Empoyers Who Request Credit Reports!!!

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I've been an unemployed RN since June, 2003 and have been doing agency work which is very sporadic here in Salt Lake City. I have been to so many job interviews that I have lost count and always I get the same response from the employers. I have excellect qualifications but we hired another candidate who was more qualified. I went to an interview workshop and the lecturer told me that I was doing all the right things on an interview. I recently found out that here in Utah, many employers do credit checks on prospective employees. An attorney friend told me that pulling a credit report is included in the background check and if you sign a release form authorizing a background check, chances are, they will pull a credit report too. He also told me that employers can deny you employment if your credit is less than perfect and since my credit is less than perfect, I'm beginning to wonder if that is why I have been unable to find a job. I think this is absolutely appalling and underhanded of prospective employers. How do you pay your bills if you are not working??? I also understand that very few states allow this practice and unfortunately, I live in a state that does. Would love to hear some comments about this nasty little practice!!!!!!!!

What about this nursing shortage I've been hearing about? Can hospitals really afford to discriminate based on a credit score?

What about those (like barefootlady mentioned) who have bad credit due to other people. This happened to me. I had pristine credit before my ex husband defaulted on a car loan we had gotten during our marriage. I would hate to have my chances of getting a job destroyed because of his incompetance.

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CeciRN--come to Texas. We are desperately in need of nurses, and if they check credit, it apparently doesn't make any difference.

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Specializes in Medical/Surgical/Maternal and Child.

Lizz and Larry;

I have every right to be upset because I have been unemployed since June, 2003 and I have a family to support. Like I stated in my post, I have been to so many job interviews that I have lost count. I'm getting my credit cleaned up by an attorney who told me that YES, employers can deny you a job if you have negative entries on your credit report. Whatsmore, what does my credit worthiness have to do with my competency as a nurse???? And Lizz mind you're own business, I was directing the post to Larry not you. What is and what is not on my credit report is nobody's business but my own and my creditors, not my employer!!!!!!!!!!

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Originally posted by CeCiRN

Lizz and Larry;

I have every right to be upset because I have been unemployed since June, 2003 and I have a family to support. Like I stated in my post, I have been to so many job interviews that I have lost count. I'm getting my credit cleaned up by an attorney who told me that YES, employers can deny you a job if you have negative entries on your credit report. Whatsmore, what does my credit worthiness have to do with my competency as a nurse???? And Lizz mind you're own business, I was directing the post to Larry not you. What is and what is not on my credit report is nobody's business but my own and my creditors, not my employer!!!!!!!!!!

Uh, if you want people to stay out of your business, maybe you shouldn't post it on a public message board. Larry didn't deserve the tongue lashing you gave him.

I don't think an attorney can clean up a credit report. You might be wasting your money. It basically requires calling and writing letters to creditors and credit agencies, which you could do yourself and save the money.

You can usually get items removed if they're in error, and have some decent luck with collection agency items. But if it's accurate, and it's major items from major creditors, it's much tougher, if not impossible.

They report everything to the credit agencies on a monthly basis. And the credit agency will go to the creditor to reverify if the item is accurate or not. If it's accurate, it usually takes about seven years for that stuff to go away.

You could also pay the bills. That's the best way to clean up a credit report. The deliquencies will still be there, but it looks a lot better if they're paid. It also looks good if you've re-established credit recently, with current payments. But I realize you may not be in a position to do that.

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Doesn't the back ground check come AFTER a job has been offered to a potential employee? Every job I have had, it wasn't until after the offer that I had to fill out the back ground information and do the drug testing, not before. I would not fill out the consent unless a position has been offered. Fill out the application and that is it!

Are you being offered the job and then they change their minds after checking this info?

I know you must be frustrated and upset over this whole issue, but please try and take these message responses as constructive input. I believe everyone is giving their opinion for your benefit. Heck, I have already learned a few things from this thread.

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Specializes in Medical/Surgical/Maternal and Child.

Lizz

I would love to pay my bills if I was working...read my post and see how long I have been unemployed!!!!!! Whether my credit report has positive or negative entries, it should not be used by employers to deny me a job!!!!!!!!

