People asking for credit checks when applying for a job (health, employers)

[snowbirdsoon]

Originally Posted by Neutral

I also think employers should require detailed medical exams. I want paps, prostate and mammogram results on everyone I interview. If you can't take good care of your private parts, how do I know that you will take good care of my business? I like to see the full picture so this should be required.

Who peed in your cherrios?

[nphomeowner]

Originally Posted by Neutral

I also think employers should require detailed medical exams. I want paps, prostate and mammogram results on everyone I interview. If you can't take good care of your private parts, how do I know that you will take good care of my business? I like to see the full picture so this should be required.

You are kidding right?

[Foxrivman1]

Originally Posted by Jkgourmet

Ladywithafan is spot on. I'm NOT justifying it, but employers explain the value of pre-employment credit checks for these reasons:

1. Anyone handling money directly should be expected to have good credit (I think most of us would agree with this one).
2. Those that cone in contact with confidential information can sell that information. Someone under financial Stress is potentially more likely to make that sale (for example, how do you think the national enquirer and TMZ get their medical reports about famous people - from the nurses, hospital clerks, interns, etc.)
3. Employers are not able to obtain references from prior employers anymore. Most employers will only release dates of employment, job title, and maybe final salary. So employers have found another way to try to determine an potential employee's ability to handle responsibility, their honesty, their common sense. The employer has few tools left on their side to get accurate information - so a person who has been irresponsible with their own money may be a person who mismanages their job responsibilities. A person who doesn't pay their bills on time may be someone who doesn't do anything on time - like show up for work or complete assignments. A person who has tax liens may be somebody who tried to defraud the government - maybe they are just plain dishonest.

None of the above are true or accurate in all cases. After years of doing HR for large and small firms (all required credit checks since the early 90's), the credit checks were used as a poor substitute for the unavailability of good, valid reference checks. I never saw anyone who didn't get the job solely because of bad credit (except those who handled cash and accounting issues).

None of my employers pulled a FICO score - that cost a few bucks more and was irrelevant. All we got was the credit history.

One more thing: the applicants who warned us about poor credit history before we ran the report and explained what occurred in their life that caused the problems? They got extra points for honesty and often helped themselves get the job by explaining how they learned from their mistakes.

Nevertheless, I never was comfortable with pre-employment credit checks. It always felt like an invasion of privacy when I had to review one. It was way better for both sides when open and honest reference checks from prior employers were available, back in the old days.

JKgourmet thanks for the feedback, I won't comment on 1,2, or 3. I agree 100% on reference checks and going back to this method as the only true and honest way to review an employee. I won't reiterate my feelings about credit checks and bore everyone with repetitive viewpoints. Still don't see how being a chef, bricklayer, tree trimmer, nurse, doctor, construction worker, whatever a person is being reviewed for outside of financing, or direct interaction with business transactions would warrant the use of credit reports. Echo your sentiments on not having enough tools for a proper evaluation now a days. I would prefer myself a return to a more purist way of interviewing and evaluating a person's worth to a potetail employer.

Thanks again for your comments!

[Jkgourmet]

Originally Posted by Foxrivman1

JKgourmet thanks for the feedback, I won't comment on 1,2, or 3. I agree 100% on reference checks and going back to this method as the only true and honest way to review an employee. I won't reiterate my feelings about credit checks and bore everyone with repetitive viewpoints. Still don't see how being a chef, bricklayer, tree trimmer, nurse, doctor, construction worker, whatever a person is being reviewed for outside of financing, or direct interaction with business transactions would warrant the use of credit reports. Echo your sentiments on not having enough tools for a proper evaluation now a days. I would prefer myself a return to a more purist way of interviewing and evaluating a person's worth to a potetail employer.

Thanks again for your comments!

Actually, we are in total agreement (with the possible
exception of including nurses and doctors in the group who perhaps might be considered a higher risk group when they have poor credit - between the stress and the confidential information they deal with every day, I'd want to be aware of any additional issues.)

[snowbirdsoon]

Originally Posted by Neutral
I also think employers should require detailed medical exams. I want paps, prostate and mammogram results on everyone I interview. If you can't take good care of your private parts, how do I know that you will take good care of my business? I like to see the full picture so this should be required.

Originally Posted by nphomeowner

You are kidding right?

Nobody said brains were required to post in a forum did they?

[mrs.cool]

Originally Posted by snowbirdsoon

Originally Posted by Neutral
I also think employers should require detailed medical exams. I want paps, prostate and mammogram results on everyone I interview. If you can't take good care of your private parts, how do I know that you will take good care of my business? I like to see the full picture so this should be required.




Nobody said brains were required to post in a forum did they?

I can't believe none of you are realizing this is a joke.

[Foxrivman1]

Originally Posted by mrs.cool

I can't believe none of you are realizing this is a joke.

Actually, when I first read it I thought it was a joke. Nobody would be employed if we all had to meet those kind of requirements anyway!!

[Neutral]

Originally Posted by Foxrivman1

Actually, when I first read it I thought it was a joke. Nobody would be employed if we all had to meet those kind of requirements anyway!!

Yes you would.

It would be justified the same way people justify every other privacy violation.

I only want to hire healthy people to increase productivity. I need to watch insurance costs. People who don't get the exam must be hiding something. People with issues call off of work a lot, etc, etc. Employers have the right to know who they are hiring.

And most people would go along with it, because that is what people do. People will do anything and believe anything if you sell them enough crap. People will give up every freedom if they think it leads to some sort of security- financial or otherwise.

[Big House]

Originally Posted by Neutral

Yes you would.

It would be justified the same way people justify every other privacy violation.

I only want to hire healthy people to increase productivity. I need to watch insurance costs. People who don't get the exam must be hiding something. People with issues call off of work a lot, etc, etc. Employers have the right to know who they are hiring.

And most people would go along with it, because that is what people do. People will do anything and believe anything if you sell them enough crap. People will give up every freedom if they think it leads to some sort of security- financial or otherwise.

Maybe they should give you all their bank account numbers, social security numbers, names of all the stock they hold, credit card numbers, passports (so they can't escape), title to their car and home (signed over to you so you can be sure you can cash in everything they have incase they drink too much coffee on the job. You can never be careful enough, and everyone is out to get what you got! Right!

Oh, and nice joke - very funny! Soooo humorous! ROFLMAO!!

[Neutral]

Originally Posted by Big House

Maybe they should give you all their bank account numbers, social security numbers, names of all the stock they hold, credit card numbers, passports (so they can't escape), title to their car and home (signed over to you so you can be sure you can cash in everything they have incase they drink too much coffee on the job. You can never be careful enough, and everyone is out to get what you got! Right!

Oh, and nice joke - very funny! Soooo humorous! ROFLMAO!!

You do realize that I am against employers pulling credit reports....right?