Ban on checking credit of job applicants clears (Calif.) Assembly

Source: Sacramento Bee

Legislation to ban most employers from conducting credit checks on job applicants cleared the Assembly today.

Assembly Bill 22 cleared the lower house by a vote of 42-28, with no Republican support.

The bill was proposed by Assemblyman Tony Mendoza, D-Artesia, who said that credit reports can be inaccurate or muddied by layoffs or emergency situations. They do not truly reflect whether a person is trustworthy and hardworking, he said.

... AB 22 would not apply if the job sought is involved in handling money, assets, or confidential information and the position is in a financial institution, is managerial, is for a sworn peace officer post, or is in the Department of Justice.

Read more: http://blogs.sacbee.com/capitolalertlatest/2011/05/ban-on-checking-credit-of-job.html

I'm having a difficult time thinking of an employment situation that wouldn't apply. Assets? Tools, materials, office supplies?

Those conditions and, not or, in one of the designated categories. That limits it considerably.

Cali passes

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California_Department_of_Justice


and good for the assembly. Here's hoping it becomes law.

My husband was laid off for almost 2 years and in that time I was using creidt cards to make mortgage payments, buy groceries and purchase clothes for my kids. I worked hard to make sure the mortgage wasn't late and the kids had what they needed. We are back on our feet now, but it took it's toll. That being said, I have had the same job for 14 years. Part of that job is to prepare the bank deposits for a retail store. I handle all the cash (some days, it's pretty significant) in the store, audit cashiers and keep track of the store's cash on hand. I have never, in all the time I have been there taken anything (even time on the clock) that I didn't earn honestly. I guarantee you wouldn't know that about me from my credit report. I'd hate to think that any advancement in my career hinges on of a credit report.

The thieves did numerous things...opened accounts etc, etc....and destroyed her credit.
She's worked for 2 years to try to straighten it out. So far, some little success BUT she has been turned down
several times for jobs that she knew that she was perfect for and suspects strongly it's because of her credit score.

Very unfair.

and almost all jobs check your credit before they consider hiring you. Man those Banksters have us by the short ones.....

Got to admit, it's a pretty carefree way of remaining in charge.

If somebody is applying for a job, but it turns out that their credit shows them living in 10 cities in 10 years, you can guess that they might not be sticking around. If it shows them half a million in debt, they're more of an embezzlement risk.

Now, businesses will just run "background checks", and somebody else will look at the credit report, and deliver the information, so really, the bill is kind of toothless.

are you a liberal?

Feel-good legislation requires real teeth, such as fining employers $100,000, if, in the course of hiring somebody, *any* credit check is run, by the employer or any agent acting in the interests of the employer, runs a credit check.

I saw how the game panned out with FISA: the government made certain things illegal for employers to do, so external contractors did it instead.

K&R.

http://www.aroundthecapitol.com/Bills/AB_22/20112012/

"...the position of the person for whom the report is sought is a position in the state Department of Justice, a managerial position, as defined, that of a sworn peace officer or other law enforcement position, or a position for which the information contained in the report is required to be disclosed by law or to be obtained by the employer."

So, it might depend on what the clearance is for.

Since there's an exception for "confidential" information. Plus, a security clearance is issued by the federal government agencies.

US security clearances always include a credit check, and that's probably a good thing. (Bad credit doesn't mean you won't get a clearance, but lying about it does.)

:hi:

Bound to pass the Senate and be signed by Brown.

:thumbsup:

It would be a freezing snowing day in hell when something like this sees the light of day in Texas

almost anything these days. People who have bad credit these days are mostly just the victims of circumstances and do not have bad moral character. They, more than anybody else, NEED to be able to get jobs and insurance and checking accounts.

never add your social security number to an employment application. If they ask, tell them that you respectfully decline to provide it without there being a job offer on the table. Tell them your reasons are for security purposes which is true. There are likely going to be several people with access to those applications and you have no idea as to their integrity.

Only give them permission to do so if they are handling financial issues/money on the job at a level that requires added checking for any employee.