Jobs at hospitals and credit checks...

[NO1_2NV]

interesting bit of information i heard today. it would seem that some of the major hospital holding companies are beginning to do credit checks on applicants. if you have bad credit or even filed a bankruptcy in the past, you are considered not employable by that facility.

i find this troubling on several levels. first, there are some very legitimate reasons for people to file bankruptcy. in fact wasn't there an article a few weeks back stating that most bankruptcies are due to medical costs? secondly, we already have a nursing shortage...well in some places...and now they are throwing this into the mix. i guess i just don't understand how you can be denied employment due to credit history...criminal history yes, but credit history? i know a number of people who would make great nurses but they may find themselves unemployable. could even be the end of their nursing dreams and this is a very, very, sad state of affairs since these folks would make terrific nurses.

anyone else hear about this?

[anndoodle]

so you can refuse to let a hospital check your credit right? i have ok credit but i would refuse just on the principle of it. i think it's a really messed up invasion of privacy. if a hospital wants to be sure of my employment history, they can call the numbers i give them. as far as trying to find out who the "desperate" people are so the hospital can crack down on theft, that strikes me as messed up too. the other thing is my credit isn't going to be stellar coming right out of school as a new grad. i'm not sure what they would expect. i've had odd jobs here and there but i haven't had a real career yet and that's why i would be applying for a job at a hospital.

To the best of my knowledge, in the state where I live, if a hospital denied me employment because of my credit history that would be discrimination, just as if they denied me employment because of race, sexual orientation, or religion. In fact, there are specific questions that an employer is NOT allowed to ask during a job interview.

[Kyriaka]

I recently read an article about this in a business magazine (cant remember which one).

Their take was that yes, you can refuse...but you probably wont get hired (of course, they wont say that is the reason). Their advise, give permission but put an explanation as to why you have bad credit.

[LilRedRN1973]

I was denied employment as a deputy for our county. The sheriff loved me and offered me the position, but as we were going over paperwork, the bankruptcy question came up. Because I had a bankruptcy on my credit, they were unable to hire me. My bankruptcy was because of medical bills that had turned into collections. They went in and froze all my money in all my accounts, causing me to bounce at least 10 checks.

I think it stinks because I'm not a bad person just because I had financial difficulties involving medical bills. But tell them that.

Melanie

[NO1_2NV]

it is illegal to discriminate in any state however, it has never been nor will it ever be required for a company to tell you why you were not hired. the only way that you would find out that you had been discriminated against is if for some reason the interviewer was a complete idiot and wore it on their shirt sleeve. there are many, many ways to ask questions and get the answer you are fishing for without ever asking point-blank questions.

i find the whole credit check issue problematic. i have stellar credit but it does not make me feel any better for it. it is just wrong for any organization to base employment on past credit. with the recent checkpoint fiasco, and the lack of support by our government to protect our ss numbers, anyone has the potential for becoming a victim. life itself lasts a very long time and to not expect something to occur that would affect a persons credit within its time frame is absurd.

[RN34TX]

I recently read an article about this in a business magazine (cant remember which one).

Their take was that yes, you can refuse...but you probably wont get hired (of course, they wont say that is the reason). Their advise, give permission but put an explanation as to why you have bad credit.

Why does it automatically mean that if you refuse that it's because you have bad credit?

I refused and have great credit. It's still not a hospital's place hiring nurses based on credit reports. Most nurses who lift drugs from a facility aren't on financial hard times selling it to make fast cash, they are usually taking it themselves.

The hospital that demanded a credit report didn't deserve my nursing service that I'd be providing to their patients. I moved on.

Yes, you probably won't get hired if you refuse, so if the job is that important to someone, go for it.

BTW, although it is against the law to discriminate because a person filed bankruptcy, it's no different than how employers get around race, gender, and sexual orientation discrimination...."Oh, we've hired someone else who is better qualified for the position."

And we all know what they mean by "better qualified."

Yeah, you may have been discriminated against, good luck proving it.

[Kyriaka]

Why does it automatically mean that if you refuse that it's because you have bad credit?

_____________

It doesnt. You will never know for sure.

It sort of is the same thing with drug testing. When I started working for a corporation years ago, I had to have a drug test. At the time I was on all kinds of medications for my Lyme including pain meds. I had no idea if it would show up or not. So I was honest with the people. I had to be.

I got the job.

