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Mykle Ykle

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Should employers not hire you or fire you when they discover your bad credit history?

It has been a sad situation for me and many others in the USA (I don't know if this is an issue worldwide) I have great qualifications and work experience. Yet, in the majority of states you are obligated to submit to a criminal background check which is completely understandable, but that also includes a credit check. I understand that a credit check should be mandatory for executive, banking, casinos and industries directly involving money. Sadly, those of us with bad credit are being discriminated for regular jobs i.e. retail, call centers, customer service.

The government, banks and debt collectors wants their money, as they should. Yet, if you have bad credit, it's a lot harder to find a job making it impossible to get out of debt, let alone be a productive citizen.

This is an issue that is not widely discussed, I've searched online and there are some bills being proposed to end this discrimination but I don't think is really going anywhere.

I would like to have the TED community input in the most civil way possible.

Topics: Equal Rights Human Resource Unemployment credit credit checks credit reports economy eoe equal opportunity employer
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  • Barry Palmer 50+

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    Feb 6 2013: I can empathize with your situation, but I do not see this as being on the same level as other Equal Employment Opportunity criteria.

    I think credit checks became routine when unemployment went up and employers started getting double and triple the usual number of applicants. If you are facing forty applications and can dismiss twenty based on a credit check, you can cut your work in half, and perhaps fill a much needed position a day or two earlier.

    This may seem unfair to people like yourself, but outlawing this practice would be unfair to employers. This country is suppose to be the land of the free and we are gradually losing our freedoms to regulation.
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      Mykle Ykle

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      Feb 7 2013: If this were the norm, then all of us with bad credit would have to live with the fact of never being employed, having a really hard time getting employed, like I am.

      • Barry Palmer 50+

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        Feb 8 2013: Try flipping this around. If the government can tell employers that they must hire people who have a bad credit rating, then the government also has the power to tell employers that they cannot hire people with a bad credit rating.

        I think the government should not have this power.
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          Mykle Ykle

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          Feb 8 2013: I don't have to flip it around because I'm only saying that they should not discriminate if a job applicant had bad credit. Again, with your reasoning, all people with bad credit shouldn't even bother to apply for a job.

      • Barry Palmer 50+

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        Feb 9 2013: No need to repeat yourself. Fortunately there are people like Gordon Barker who are fee to hire you because the government does not have the power to tell them what to do regarding every detail of hiring and firing employees. So all people with bad credit should continue to apply for jobs, and seek out employers like Mr. Barker.

        Good luck.

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