I was really surprised one day when my wife was searching for a job and a potential employer required a credit check before hiring. In the most basic sense this is logical for a business. If a potential employee shows up as having bad credit then in the eyes of the business they might be more likely to be desperate and could be a liability. The new employee might be more likely to steal or be generally more stressed, and not as friendly with customers.
Pushing all the business logic aside for the moment, let’s ask what this kind of policy is doing. Well, for one, the policy is preventing individuals from getting jobs who need it most. I firmly believe the American Dream needs to be facilitated by smart legislation, which helps Americans progress from the bottom of society to their dreams. This kind of business policy goes directly against the American Dream, putting the privileged or lucky on better footing than other Americans. I don’t believe every individual who has great credit is inherently lucky or privileged, but by making it impossible to acquire a job when you don’t have great credit, does put an unfair disadvantage on people who are financially strapped. View full article »
