Background Check and Credit check???

Nurses General Nursing

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I recently got hired at homehealth agency and they did a complete and thorough background check on me . And it included a credit check I was shocked to find out they had access to my checking and savings accounts. And all my credit card info was also involved with the back ground check . How is this info important to a background check I was kind of shocked really about how intrusive this is and how easily accessible my credit info and accounts were!!!!!!!!!! It DOES not seem relevant to me that they need this info as criteria to hire someone!!!!!

That is ludicrous. Perhaps they should check to see if you are divorced while they are at it. If you took lifelong vows and then abandoned them, maybe you will abandon your new employer or have trouble following through on commitments.

They should also check to see if you drink alcohol, because if you are into altering your mind, it could be a slippery slope to stealing Dilaudid.

Maybe they should come to your home and see how well it is kept. A sloppy home can only be indicative of a potentially sloppy worker.

I could go on and on with this terribly flawed logic, but i think you get the point. People should respect their privacy more.

The NSA was exposed recently for listening to regular civilians private phone calls. NSA employees just couldnt take the guilt of such a practice and finally blew the whistle. Employers should ask whether or not their potential employees support such a practice, because if they do, then they are obviously intellectually challenged, and would make a poor employee.

Awesome-awesome points!:yeah:

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I think that it should be illegal to do credit checks if you are applying for a nursing job. I considered a violation of my privacy. I understand that they would do a credit check if I was applying for a cashier job or applying to a bank...but we don't handle money in nursing. Most hospitals do credit checks because your credit history says a lot about "your character".

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Specializes in LTC, assisted living, med-surg, psych.

That "character" argument is, IMHO, a load of baloney. I'm a decent person and a responsible employee who rarely calls in sick, never takes a 'mental health day', and gives 110% effort every time. I've never stolen anything other than a Coke and a candy bar from the grocery store when I was ten, nor would I even if we were in dire straits. I've also gotten only one speeding ticket in 25 years and I've never been evicted from any place I've ever lived. I just happen to stink at handling my finances. So what? It doesn't make me a bad nurse, and it sure as hell isn't any of my employer's business.

I'm going to have to remember to NOT sign permission for the credit check when I apply for my next job. With more health care organizations asking for it, I think the only way to prevent the practice from becoming widespread is for job seekers to "just say no".

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Specializes in LTC, Med/Surg, Peds, ICU, Tele.

I hope they don't start checking for speeding tickets!!! :eek:

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Specializes in ER, ICU, Education.

Hey I just applied to graduate school and they had me do a criminal background check, which seemed redundant since I am a working registered nurse and the State does that the same thing.

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Specializes in Alzheimer's, Geriatrics, Chem. Dep..
I recently got hired at homehealth agency and they did a complete and thorough background check on me . And it included a credit check I was shocked to find out they had access to my checking and savings accounts. And all my credit card info was also involved with the back ground check . How is this info important to a background check I was kind of shocked really about how intrusive this is and how easily accessible my credit info and accounts were!!!!!!!!!! It DOES not seem relevant to me that they need this info as criteria to hire someone!!!!!

I recently went thru a job search and they do this most places (none of these were home health jobs).

I guess a credit check would reveal fraud perhaps? I dunno. If it was "pass/fail" my credit check would fail lol...

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They check for speeding tickets as well. It's part of your background investigation.

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I've never had a speeding ticket and my credit score is in the high 700s, and the idea of releasing this information still bothers me. My current job didn't ask to check my credit, so I didn't have to decide whether or not to sign. I'm not even a fan of criminal backgorund checks - if the board considers your record clean enough to give you a license, that should be the end of it. Whether or not someone did something dumb (and illegal) 9 years ago shouldn't be cause not to hire them. Same thing if you got in over your head with debt once upon a time. That can happen for a lot of reasons, and they aren't all indicative of dishonesty or being a poor nurse. Then again, I'm a card carrying ACLU member and I think most Americans are way too quick to give up their civil liberties just because THEY aren't doing anything illegal...

