Should employers be allowed to credit check before hiring

G

gut

15,058 posts
fan_from_texas;983052 wrote:To the OP, I think a credit check is perfectly reasonable. If there are 1,000 applicants for a position, there's no realistic way to give a thorough review to each. So you weed out based on factors to get it down to a manageable number (gpa, school rank, years of work experience credit, etc).
Credit checks are, in my experience, almost always part of post-offer background checks. Far too expensive to be used as a weed-out process to filter apps.
Nov 21, 2011 9:42pm
rmolin73's avatar

rmolin73

4,278 posts
Steel Valley Football;982920 wrote:Tell me what I can't ask. I'll bet anything you come up with is something I would not want to ask.
Try asking a woman her marital status, ask someone about their religious affiliation, ask someone about their sexual orientation.
Nov 21, 2011 9:44pm
S

Steel Valley Football

4,548 posts
rmolin73;983063 wrote:Try asking a woman her marital status, ask someone about their religious affiliation, ask someone about their sexual orientation.
I would not want to ask any of those things. I said I can ask anything I want to ask.
Nov 21, 2011 9:49pm
Mooney44Cards's avatar

Mooney44Cards

2,754 posts
LJ;982890 wrote:False. You can ask anything you want. Certain questions just have to be prefaced with the answer is optional and answering will not affect your employment
Is that like saying "I'm not racist but..."?

Yes, technically you can ask anything you want in an interview, but I dare you to ask someone how old they are, what religion they are, or something of the sort. If you didn't hire that person (for ANY reason), a lawsuit could and should be filed against you. If the answer to the question will not affect employment, why ask it in a job interview?!

Also, you couldn't ask someone in a job interview "What if I just pull out a gun right now and shoot you in the face?" That's illegal. Sorry buddy.
Nov 21, 2011 9:52pm
Pick6's avatar

Pick6

14,946 posts
Steel Valley Football;983065 wrote:I would not want to ask any of those things. I said I can ask anything I want to ask.
Just because you wouldnt ask it doesnt mean other employers don't. You said you can ask anything.
Nov 21, 2011 9:57pm
LJ's avatar

LJ

16,351 posts
Mooney44Cards;983069 wrote:Is that like saying "I'm not racist but..."?

Yes, technically you can ask anything you want in an interview, but I dare you to ask someone how old they are, what religion they are, or something of the sort. If you didn't hire that person (for ANY reason), a lawsuit could and should be filed against you. If the answer to the question will not affect employment, why ask it in a job interview?!
companies do it all the time and they arent getting constantly sued over it.
Also, you couldn't ask someone in a job interview "What if I just pull out a gun right now and shoot you in the face?" That's illegal. Sorry buddy.
Not illegal. Horribly unprofessional, yes.
Nov 21, 2011 9:59pm
Pick6's avatar

Pick6

14,946 posts
Mooney44Cards;983069 wrote:Is that like saying "I'm not racist but..."?

Yes, technically you can ask anything you want in an interview, but I dare you to ask someone how old they are, what religion they are, or something of the sort. If you didn't hire that person (for ANY reason), a lawsuit could and should be filed against you. If the answer to the question will not affect employment, why ask it in a job interview?!

Also, you couldn't ask someone in a job interview "What if I just pull out a gun right now and shoot you in the face?" That's illegal. Sorry buddy.
He is correct that you can ask certain questions like religion, race, etc as long as the application says it is optional.

If somebody asks me my age, and I tell them 20, and later find out they hired somebody 30 who is less qualified then me..BAM lawsuit, and chances are that I will win.
Nov 21, 2011 9:59pm
LJ's avatar

LJ

16,351 posts
Pick6;983084 wrote:He is correct that you can ask certain questions like religion, race, etc as long as the application says it is optional.

If somebody asks me my age, and I tell them 20, and later find out they hired somebody 30 who is less qualified then me..BAM lawsuit, and chances are that I will win.

Not that cut and dry
Nov 21, 2011 10:01pm
G

gut

15,058 posts
Mooney44Cards;983069 wrote: Yes, technically you can ask anything you want in an interview, but I dare you to ask someone how old they are, what religion they are, or something of the sort. If you didn't hire that person (for ANY reason), a lawsuit could and should be filed against you. If the answer to the question will not affect employment, why ask it in a job interview?!
And yet, questions such as DOB, sex, race and marital status are routine questions on employment applications, which are often filled out before an interview and sometimes when applying. I assume there's some sort of Chinese wall, but being asked such a question in an interview - possibly just innocent small talk - is hardly a slam-dunk discrimination case for exactly that reason. It is not illegal to ask those questions and you must then show you were discriminated against. The latter is partly why companies ask these questions, so they can have a database of hires and interviews to defend against such lawsuits.
Nov 21, 2011 10:02pm
Pick6's avatar

Pick6

14,946 posts
LJ;983091 wrote:Not that cut and dry
how so? that is age discrimination
Nov 21, 2011 10:04pm
LJ's avatar

LJ

16,351 posts
Pick6;983097 wrote:how so? that is age discrimination

Not unless they say " we are hiring this guy because he is older"
Nov 21, 2011 10:05pm
Mooney44Cards's avatar

Mooney44Cards

2,754 posts
LJ;983082 wrote:companies do it all the time and they arent getting constantly sued over it.


