Declined job due to credit check

hazzzz

Hi all, just wondering if I’m in a situation we’re I just need to accept the situation or if I should fight it.

Long story short - 

I had an interview for a job in March, and was told I was successful but start date would be when things calm down due to Covid-19. Job starts next week and I have only been sent a contract the last couple of days which is fine. I read through it and there is a mention of reference and ID checks which I agreed to but they then sent me a link to Experian which I filled the details in, and to my surprise, it asked if I had a CCJ. I have one for £300 from a few years ago so I answered yes. I contacted HR advising that there  was no mention of credit checks on the job description, application form, contract or at interview and that if I knew this I would have mentioned it at the beginning or not applied. They came back and said they need to speak to me urgently which said my job offer has been withdrawn because of this.

I have declined other jobs and waited four months and now have no job and am in a very bad situation. Do I jave to just sick this up. They apologised and said they would feed this back and are sorry that it took so long to find out this.

Thanks 

Emmia

What type of job or role is this for? I can understand that for some jobs (or security clearance levels) where your financial background e.g. indebtedness / bankruptcy would be important and could be a bar on the employment.

hazzzz

Utility - customer service 

Thanks 

Emmia

Would you be taking payments over the telephone e.g. by someone reading out their card details to you? I can see (from the employers perspective) there is a risk that someone with "money troubles" might be tempted to take the details for fraudulent purposes...

It's not great though, and it is a pity the advert / application process didn't make the credit check part clear - but I'm not really sure there is much you can do. 

Brynsam

hazzzz said:

Utility - customer service 

Thanks 

If you're dealing with customers' financial details, then a credit check would be normal. 

I don't think you'll get very far, but I'd be tempted to contact the firm again and ask if, given the situation (you've turned down other jobs, waited this long, etc etc), they would be willing to give you a trial period? There are likely to be reasons such as insurance which mean they quite simply can't do that, but making a polite enquiry is worth a go.

hazzzz

Payments are automated on a separate line so wouldn’t have access to anything like fincial details. 

I guess it is what it is! 

Annisele

How long ago is "a few years ago"? More than six? I'm wondering if it's dropped off your credit file by now.

Unfortunately I don't think there's anything you can do beyond Brynsam's suggestion. They could sack you for pretty much* any reason during the first two years anyway. Even if you'd started to work there, if they decided to let you go you'd be entitled to notice pay at most, and that would probably only be a week.

(* I say "pretty much" to cover things like discrimination that's unlawful under the Equality Act, dismissing you because of trade union membership, that sort of thing.)

MovingForwards

Anything to do with banks, pensions, accountancy and utilities avoid applying for with CCJs etc.

Law firms and insurance companies it's best to mention in advance as some are ok, others say no.

Hope you find something else soon.

Comms69

Remember that CCJs are public records and no a protected characteristic - any job can in effect use this information. 

Undervalued

hazzzz said:

Hi all, just wondering if I’m in a situation we’re I just need to accept the situation or if I should fight it.

Long story short - 

I had an interview for a job in March, and was told I was successful but start date would be when things calm down due to Covid-19. Job starts next week and I have only been sent a contract the last couple of days which is fine. I read through it and there is a mention of reference and ID checks which I agreed to but they then sent me a link to Experian which I filled the details in, and to my surprise, it asked if I had a CCJ. I have one for £300 from a few years ago so I answered yes. I contacted HR advising that there  was no mention of credit checks on the job description, application form, contract or at interview and that if I knew this I would have mentioned it at the beginning or not applied. They came back and said they need to speak to me urgently which said my job offer has been withdrawn because of this.

I have declined other jobs and waited four months and now have no job and am in a very bad situation. Do I jave to just sick this up. They apologised and said they would feed this back and are sorry that it took so long to find out this.

Thanks 

Fight it - on what grounds?

Obviously you can attempt to persuade the employer to change their mind. However I see no grounds to "fight it". An employer can use any criteria they like in deciding who to employ providing they are not discriminating on any of the relatively few legally protected characteristics. This is not one of them.

hazzzz

On the grounds that I wasn’t advised there would be a credit check?