Future Employer wants to run a credit check?!?

Nurses Career Support

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I haven't been job hunting for almost twenty years, so this is really a shock to me. I received a whole packet of information today with a job offer that I really want to accept. Lord knows how I will find documentation of my measles and rubella from 1960, but I guess I'll manage. And I understand the criminal background check and health screening - but a credit check? Is this standard procedure for employers these days? It seems very invasive of my privacy even though my credit is fine. Actually I can even understand why it would be interesting info for the employer to have - but do I have to agree to it?

Gail

Specializes in Neuro/Med-Surg/Oncology.

In my pre-nursing life, I was in banking for years. One of the main reasons that they did a credit check was to see how desperate for money you were. If your history wasn't too good, you did not get the job. Their reasoning was that you might be more tempted to take money/embezzle, etc. Many people do things they wouldn't ordinarily do when they are desperate for money. I've seen a mom rob my office on Christmas Eve so she could get her kids something for Christmas. (I think she wanted a little Christmas "snow" for herself too, if you know what I mean.) That brings me to my second point, selling Oxy's, Fantanyl, etc. could bring cash readily to someone who is in financial dire straits or is supporting a habit. If you are supporting a drug habit, sometimes other expenses and obligations go by the wayside. Most nurses have access to many narcotics and some bad apples have found a way to steal them from patients. A lot of them are for personal use, but some are for sale. It's a shame that a few bad apples have ruined it for us honest folks who are having trouble making ends meet, have bad circumstances come up or were financial nitwits in the past (me!), but with nurses easy access to a fast way to get money, I guess employers are trying to cover their as . . . .er. . . . . .necks.

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So, we are filing bankruptcy next month. Are you guys telling me that I will have a hard time getting a job when I graduate or if I try to get a job during school?

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I personally dont see what your credit history has to do with who and what your are capable of doing. Yes maybe if you are applying for a banking position but for other positions like a nurse for instance. there are some people who have bad credit because of some circumstance beyond their control like loss of job or a partner loosing their job etc....

Some employers do consider your credit as a reflection of character. A lot of people think it's irrelevant, but is it? If someone doesn't fulfill their obligations to creditors, who's to say they won't do the same to their employer? For example, insurance companies have found that people with better credit statistically have less accidents and file less claims. Therefore credit is even checked for insurance applications.

and car insurance companies definetly shouldn't base on this either.

Just my 0.2 cents. :)

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So, we are filing bankruptcy next month. Are you guys telling me that I will have a hard time getting a job when I graduate or if I try to get a job during school?

Based upon previous threads posted on this board, it could keep you from getting certain jobs. It all depends on the employer's criteria.

:uhoh21:

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Lizz...well, that just sucks! Luckily, we will have a couple years to try to establish at least a little good credit. I think it's ridiculous, personally.

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So, we are filing bankruptcy next month. Are you guys telling me that I will have a hard time getting a job when I graduate or if I try to get a job during school?

They aren't looking to see if your credit is perfect (if they are indeed looking at the credit portion) but to see if you have a need to steal. If everything is taken care of in bankruptcy then it shouldn't be a problem. And there are laws dealing with jobs and bankruptcy. It is illegal for an employer to fire or refuse to hire you due to bankruptcy.

http://www.personalbankruptcyinfo.com/answersbankruptquestions.htm

Will bankruptcy threaten my job or my ability to get a new job?

Bankruptcy laws are designed to protect you from discrimination. This means that employers cannot use your bankruptcy as a basis for termination, and that you cannot be denied hire for a new job because of your bankruptcy case.

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In my pre-nursing life, I was in banking for years. One of the main reasons that they did a credit check was to see how desperate for money you were. If your history wasn't too good, you did not get the job. Their reasoning was that you might be more tempted to take money/embezzle, etc. Many people do things they wouldn't ordinarily do when they are desperate for money. I've seen a mom rob my office on Christmas Eve so she could get her kids something for Christmas. (I think she wanted a little Christmas "snow" for herself too, if you know what I mean.) That brings me to my second point, selling Oxy's, Fantanyl, etc. could bring cash readily to someone who is in financial dire straits or is supporting a habit. If you are supporting a drug habit, sometimes other expenses and obligations go by the wayside. Most nurses have access to many narcotics and some bad apples have found a way to steal them from patients. A lot of them are for personal use, but some are for sale. It's a shame that a few bad apples have ruined it for us honest folks who are having trouble making ends meet, have bad circumstances come up or were financial nitwits in the past (me!), but with nurses easy access to a fast way to get money, I guess employers are trying to cover their as . . . .er. . . . . .necks.

Gosh I must be naive. I didn't even think of a nurse (or other person with access to controlled substances) stealing meds to sell and pay for debts/habit. So I guess they might want to look at the credit portion. But having a minimum amt of debt and a few lates usually isn't a problem. Really if you have a huge amount of debt and have perfect credit that could also be a red flag if your income isn't sufficent to cover them. When I used to work as an accountant that would be a red flag. If a person had no access to financials or money/checks we didn't look at the credit portion at all. But for those of us who did have access it was looked at very closely. Especially if, like me, you were a check signer. So a high debt to income ratio can sometimes be worse than a horrible credit past. If you owe a collection/judgement or $1000 most don't figure you will steal to pay it off. But if you owe $100,000 in credit card debt, even if you aren't late, that could be a huge red flag.

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So a high debt to income ratio can sometimes be worse than a horrible credit past. If you owe a collection/judgement or $1000 most don't figure you will steal to pay it off. But if you owe $100,000 in credit card debt, even if you aren't late, that could be a huge red flag.

I wonder how many employers calcuate debt to income ratios, rather than looking just at your credit score, etc.

In my case, that would also mean they should include my husband's income ... since the debt is in both of our names ... and both incomes apply to the debt. If they don't, the calcuations would be way off.

Interesting quandry ... so to speak.

:uhoh21:

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WEll, I think it is WRONG for an employer to do a credit check. It's none of their business as far as I am concerned (unless I worked in a bank or somewhere like that as stated previously). I don't even like my landlords asking for credit information. I pay my rent. They don't need to know anything else.

I tend to agree. Criminal check, fine, but credit check, I see no reason to pick that apart.

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Some good points have been made here - I can now see how an employer would want to know if I was a high risk in terms of stealing drugs - substance abuse is a big problem and I can count a few nurses even in our small community hospital who have lost their jobs because of it.

However, I still don't like it! Financial 'dings' on your credit report sure doesn't necessarily mean you will begin stealing. I think that if I had an explanation for a poor credit rating, I would off that to a potential employer when the ask to run a credit check.

BTW, I did do a search before posting this message, and although their were threads that mentioned 'credit' and 'checks', I didn't come up with this specific information.

Thanks everybody for an interesting discussion.

Gail

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well seeing as how the average credit rating in the us is in the 670's i think it won't matter too much if you have damaged credit. I think they will be looking mainly for where you lived and how long you were there , (stability issues) and that SS#'s match up. Obviously some employers may use it as a character judgement but i would say that since most people don't have great credit (especially since the econly has been in the toilet the past few years) you aren't going to be the only applicant with issues.

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well seeing as how the average credit rating in the us is in the 670's i think it won't matter too much if you have damaged credit.

I agree. It seems there are regular media reports on how we are all in so much debt. Stands to reason that there are a lot of messy credit reports out there. I recently applied for a mortgage so I checked my credit report online. It's easy to do your own credit check - everybody should know what their report looks like. However, you will have to use your credit card :crying2: cuz it ain't free.

Gail

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