Refused job interview based on credit rating. Discrimination?

MrCooper

Coraline wrote: »

In my career I've dealt with tens of THOUSANDS of applicaitons over decades--I have to generalise.

Of course there are many factors to consider, but there are levels of magnitude and basing on the job applied for.

All things being equal, if you were hiring accountants that process purchasing orders and you had two candidates, (with ALL else being equal) but one with clean credit, and one with a record of unpaid bills and judgments for abandonding debts who would you hire?

I believe that pregnancy and PMT can sometimes cause some women to do odd things, even steal. Is it against the law not to employ pregnant or post pregnant women based on the fact that they might commit an act of crime or fraud?

It is wrong to write people off based on a poor credit history. A poor credit history doesn't equal a criminal in the waiting.

Dogger69

MrCooper wrote: »

I believe that pregnancy and PMT can sometimes cause some women to do odd things, even steal. Is it against the law not to employ pregnant or post pregnant women based on the fact that they might commit an act of crime or fraud?

It is wrong to write people off based on a poor credit history. A poor credit history doesn't equal a criminal in the waiting.

Hormonal imbalances can make people do odd things, but that applies to men and women, and is not specific to pregnancy.

No one has suggested that you are a criminal. However the fact is that those in debt are more likely to be involved in fraudulent activity - this is also the reason why bankrupts can have problems getting insurance, they are more likely to make a fraudulent claim.

MrCooper

Dogger69 wrote: »

However the fact is that those in debt are more likely to be involved in fraudulent activity.

Well you could argue that fact also applies to people with hormonal imbalances. However, to discriminate against these people is wrong and against the law.

Daedalus

MrCooper wrote: »

Well you could argue that fact also applies to people with hormonal imbalances. However, to discriminate against these people is wrong and against the law.

Hormonal imbalance is innate, being it debt isn't.

unlikelyheroine

I don't know if the risk of a crime on the part of a financially overburdened employee is being over-emphasised here as I'm not sure that is the primary reason a failed credit check means no job offer. To me it might more generally suggest to an employer that someone is disorganised and is not able to manage finances particularly well and that would impact any financial management role or any job where money is moved and someone has responsibility to stay on top of where everything is.

That might be a slightly simplistic approach, and I do think it is harsh to not be offered a job because of a failed credit check because these things happen, but as someone has mentioned above, employers are not charities and they are entitled to offer the job to whoever they feel is the best candidate, so long as they do not engage in illegal discrimination in reaching their decision.

MrCooper

Daedalus wrote: »

Hormonal imbalance is innate, being it debt isn't.

Regardless, it is still ridiculous to say one would go on to commit a criminal or fraudulent act more than the other.

Daedalus

MrCooper wrote: »

Regardless, it is still ridiculous to say one would go on to commit a criminal or fraudulent act more than the other.

No one saying you will go on to commit crime, we are saying you are statistically more likely to commit crime. If a company could get away with using statistics on other groups of people they would, business is business. It is no one's fault that you have a poor credit rating, stop trying to blame other people.

Dogger69

MrCooper wrote: »

Well you could argue that fact also applies to people with hormonal imbalances. However, to discriminate against these people is wrong and against the law.

Everyone has a hormone imbalance to some extent. There is no such thing as a perfect human.

MrCooper wrote: »

Regardless, it is still ridiculous to say one would go on to commit a criminal or fraudulent act more than the other.

It is not ridiculous, it is a fact.

MrCooper

Daedalus wrote: »

It is no one's fault that you have a poor credit rating, stop trying to blame other people.

Not once have I put the blame for my poor credit onto anyone else. I have only been trying to make the point that the credit checking system for employees is unfair.

It is understandable that companies have to take precautions, but it is wrong to brand everyone with poor credit as a potential threat. Some people just want to work their way out of the credit problems they have, companies are not making it very easy for people to do this.

MrCooper

Dogger69 wrote: »

It is not ridiculous, it is a fact.

It is a fact that people with poor credit would go on to commit fraud?