Getting a job at a hospital that you owe money to

[Shannon82]

I hadn't really thought about this before until tonight. I had a dream that I went to apply for a job at the hospital I want to work and they turned me down because I had an outstanding bill with them.

We owe money to a hospital and I'm just wondering if anyone knows if this will impact my ability to obtain employment with said hospital.

[queenjean]

Are you in good standing, or have you defaulted on your bill? If you have worked out a payment plan, it shouldn't be a problem. If you just left them high and dry; might be an issue. Depends upon how well different departments communicate, I suppose. Good question. I know in smaller facilities you wouldn't have a job (if you defaulted); but I don't know about a larger one like a hospital.

[lpnflorida]

I agree if the payments are current with the hospital I would not worry. If they are not I would mention it myself pointing as soon as you are hired you would work out a payment plan with them to be caught up. Gives them an incentive to hire you I would think.

[ZooMommyRN, ADN, RN]

I'm thinking there is some privacy involved that HR can not randomly look up who owes them money and who doesn't, I owed my facility money when I was hired as a unit a clerk and transferred over nursing, no one ever said a word about it.

[anc33]

I'm thinking there is some privacy involved that HR can not randomly look up who owes them money and who doesn't, I owed my facility money when I was hired as a unit a clerk and transferred over nursing, no one ever said a word about it.

This is a clear HIPAA violation. The HR dept should not be able to access patient billing. How did you receive news of your rejection? I would report this incident immediately and include the name of the person who communicated this.

[lpnflorida]

Many jobs do look at perspective hires credit worthiness. Again I would be upfront with potential employer. Hospitals, HR departments, and such do highly honor honesty. Gives them a good idea you are not the type who might try and hide mistakes and takes responsiblity for their actions. There are ways to turn owing a bill to the hospital as a positive for hire.

[ZooMommyRN, ADN, RN]

Many jobs do look at perspective hires credit worthiness. Again I would be upfront with potential employer. Hospitals, HR departments, and such do highly honor honesty. Gives them a good idea you are not the type who might try and hide mistakes and takes responsiblity for their actions. There are ways to turn owing a bill to the hospital as a positive for hire.

Yes but when honesty crosses into privacy is when it becomes a problem, they can't run a credit check on you without your signed permission, if they ask that and you know your credit is circling the drain as mine was then be honest and tell them, most job denials due to credit are positions that deal directly with money such as retail or banking, obviously you need a job to pay the bills, I told HR upfront my credit was in the crapper and I would be working to fix that and it would get better once I finished nursing school, and they never said anything more about it and I don't think they actually ran it, why spend the money on a credit report if they already know it's going suck lol

[lpnflorida]

Zoomommy, the last job I applied to ask if they could run a credit check. Yes, they needed my permission to do it.

I personally don't see the sense of it, but there is the school of thought that if someone has money difficulties they may be less reliable in other areas of their life. I don't agree with that philosophy , but I do acknowledge it exists.I admire that you told them upfront about your circumstances, and I would say your employer did also.

[Jdl2002]

Credit checks often aren't even about looking at your credit. They are a way of verifying past employers and addresses.

[anc33]

You know, I honestly didn't even think about credit checks. I have never encounted this when applying for jobs. Any verification of prior employment has been via a phone call to my previous bosses. Then again, I have never worked in a for profit agency. I imagine this is done more often in those companies. I just automatically assumed it was an internal thing.

[justme79]

It was not a problem for us. I took two different positions at two different hosipitals, owing each, and the subject never came up. In fact, after working at one and developing a problem with the billing process, I arranged to have a payroll deduction - it worked out very well!! Don't let your fear stop you from applying!!

[Xbox Live Addict]

Zoomommy, the last job I applied to ask if they could run a credit check. Yes, they needed my permission to do it.

I personally don't see the sense of it, but there is the school of thought that if someone has money difficulties they may be less reliable in other areas of their life. I don't agree with that philosophy , but I do acknowledge it exists.I admire that you told them upfront about your circumstances, and I would say your employer did also.

If you refuse a credit check, they can't run it... but they can also refuse to hire you if you won't submit to a credit check.

It's like what has been said about SSAN's being used as a personal ID number. When the SSANs were introduced, the government promised they would never be used as a means of tracking or labeling a person. Now almost every business wants your SSAN before they will offer you services. The government's response to protests over using the Social Security System as a personal ID number? "You are within your rights to refuse to give anyone your Social Security number, but they are also within their rights to refuse to provide services to you."