I support this new law. Businesses have no right to know a credit history unless there is a correlation to the job.
When I was job hunting I saw a lot of scams that tried to get my bank or credit card info to do a credit report.
Being a deadbeat (skipping out on debts) is a measure of character. A deadbeat employee may end up getting lots of harassing phone calls from creditors, even at work. And that sort of thing can affect performance on the job (depression, whatever). Though bluefrog's point is quite valid, I would certainly be careful about who I gave out my financial information to.
So? Do a better job of screening and interviewing prospective employees. Also, place them on a 180 day probationary period or hire thru a temp agency to begin with. Employers have all sorts of ways to protect themselves. And besides, not all people who can't pay their bills are deadbeats. I can think of a host of reasons why people would get into serious financial straits. As an employer, I wouldn't hold it against them.
If someone loses a job and loses their home as a result, if someone has huge medical bills and has to declare bankruptcy, if a person goes through a divorce, that is not a bad character. And someone can have sterling credit and be a wretched person and a terrible employee. I agree, base hiring on qualifications. I once applied for a job where, when I went for an interview, I was asked to sign a release allowing them not only to research my (flawless) credit history, but also to view my checking account and my medical history. I told them I was not interested in the position. BTW, it was a techie position. So why is it their business to whom I write checks? Do I need to justify my choice to spend more on free range chicken? Or my political donations? Denny Crane, you claim to stand for individual rights. Are you aware that credit reports can sometimes have errors (aside from irrelevance) and the person who does not get the job has no way to challenge or rebut them? So not only irrelevant, but all too often just plain factually wrong.
