I cannot find a way to contact or locate Group One.
Since I have left a bad job where the supervisors and nurse managers pretty much did what they wanted to you without any kind of controls (yikes!), I have some realistic concerns about what may have been reported about me.
I googled. I searched here.
I did find one post from to day that mentioned Group One, and I emailed that member.
But if someone out there knows how to find out "what they're sayin' about ya," I'd sure like to know about it. It probably ought to be included in a link someplace on this board.
Group One lists your salary at every hospital you worked at and at the current hospital. Tracking method and tool for controling salaries. I hope the HCA class actions suit will do something and open a door. Been waiting 20 years.
Yeah ... I noticed that on their website also. They DO track salaries ... I guess there might be something to those wage fixing lawsuits afterall. The more you learn about this, the worse it gets.
Don't judge all of Texas based on group one in DFW.
True ... but I gotta say that ever since I've been on this board, I'm constantly amazed at the number of nursing horror stories come out of Texas. After awhile, you do start to wonder what's going on over there.
With this Group One situation ... I agree that it's probably happening elsewhere but all we know for sure is that it's happening in Texas ... i.e. because of their website. The fact that this type of organization exists at all is totally unbelieveable to me. If they try to pull this crap in California I feel certain that the nurses' unions, etc. will raise holy hell, sue them and run them out of the state.
Besides ... good luck doing this in California anyway. If they start blackballing people for no good reason then they won't be able to staff, and then they'll violate the ratio law so ... they'd have major legal and financial problems with that also.
I won't go into my experience with Group One. I've told the story many times on this board. The dastardly tale is well documented.
You can get your report from Group One. The easiest way is to go into the office In LAS COLINAS on DECKER ST. request it. They are a de facto CREDIT REPORTING AGENCY and MUST abide by the FAIR CREDIT REPORTING ACT.
The FCRA is one of the laws I used to fight that bad boy and hit them where it hurt most. Don't take it lying down!
Question: I notice that under FCRA, they're supposed to send you a notice of "adverse action" if they don't hire you because of these reports. Has anyone who's had issues with Group One gotten a notice of adverse action?
Question: I notice that under FCRA, they're supposed to send you a notice of "adverse action" if they don't hire you because of these reports. Has anyone who's had issues with Group One gotten a notice of adverse action?
:typing
I've gotten the Group One report when I did not get hired. They hospital HR person highlighted the part that dinged me.
....Also, Group One only lists your employers notes, so you would have had to have something reported on you from a job you worked at (ie you called in on your two weeks notice, you were fired, etc..) Turning down a position would not be cause to report to Group One since you were never employed -- that's not what the organization is for. Some organizations will list you as not eligible for rehire to their organization but not necessarily place that in a Group One report (the usual reason is quitting without adequate notice or calling in during the last two weeks, people do that a lot)
I have friends who have been reported to Group1 for no good reason. One friend, a new grad, was hired for Neuro ICU, promised several months preceptorship. She was left on her own on her second day on the unit. She refused the assignment and invoked safe harbour. She was reported to Group1. She has since been unable to get a job in Dallas- she almost lost her house. She has now left Texas, got a job and is doing fine.
I know of another nurse who got a traffic ticket for not wearing a seatbelt. Her employer found out and reported her to Group1 for failure to disclose her "criminal record."
I know of a nurse who was threatened by her manager: "I'll report you to Group1!" For refusing overtime. Any employer can report an nurse to Group1 at their whim.
I'm thinking very seriously of sending an e-mail to Texas Governor Rick Perry to inform him of my intention never to work as a nurse in Texas. It's a bit hollow, I know, since I wasn't likely to, anyway. I'm happy where I am and likely to retire here, but I do enjoy knowing that I could find work just about anywhere in the country.
At any rate, Texas is off my list. It strikes me that if they were off enough nurses' lists, they might find it advantageous to adjust their attitudes.
I live in Texas and Texas is off of my list. When I tell people the things I've seen and experienced as a nurse in Texas, they sometimes don't even believe me, because my experiences have been so unbelievable.I'm a traveler now. I'm exiled to Texas r/t dh's job.
In my years of nursing in the DFW area in a number of facilities and agencies, I have only ever known 2 people who have had an issue and both were able to clear it up using the FCRA. I met a third recently who had a problem and is using the FCRA to clear it up but has an attorney to contact if the supervisor who misued GO continues to refuse to let it go.
It isn't a problem for MOST people, it IS a problem for a FEW. If these people are still having problems, despite FCRA procedure, I suggest they contact a nurse friendly attorney. If you need one, PM me.
Again - it is isnt GO that is the problem - it either A) vindictive stupid supervisors and HR departments who MISUSE group one or B) employess who fail to follow procedure - ie not give written notice, not give notice at all, not show up for work without calling, not file the proper forms for safe harbor etc.
A few good lawsuits filed against both the abusive employer who misuses group one and group one for not ensuring the accuracy of the information would serve to nip this problem, if people want to put an end to this, then thats what needs to happen.
It happens lots of other places besides Texas - we just happen to be aware of it here. GroupOne encompasses a much larger area than Dallas and Fort Worth.
In addition - there are plenty of other shady little credit reporting agencies who do essentially the same thing. Don't kid yourself.
Yes. I was an insurance broker for years. The insurance companies use their own little quasi-gossip/blacklist reporting agency for insurance agents and brokers. This one supposedly operates under the FCRA. Good luck getting ahold of them or getting any information. Unless you are one of the insurance companies. If you are dinged on your report you will not get a contract with any insurance company. Ever. This agency is supposed to list agents who owe back commissions, but I've heard they act as a blacklister too?
