Credit rating can affect employment

It is reported that many job applicants are being rejected based on employment credit checks. Seems ironic that the reason for bad credit was caused by the loss of a job and to redeem good credit rating they need a job. Employers seem to think that bad credit makes the employee a bad risk – not trustworthy. Another irony? Can an employee trust their employer?

It is true.

This happened to me. I didn't get a job as police dispatcher because my credit wasn't worthy. (Although it was good enough to buy a house, shortly thereafter).

I scored high on the POST exam, am fluently bilingual, passed the oral board, was an EMT, and was more than qualified for the job. The only thing in my background check that wasn't spotless was my credit.

What really made me rather annoyed was that not much later there was a news report about the city having trouble filling the position.

Augh!

JoElle,
I am sorry to hear that. You may have a good story for the media since it is now a hot topic. Adversity can be a benefit. Don't give up. You have talent and much to offer an employer. You can't lose something you don't have, therefore there's nothing to lose by trying.

10/29/2011


I don't think anyone's credit report should be used against
them, to me this illegal and they do use it, I can see doing
a criminal background check, this I agree with. I think
Congress has to make a law against checking one's credit
when applying for a job....Write your Congressmen today..


Cheers..Joe

Credit reports have been used for job screening for a long time. Landlords and car/property insurance companies do them, too.

LC wrote:

Credit reports have been used for job screening for a long time. Landlords and car/property insurance companies do them, too.

Yes, they do it, but it doesn't make it right. Bad credit is not always an employment problem. It is often mis-management. However when the manager defaults on his/her credit, do they fire themselves?

Well, a lot of things aren't "right," but they're the best we might have. Bad credit may not be someone's fault, but it also may be! I assume the people scrutinizing it use judgement. If they see a period of unemployment they may sympathize. If they see continued employment but a deliberate avoidance of bills, they may rightfully pass the person over.

A person with bad credit should also not be hired in a position where he advises others on money or manages it, no matter what the circumstances of that bad credit, imo. There are too many other people with good credit.

I doubt a manager would fire him or herself over his/her own bad credit, but in case of job loss, that person would be just another candidate seeking a job and open to others' interpretation of that credit.

LC, your points are well taken. I hope that the prospective employers will use good judgement in making decisions.