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Originally posted by CeCiRN

Lizz

I would love to pay my bills if I was working...read my post and see how long I have been unemployed!!!!!!

I acknowledged that in my post. I guess you didn't read far down enough.

I was just pointing out that paying the bills is the best way to clean up a credit report.

Unfortunately, there's not much you can do, other than that.

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CeCiRN,

I know this thread was started about credit checks.......however, it sounds as though you could use a bit of emotional support as well. This must be a very frustrating and stressful time for you. ((((CeCi)))) I do hope you keep up the strength to continue your job search. Have you considered taking on a non-nursing job while you look for a nursing one?

Lori

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Originally posted by Peppermint

I can tell that you sooo one of those people whose parents paid their bills for them,never had to work hard or go to urban school,and has ALWAYS been rich or had some kind of suburban priviledge that never even out you near this type normal hard-working ADULT situation regardless of past circumstances.

The point the poster was trying to make has NOTHING to do with finances and is concentrated on the FACT that there is absolutely no correlation between wealth and clinical care.Needless to say a violation that some cooperate swine peice of filth came up with to get a bonus or something.

You are so wrong it's pathetic. :( Not to mention, you are incredibly rude and insulting.

You obviously haven't read or paid attention to the original post that I was responding to.

CeCiRN was saying she had hired an attorney to clean up her credit report. I guess you haven't clued into the widely publicized credit scams that are everywhere. There are a ton of credit report "fixers" who charge a ton of money and can't do anymore than the client can on their own.

I know because I've been through this myself. I've been on the phone with creditors and credit agencies many times, both for myself and as a former mortgage broker working on behalf of clients. You don't need to pay an attorney to do this, and that money is better spent paying the bills to improve your credit.

All of the information I posted was based upon my first hand experience. You can't remove most items, if they're accurate, for seven years. The best way to improve your credit score is to re-establish credit and pay bills on time. Every payment gets you points.

If you think it was wrong for me to try to save CeCiRN some money and trouble, I'm sorry.

Rich? Hah! I wish! :devil:

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Specializes in Emergency & Trauma/Adult ICU.

As several others pointed out, credit checks as part of a background check are very, very commonly used by employers. For many reasons, including the fact that they contain all the previous addressed at which you have received mail for the past however many years (I don't know the number). So you can make the argument that they are one measure of of a prospective employee's stability. Also, some people with financial and/or child support judgements against them tend to job hop - taking a job just until the system catches up with them and their wages are about to be garnished, then leaving the job to avoid paying the debt.

Is it intrusive? Yep. Is it also a fact of life? Yep again. No, a person's financial acumen doesn't have anything to do with a nurse's clinical abilities. But it also isn't relevant to skills in other professions - it's meant to give the employer a more complete picture of you.

CeCiRN - many, if not most creditors are willing to cut you some slack if you work with them as soon as possible, without waiting until you're already hopelessly behind. As another poster stated, you'd do much better to save the attorney's fees (and put them towards your bills) and get on the phone yourself.

And BTW - been there, done that. I got into horrendous credit card debt when I was in college the first time, and obviously it affected my credit for years afterward. And I can think of 2 jobs that I know for a fact that I was not offered due to my poor credit history.

Leigh

PS - Re: the question of whether or not inquiries lower your credit score. My husband is a business manager for an auto dealership. Multiple inquiries into your credit file lower your FICO score slightly, but an employer is going to be looking for things like multiple delinquent accounts, judgements, etc., and probably not going to get your FICO score.

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Specializes in Geri and adult psych, hospice.

Ironically(?) enough, my credit is really bad due to medical bills in the past (surgeries, etc.). The insurance companies really wronged me in some ways, and I have also had money issues too. What would a future employer think of someone with bad credit because of medical bills? As far as bad credit with credit cards etc, I am fine on this, and have paid those bills on time. Just wondering, this thread got me a bit concerned:o . Also, does anyone know if they do credit checks on nurses in Ohio, Illinois, or Florida? Thanks so much!;) Louisepug

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