Not illegal. Horribly unprofessional, yes.
Actually, the second example can be considered disorderly conduct, so its illegal.
Nov 21, 2011 10:06pm
LJ's avatar

LJ

16,351 posts
Mooney44Cards;983101 wrote:Actually, the second example can be considered disorderly conduct, so its illegal.

Disorderly conduct?!?! LOL
Nov 21, 2011 10:07pm
LJ's avatar

LJ

16,351 posts
What if you are interviewing someone for a security position?
Nov 21, 2011 10:08pm
Mooney44Cards's avatar

Mooney44Cards

2,754 posts
[h=1]2917.11 Disorderly conduct.[/h] (A) No person shall recklessly cause inconvenience, annoyance, or alarm to another by doing any of the following:
(1) Engaging in fighting, in threatening harm to persons or property, or in violent or turbulent behavior;
(2) Making unreasonable noise or an offensively coarse utterance, gesture, or display or communicating unwarranted and grossly abusive language to any person;
(3) Insulting, taunting, or challenging another, under circumstances in which that conduct is likely to provoke a violent response;
Nov 21, 2011 10:08pm
LJ's avatar

LJ

16,351 posts
Mooney44Cards;983105 wrote:[h=1]2917.11 Disorderly conduct.[/h] (A) No person shall recklessly cause inconvenience, annoyance, or alarm to another by doing any of the following:
(1) Engaging in fighting, in threatening harm to persons or property, or in violent or turbulent behavior;
(2) Making unreasonable noise or an offensively coarse utterance, gesture, or display or communicating unwarranted and grossly abusive language to any person;
(3) Insulting, taunting, or challenging another, under circumstances in which that conduct is likely to provoke a violent response;

I bet you $1000 you wouldnt be charged with shit
Nov 21, 2011 10:09pm
G

gut

15,058 posts
LJ;983099 wrote:Not unless they say " we are hiring this guy because he is older"
Yeah, good luck proving you really were "more qualified"..."Experience" is a way to discriminate against age and it's perfectly legal. Besides, age discrimination suits are almost always an older person being passed over for a younger person, and I think age as a protected class is actually 45+ or something like that.
Nov 21, 2011 10:10pm
I

I Wear Pants

16,223 posts
LJ;982899 wrote:Informational purposes. Have you never filled out an app or applied online to a larger company? They all do it.
Lol. Do you think they ask just to ask? They use it for hiring purposes otherwise they wouldn't ask it on the application/in the interview.
Nov 21, 2011 10:11pm
Pick6's avatar

Pick6

14,946 posts
LJ;983099 wrote:Not unless they say " we are hiring this guy because he is older"
I respect your opinion LJ, but you are wrong. Does somebody have to say " I dont like black people" to get sued over racism?
Nov 21, 2011 10:13pm
Mooney44Cards's avatar

Mooney44Cards

2,754 posts
LJ;983108 wrote:I bet you $1000 you wouldnt be charged with shit
Bet all you want, disorderly conduct laws are purposely written vaguely and are about as subjective as laws get. Read part (A), you can be charged with disorderly conduct for causing "annoyance" by way of threatening.

You said its not illegal to ask anything, I said it is. Just because your argument has changed to "ya but you wouldn't get charged for it" doesn't make you right.
Nov 21, 2011 10:13pm
LJ's avatar

LJ

16,351 posts
I Wear Pants;983113 wrote:Lol. Do you think they ask just to ask? They use it for hiring purposes otherwise they wouldn't ask it on the application/in the interview.

Uh no, they dont. Its so hr has a record that they DONT discriminate.
Nov 21, 2011 10:13pm
S

Steel Valley Football

4,548 posts
Pick6;983080 wrote:Just because you wouldnt ask it doesnt mean other employers don't. You said you can ask anything.
No. No I did not. I suggest you read again what I wrote.
Nov 21, 2011 10:13pm
I

I Wear Pants

16,223 posts
Mooney44Cards;983105 wrote:2917.11 Disorderly conduct.

(A) No person shall recklessly cause inconvenience, annoyance, or alarm to another by doing any of the following:
(1) Engaging in fighting, in threatening harm to persons or property, or in violent or turbulent behavior;
(2) Making unreasonable noise or an offensively coarse utterance, gesture, or display or communicating unwarranted and grossly abusive language to any person;
(3) Insulting, taunting, or challenging another, under circumstances in which that conduct is likely to provoke a violent response;
This is one of those really vague laws that isn't consistently applicable.

Some people consider saying "fuck you" or flipping someone off to be "offensively coarse" others, like the California Sup. Court if I recall, would disagree.
Nov 21, 2011 10:13pm
LJ's avatar

LJ

16,351 posts
Mooney44Cards;983118 wrote:Bet all you want, disorderly conduct laws are purposely written vaguely and are about as subjective as laws get. Read part (A), you can be charged with disorderly conduct for causing "annoyance" by way of threatening.

You said its not illegal to ask anything, I said it is. Just because your argument has changed to "ya but you wouldn't get charged for it" doesn't make you right.

So wait, if the law wouldnt apply and you wouldnt be charged for it, its still illegal? ROFL
Nov 21, 2011 10:14pm
I

I Wear Pants

16,223 posts
LJ;983119 wrote:Uh no, they dont. Its so hr has a record that they DONT discriminate.
Wouldn't it be simpler to not ask and then when they say "blah blah blah, they didn't hire me because of x" the company can say "that's not true, we didn't even know that"?
Nov 21, 2011 10:14pm