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Specializes in L&D, PP, Nursery.
True, your credit info has little to do with your capability. However, it may tell an employer several things including that haven't been mentioned: 1- are you trustworthy, 2- do you have a long history of financial difficulty, 3- are you a "job hopper", 4- are you who you say you are.

For 95% of us these are non-issues, but for the 5% the credit report may identify persons that are dishonest, in severe financial trouble which makes them a risk to steal or commit other illegal acts for financial gain.

You do not have to allow the background or credit checks, simply refuse to sign the authorizations.

I've had credit issues in the past due to my husband's job losses and did my best to pay what I could, when I could (when your're married, everything's together). However, if a potentional employer pulled my credit report, it doesn't in anyway reflect what type of employee I am. 1) I am VERY trustworthy, 2) I DON'T have a long hx of financial difficulty, just difficult times that may have affected my credit 3) Not a job hopper. Have been at the same job for 13 years and was at the job prior to that for 12 years. Only quit because I changed professions to better myself. 4) Your credit report doesn't say you are who you are. There are many other ways to determine that. As a matter of fact, the credit reporting agencies got my sister's common name mixed up with someone else with the same name and has her listed as a doctor with a 700,000 mortgage and 10,000 jewelry store line of credit, etc. The other person pays her bills but it makes my aunt look like she's close to a million dollars in debt and lived in states she's never been in and jobs she never had. (she makes a little over mininum wage!). She has meticulous credit but can't get a loan because she has so much "DEBT". After 2 years, she's still trying to get things cleared up! It's NOT a fair assessment of what type of worker you are!
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Specializes in A little of this & a little of that.
i've never had a speeding ticket and my credit score is in the high 700s, and the idea of releasing this information still bothers me. my current job didn't ask to check my credit, so i didn't have to decide whether or not to sign. i'm not even a fan of criminal backgorund checks - if the board considers your record clean enough to give you a license, that should be the end of it. whether or not someone did something dumb (and illegal) 9 years ago shouldn't be cause not to hire them. same thing if you got in over your head with debt once upon a time. that can happen for a lot of reasons, and they aren't all indicative of dishonesty or being a poor nurse. then again, i'm a card carrying aclu member and i think most americans are way too quick to give up their civil liberties just because they aren't doing anything illegal...

i have a huge problem with that myself. the police and other government agents assume you are guilty if you care about your own civil rights.

i check my credit report and correct it, but it's always got errors because i have exes that are still using my credit (without my permission). some of the addresses listed i never heard of and only one job i've held shows up. the misinformation keeps returning and more is added.

credit reports say nothing about what kind of person one is. they give a lot of personal information that employers aren't allowed to ask, like marital status. they also give clues to other things like if you've got kids, that they aren't allowed to ask. my credit is nobody's business but mine and my creditors!!!

"everybody does it" or "everybody asks for it" is a load of crap that people fall for. if i ever was refused a job because i refuse to allow access to personal info like my credit report, i will sue. americans need to stand up for what freedoms we still have before we have none at all!!

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Background checks, yes. Credit checks, no. That makes as much sense as running a credit check when I apply for auto insurance. My credit does not have anything to do with my driving. My previous insurance company charged my $211.00 monthly for my insurance for 1 car- liability only and 1 truck with full coverage, because my credit was not so good due to medical bills I am paying off. My current insurance company charges me $78.00 a month for the same exact coverage, because they only factor in my driving record --- 38 years, no tickets, no accidents ever, and the vehicles I am insuring. Both companies are big well know companies and been in business for years. Your credit rating has nothing to do with how well you do your job as a nurse.

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I agree. Its not like we are buying a house or something. I recently worked for a company that did credit checks on all their employees without their consent (some had been there years). They ended up firing those that had bad credit.. . claiming that was an indication that they would not be good employees. Made no sense to me since some had been there years, but it turned out that one of the employees had a collection agency that had gotten court approval to take a portion of their wages. The company was embarassed by this and didn't want "those kind of people" working for them. No questions asked or anything. People go thru hard times and if they are good employees and show up for work every day and are good enough to keep their jobs, that should be all that matters!!! Not a company I would choose to work for!!!

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