Maybe most professions requiring licenses have these double-super-secret blacklisting databases?
It isn't a problem for MOST people, it IS a problem for a FEW. If these people are still having problems, despite FCRA procedure, I suggest they contact a nurse friendly attorney. If you need one, PM me.
Again - it is isnt GO that is the problem - it either A) vindictive stupid supervisors and HR departments who MISUSE group one or B) employess who fail to follow procedure - ie not give written notice, not give notice at all, not show up for work without calling, not file the proper forms for safe harbor etc.
GO isn't the problem? If it gets really bad, hire an attorney? Do you know how much an attorney costs and what a major pain that is? GO creates a system which allows managers to blacklist people and ... I've got to go spend money on attorneys because of Group One ... but GO isn't the problem?
Not filing proper forms for safe harbor? That's great ... they put you in unsafe working conditions and the burden is on you to file the complaint and get the paperwork right. And it's your fault if you don't get the paperwork right? Even if you didn't cause the unsafe working conditions in the first place?
All of this puts the burden upon the nurse, even when it's the employers' poor practices that are causing the problems to begin with. Some Texas nurses sure have a funny way of looking at things. Employers must love you guys ... whoah.
A few good lawsuits filed against both the abusive employer who misuses group one and group one for not ensuring the accuracy of the information would serve to nip this problem, if people want to put an end to this, then thats what needs to happen.
Have you ever filed a lawsuit? I have. First, you have to convince a law firm to take the case. There's got to be a lot of evidence to prove the case, and you have to make sure there's something in the law that says this is illegal in order to convince a law firm to take this on contingency. Otherwise, you're on the line for tens of thousands in legal fees. Finding a law firm to take the case on contingency can easily take months, even longer.
Then, even if you have a decent legal case ... you have to go through discovery, depositions, court hearings, then ... finally ... the trial, which can take years. It's very time consuming. And, after all of that, if you get an idiot judge that rules against you regardless of how good the case is ... you have to appeal ... spending more time and money.
So ... you have to go through all of this to correct situation that never should have happened in the first place? I could never work in Texas, that's for sure. I could never, ever put up with this crap.
GO isn't the problem? If it gets really bad, hire an attorney? Do you know how much an attorney costs and what a major pain that is? GO creates a system which allows managers to abuse the system and ... I've got to go spend money on attorneys because of Group One ... but GO isn't the problem?
Yes I know what an attorney costs - have you ever heard of contingency? Did you not see my prior msg to contact me about one who is taking the cases?
Not filing proper forms for safe harbor? That's great ... they put you in unsafe working conditions and the burden is on you to file the complaint and get the paperwork right. And it's all your fault if you don't get the paperwork right? Even if you didn't cause the unsafe working conditions in the first place?
There *IS* a procedure for everything in every place of employment - for giving notice, for invoking safe harbor, for being terminated, for notifying of breach etc etc etc etc etc ad nauseum - it *IS* the way it is when you work for someone else. If you want to avoid problems, you follow protocol, procedure, and stay within the nurse practice act. You CYA in 0ther words. Perhaps since you are in CA and not in Texas, and since you are a student and not yet a nurse, you probably are not so familiar with the process of SAFE HARBOR IN TEXAS. It is well outlined by the BNE. People tend to think by just saying "Im invoking safe harbor now" that they have invoked safe harbor, when in fact they have not. Check the BNE web site.
All of this puts the burden upon the nurse, even when it's the employers' poor practices that are causing the problems to begin with. Some Texas nurses sure have a funny way of looking at things. Employers must love you guys ... whoah.
All of this puts the burden on responsible adult employees behaving in the manner in which they should in the first place, part of which includes not working for places where it is not safe to work. We need to do a better job of sharing that information among ourselves.
Have you ever filed a lawsuit? I have. First, you have to convince a law firm to take the case. There's got to be enough evidence so the law firm will take the case on contingency. And, you have to do a lot of research to make sure there's something in the law that says this is illegal. Otherwise, you're on the line for tens of thousands in legal fees. Finding a law firm to take the case on contingency can easily take months, even longer.
Indeed I have, crawl off your high horse - I do speak from experience. Again - are you in TEXAS? This is one reason why the suit needs to be class action.
Then you have to go through discovery, depositions, court hearings, then ... finally ... the trial, which can take years. And, after all of that, if you get an idiot judge that rules against you regardless of how good the case is ... you have to appeal ... spending more time and money.
Again - are you in TEXAS?
So ... you have to go through all of this to correct situation that never should have happened in the first place? I could never work in Texas, that's for sure. I could never, ever put up with this crap.
If you think this stuff doesn't happen elsewhere you are sorely kidding yourself - you just don't happen to know about it.
Yes. I was an insurance broker for years. The insurance companies use their own little quasi-gossip/blacklist reporting agency for insurance agents and brokers. This one supposedly operates under the FCRA. Good luck getting ahold of them or getting any information. Unless you are one of the insurance companies. If you are dinged on your report you will not get a contract with any insurance company. Ever. This agency is supposed to list agents who owe back commissions, but I've heard they act as a blacklister too?
Maybe most professions requiring licenses have these double-super-secret blacklisting databases?
Yep - much more often than we know - and it is becoming more and more common in more and more industries and in more locations all over the country.
)
Sheri257
3,905 Posts
Yeah ... I noticed that on their website also. They DO track salaries ... I guess there might be something to those wage fixing lawsuits afterall. The more you learn about this, the worse it gets.
:typing