[caringRN2B]

Its funny that I came across a post with this subject. My fiance and I were just having a discussion about this exact topic the other day. I can certainly see a financial institution running credit checks for liability issues, but, I really don't see how it could possibly pertain to something in the health field or anywhere else other than a financial type job. Like someone else previously mentioned, there are a lot of reasons for a person having a not so good credit history or for filing bankruptcy. For me, I've never filed bankruptcy, but I can tell you, since I was laid off 2 years ago and decided to go to school (at the time my fiance was working and although we wouldn't be living in the lap of luxury we'd at least be able to pay our bills), and then my fiance was laid off 6 months later and it took him another 6 months to find work, our credit has been destroyed. I know a couple of friends (not in the health or financial field) who have been declined work because of their credit for a lot of the same reasons I just mentioned that affected their credit. I don't know how in the world a person can attempt to rebuild their credit standing if they can't get a job because of poor credit. Its an endless vicious circle and personally, and this is just me, I don't think its right and it shouldn't be allowed. Trying to find a job in this day and age is hard enough (other than the health field, at least in my area), and its stressful enough just interviewing and hoping this time your resume and interview will stand out without having to worry about your credit interferring as well. I don't know, I don't think it should have any part in deciding whether or not a person should be hired. Again, that's just me.

[targa]

The federal Fair Credit Reporting Act (15 U.S.C. 1681 et seq.) requires credit bureaus to share their data with those who have a legitimate business need for the information, and employers generally qualify. Employers are given broad access to an individual's credit report, and they can use the data to evaluate eligibility for "employment, promotion, reassignment or retention." In short, as far as your employer or prospective employer is concerned, your credit rating is an open book.

Credit bureaus typically track not only your bill-paying habits, but also all companies that have asked to see your credit rating when you apply for credit, insurance, a place to live or a new job. The result is that employers increasingly use credit bureau files to find out whether an employee is job hunting with other companies. And prospective employers may use a shaky credit report to conclude that it is risky to hire you.

However, the Fair Credit Reporting Act does give you some rights: to know how and whether a current or prospective employer is using credit information about you. An employer must get your written permission before peeping at your credit report. And the words granting permission can't be buried deep within a job application form or other wordy document; you have to sign separately to signal your approval.

However, nothing in the law prevents a prospective employer from refusing to hire you if you refuse to grant them permission to access your credit info. You sign, or you move on. That's life. And under this administration, it's only going to get worse. Just wait until Congress passes the new bankruptcy bill (should be any day now). It will be harder to discharge your debts.

targa (licensed to practice law in several states)

[Gennaver, MSN]

Hello,

Here is the situation...any suggestions?

This last semester I resigned from my assistant job at the hospital to carry 18 credit hours at school. They did a criminal and credit check before I went to work for them three years earlier.

Meanwhile I applied for a local stock position at the Menards, (of course they do a criminal background and credit check). I got hired, but later realized that they take six months for insurance to kick in and the job required physically dangerous stuff, so, resigned.

That semester I also applied for an internship at Juvenile Court in Cook County, Il, (a rapid overnight criminal background check), I got the internship. The semester ends and I apply for a couple of jobs and got some interviews.

The local Comfort keepers wanted to hire me and said they will call me in two days for orientation. I finally get a call two weeks later saying that there was some hold up with my criminal background check but that everything turned out okay and could I come in for orientation. I decided to pass on that job.

I applied for another job and got an interview and was told they would be calling me in two days (after the background checks) to set up orientation. I never heard from them.

Now I am sort of freaking out, thinking that something must look wrong or has gone wrong with my 'reports!'

I do have an ex husband, (unfortunately with personality disorders and a deviant mind) who is in another state, (also is a computer hacker, certifiable with delusions, ect.)

I am worried and want to check into it because I am in the process of applying to three RN programs, (an ADN a GEP and an accelerated BSN) and they also require criminal background checks.

Does anyone have a suggestion about what steps I can take to find out what is up?

Thanks,

Gennaver

[Altra, BSN, RN]

...

I applied for another job and got an interview and was told they would be calling me in two days (after the background checks) to set up orientation. I never heard from them.

Now I am sort of freaking out, thinking that something must look wrong or has gone wrong with my 'reports!'

...

I am worried and want to check into it because I am in the process of applying to three RN programs, (an ADN a GEP and an accelerated BSN) and they also require criminal background checks.

Does anyone have a suggestion about what steps I can take to find out what is up?

I wouldn't jump to the conclusion that you weren't hired because of something in the background check, but if that's your suspicion, the best way to find out would be to call the company and see what the status is on your application for employment.

And if you're still concerned that there may be incorrect info on your credit reports, you can request a copy of them and review them yourself. The fee is nominal.

HTH :)

[Gennaver, MSN]

I wouldn't jump to the conclusion that you weren't hired because of something in the background check, but if that's your suspicion, the best way to find out would be to call the company and see what the status is on your application for employment.

And if you're still concerned that there may be incorrect info on your credit reports, you can request a copy of them and review them yourself. The fee is nominal.

HTH :)

Thanks,

I should have mentioned that I was unable to call the second company. When I left the interview I had the same feeling as I did for the original one and threw away the contact person and her phone number. She was temporarily using a center for her interviews, (she used the back room of a day care for adults) as she ran the company from another suburb.

However, I will call the first company. That is the one where the boss told me that the state had made some mistake that caused a hold up.

Thanks,

Gennaver