handle it, employers would prefer to see a good credit report but as most people have average credit then they'll deal, you know?

it just isn't worth all this hoopla really

you are asking someone to martyr themselves basically for your entertainment, which is not v. nice

even sannum's mom would say, stop being so silly and do the paperwork and get the durn job already!

[Sannum]

62. My mom told me not to do it when I brought it up this afternoon....

Thanks for being SO concerned.

[salin]

68. actually, I doubt it has...

and my 'credit history' would be enigmatic, as that I am a child of a depression era economist who passed on the belief that you do not buy what you can not pay for - except perhaps for a mortgage (but I found a great deal, and had saved for quite some time, so I didn't even take a mortgage out for my home.) I have equity, but little 'credit history'.

Bigger point is that my work has been in areas related to policy and/or education. Have had criminal background checks - as in the norm in the positions, but have never heard of an inkling of credit checks, as that has so little to do with the work at hand. If there was a track record of bad deeds due to bad credit, it would come up in the criminal background checks.

Imo, your cynicism is showing.

[quiet.american]

73. Impossible catch-22

How the hell is anyone supposed to be able to pay off debt if no one will hire them because they don't like the looks of their credit report.

I still say it's an unnecessary invasion of privacy and prevents absolutely NOTHING.

It's not the rank-and-file that are getting sent to jail for stealing from the company. It's the fat-cat CEOs who, I'm sure, have A+ credit.

[Autonomy]

76. I have 50 grand in student loans coming due

and NO HOPE of making the payments. All my forbearances are gone, and I can only get a temp position as groundskeeper for $7.25/hour. So much (or so little) for a bachelor's degree.

[quiet.american]

77. Damn. That's rough. Have you tried any type of consolidation program?

Came across this:
http://www.nextstudent.com/private-consolidation-loans/private-consolidation.asp

Wish there was more I could say. I don't know if these types of programs are good or bad, but, if it can help you from going into default, it might be worth it.

[Autonomy]

78. I believe that consolidation only makes payment simpler

Interest rates might be higher, and it probably wouldn't buy me any time, and definitely wouldn't help me make payments.

I'll look into it, though. I need to do something.

Or maybe not. Maybe I should just cast off the shackles of a so-called responsible lifestyle and live as some sort of radical at the fringes of society.

I wonder how much being a radical pays these days. I'll start submitting resumes to anaracho-syndical collectives asap.

[quiet.american]

79. :) :(

What can I say, I hear you. Check out studentloanjustice.org, too, if you haven't. It won't help pay the bills, but at least you'll see you're not alone in this situation.

[thinkingwoman]

84. Been there done that for the past decade

I feel your pain.

Add to that, my first hubby ruined my credit rating (along with his own) by emptying our joint account when we separated and causing all my checks to bounce that month (you know, for frivolous things like rent and utilities :eyes: ).

I've had credit problems most of my adult life, and yet I've never stolen from anyone. I have an unrelenting code of ethics and morals that I NEVER break. Never. Absolutely never. But I have a bad credit rating. Go figure.


Edited to correct typo.

[Autonomy]

74. I blame Bush

Seriously. He deliberately drove up unemployment and drove down job quality so that employers could be more discriminatory for worse jobs. More power for his 'ownership economy'. Sickening. He's turning me into some lefty radical. POWER TO THE PEOPLE! WORKERS OF THE WORLD UNITE!

Screw 'em.

[acmavm]

75. I had to let the company I got a job with do a credit check and a back-

ground check. And take a physical. To do a desk job that involves no cash receipts. And I SURE don't want any of the product the manufacture. Oh yeah, I forgot the drug test, didn't I?

[judaspriestess]

82. whats even worse is

when you have documentation to show proof, if you have an issue on your credit, is still not good enough. Letters from attorneys is still not sufficeint and getting the issue resolved no less. I let them check my credit cause I have nothing to hide. I really did not think this would be an issue. Eff them, I have another great job, a real estate license and a mortgage license with no problems. at my new company I disclosed to them I had an issue I was taking care of and they said hey we don't give a flying flip.

I know someone who is paying get this $585 dollars a month for a 2000 Hyundai cause of credit. Thats about 45 bucks less than my car payment on my cadi.

[JCMach1]

85. The whole 'Credit System' needs to go

Why was it started anyway? Because banks and lenders are lazy!!!

I am sorry, but make them do their homework. If they make a mistake lending to someone, there are bankruptcy protections in place now that were not there a year ago...

Credit reports are an invasion of privacy at all levels for ANY reason. It's long past time to rid ourselves of them!

Look at countries without this system. IS the default rate any greater>?