Empoyers Who Request Credit Reports!!!

RN2B4ABBY · Dec 21, 2003

I think it is ridiculous! Our financial status is none of their business and how we pay our bills has nothing to do with the type of person we are. I use to work in finance and had to pull credit for people and there is quite a bit of personal information including things like when you have had to go to court. Also your credit report and the info on it can vary depending which credit agency they pull it from not to mention all the descrepencies. Grades should matter to a point, letters of reccomendation I understand and even previous work experience. Whether or not you could make your car payment last month is NONE OF THEIR BUSINESS! The general background check is enough for criminal records, hearings with the BON and so on.

Bambi · Dec 21, 2003

I don't like this practice either. Where is our right to privacy?

Long Term Care Columnist / Guide · Dec 21, 2003

What right to privacy?? In this brave new post-9/11 world, we don't HAVE a right to privacy anymore.

Thank God I've never had to go through a credit check for employment purposes, or I'd be in the food stamp line for sure......my credit stinks on ice. So does that of a LOT of middle-class folks who can't keep up with the cost of living anymore, but it doesn't make us bad people or bad employees......only bad credit risks. And like another poster said, how's it supposed to get better if one doesn't have a job?? HELLO!!? :rolleyes:

Here in Oregon where I live, employers don't often do credit checks, but auto insurance companies do.......which ALSO sucks. I've been driving since I was 14, and I've never had an accident or a serious traffic offense. So why am I not offered the lowest insurance rates? Yep, you guessed it: lousy credit. Seems a safe driving record (I mean, one speeding ticket in 21 years?) doesn't make one a safe driver. In other words, you can be a hazard on the road, but if you have good credit, you get the best rates. Go figure.

Brownms46 · Dec 21, 2003

This is and has always been a common practice with many companies, not just in nursing. My sister had to clean up a unpaid debt, that her ex-husband made back when they were first married, which was showing up on her credit report. It wasn't even her debt.

I don't feel anyone but my creditors and I need to know about my debts! Plus everytime your credit is checked, it says on your credit report for two years! And each time you have your credit checked, you lower the score!

As a traveler, I have a background check, everytime I do a new asssignment. And if it's with a new agency, I have it checked by the agency, and the hospital/facility. So in one years time, I could have it checked about 6 times!!

So when I now sign for the background checks, I either cross out where it says "consumer report", or write in NO CREDIT CHECK AGREED to!

Havin' A Party!, ASN, RN · Dec 21, 2003

As stated previously, this practice has been in place for a long time, and isn't only applied in the nursing field.

From my experience as a supervisor, it's premised on the authority of the position applied for and the potential for the new hiree to either steal, manipulate records, or do any other act imaginable to help with their financial / credit situation. Pretty sure we've all seen or have heard of these things happening in the workplace. In management's eyes, it's seen as decreasing the temptation factor. Some businesses also view it as part of their determination / evaluation of the applicant's character.

Ce, you may wanna pull a copy of your own report and see what everyone's looking at. Perhaps there are some errors in it you may be able to correct or, at least, include a statement of explanation about an entry or entries (you have a right to do that). Also, if you know an employer is gonna be requesting a report on you, discuss your side ahead of time and explain what happened, and your plan to improve your history.

Good luck!

Sheri257 · Dec 21, 2003

Supposedly studies show people with better credit are better employees. I dunno if it's true, but this is why credit checks are common.

Even insurance companies check credit these days before they issue policies. Supposedly better credit means less risk for them.

For better or worse, this will probably become more common. The reason is: people who take care of their bills tend to take care of everything else. Or, so the thinking goes.

Whatever the case may be, bad credit does a lot of damage in many respects.

Havin' A Party!, ASN, RN · Dec 21, 2003

(Lizz -- Are you in a band? Noticed the trio in your logo. Long-time, part-time musician here.)

dphrn · Dec 21, 2003

Brownms46 stated that everytime your credit is checked, it lowers your score. I have had my credit checked so many times it is not funny, but my credit remains excellent. I don't think a credit check can hurt your credit. Does anyone know if this is true?

shodobe · Dec 21, 2003

They can check my criminal background, I have none. They can check out my nursing license, I have nothing on it. But when it comes to my financial background it is none of their business. A few years ago when I was thinking about going somewhere else I did have paperwork that wanted to check out my finances, I just blacked it out and wrote in big letters that they DID NOT have my permission to do this and they didn't, as far as I knew. They did offer me jobs, which I did not except, so I didn't know if they actually did a financial check. I guess they could still do it and not give you a job based on some other bogus reason. Just because you didn't sign something doesn't mean they won't do it anyway. Mike

Sheri257 · Dec 21, 2003

Originally posted by LarryG
(Lizz -- Are you in a band? Noticed the trio in your logo. Long-time, part-time musician here.)

Me too, although I'm no longer in a "band".

Don't have much time for music with school, of course. :eek:

But yes, I love music. Who knows, I may have time for it someday. :chuckle

Brownms46 · Dec 21, 2003

I make it a practice to keep tabs on my credit report frequently, and this is practice all should do. I had a collection company write me a letter, stating I had a bad check written to a place, in a city, I had never been to! After calling the people, I found it was someone with my name, but was writing this check on a bank I have never used, and lived in a city I had never been to!

I was able to prove this person wasn't me, and they crossed me off their list, or so they said. But what if during my travels I had never received that letter? I would have never known about this error! So I pay for a monitoring service to keep check on any checks on my credit, and any new accounts opened.

This is to help prevent any idenity theft, but also to know who is looking at my credit. It also tells me how much credit I should or shouldn't be using at any given time. And when I need to wait before having it checked again, as more than a certain amount in a 6 month period lowers your score.

This kind of thing happens all too often, and the credit reporting system is a very flawed one, and it doesn't require the company reporting, to provide definite proof that they have THE correct person!

'This is the reason many companies will pull all three credit files, before making a decision. And so should you be checking all three, to make sure they're reporting correctly, but I still say my debts are the business of those I owe, or wish to owe, and those I work for, should have no access! As I OWE them nothing, but to do my job!