Checking references fine, getting nosey about someone's financial affairs, political and religious affiliations and even marital history (all of which show up in comprehensive background checks) not so fine.
I find it interesting that the same people who go apopletic about the government getting into their private affairs have no worries about private businesses being even more nosey.
AspenValley wrote: Checking references fine, getting nosey about someone's financial affairs, political and religious affiliations and even marital history (all of which show up in comprehensive background checks) not so fine.
I find it interesting that the same people who go apopletic about the government getting into their private affairs have no worries about private businesses being even more nosey.
Now that is quite a leap. I agree with you that financial affairs, political and religious affiliations, or marital history are not fine. Obviously I know nothing about comprehensive background checks and that ignorance is on display. I suppose those might (????) be relevant in some jobs but they are not the norm or anything I as an employer would find worth while. What I also do not know is if the legislation is only aimed at comprehensive or all background checks. Obviously there is a huge difference and if we are going to discuss something, we need to be talking about the same thing. WHich is it, comprehensive banning of all and any background checks or only comprehensive background checks?
Rockdoc Franz wrote: [ WHich is it, comprehensive banning of all and any background checks or only comprehensive background checks?
Good point, I don't know the answer to that.
Ironically the reason I find these things questionable is that a company that sells these things gave me a "free sample" of what they include and since I do at times employ people in somewhat sensitive areas I thought I'd take a look. I was pretty shocked at that level of "snoopiness" they go to.
Again, reference checks, absolutely, criminal background checks, okay for the most part although even they can be abused, credit checks, MAYBE in certain sensitive jobs involving access to cash or credit card numbers. But the rest? As an employer myself I don't think it's any of my damned business to know intimate deals of someone's life and the potential for misuse of such information is HUGE.
Ban a comprehensive background check. Look for crimes - find none? Then that's the end. Find some? Then go ahead and get more comprehensive on those ONLY so you can have the details and see if they have any bearing. Same with driving record - which actually does have a 3-5 year limit for the vast majority of driving job.
IF I am applying for a job in the financial sector or security sector, than I can understand a comprehensive.
However, if I'm applying for minimum wage dishwashing job, then it's none of your business.
Having been looking for a new job recently, almost every job I've applied for wants to do a credit check, including one where my entire job would be involved in animal care and no money handling ever. Like I'd I steal a homeless kitten and sell it on the internet for big bucks. Ummm, right. Sure. So the credit check there is a pointless invasion of my life. It needs to stop, and apparently it;s going to have to be legislated to get it to stop.
How many people are NOT getting jobs they are more than competent to do, are good honest workers, yet for reasons often beyond their control, their credit is poor? I'd like to see those numbers.
Local_Historian wrote: Ban a comprehensive background check. Look for crimes - find none? Then that's the end. Find some? Then go ahead and get more comprehensive on those ONLY so you can have the details and see if they have any bearing. Same with driving record - which actually does have a 3-5 year limit for the vast majority of driving job.
IF I am applying for a job in the financial sector or security sector, than I can understand a comprehensive.
However, if I'm applying for minimum wage dishwashing job, then it's none of your business.
Having been looking for a new job recently, almost every job I've applied for wants to do a credit check, including one where my entire job would be involved in animal care and no money handling ever. Like I'd I steal a homeless kitten and sell it on the internet for big bucks. Ummm, right. Sure. So the credit check there is a pointless invasion of my life. It needs to stop, and apparently it;s going to have to be legislated to get it to stop.
How many people are NOT getting jobs they are more than competent to do, are good honest workers, yet for reasons often beyond their control, their credit is poor? I'd like to see those numbers.
You summed up my opinion...and any employer who doesn't do a criminal background check is a fool imo...and making a law to prevent that check is absurd.
It was always the women, and above all the young ones, who were the most bigoted adherents of the Party, the swallowers of slogans, the amateur spies and nosers−out of unorthodoxy
You summed up my opinion...and any employer who doesn't do a criminal background check is a fool imo...and making a law to prevent that check is absurd.
