To: President Donald Trump, The California State House, The California State Senate, Governor Gavin Newsom, The United States House of Representatives, and The United States Senate
No Credit Check for Non-Financial Job Applicants
Employers, including government entities, should not be allowed to run credit checks on potential employees except for very specific jobs with compelling reasons for this. Credit history should be considered private. Otherwise, those who have suffered ripple effects from catastrophic unemployment or medical issues cannot get back on their feet as their credit history often shows foreclosures, short sales, bankruptcies, or other issues, with no explanation or consideration that their credit may have been perfect for many years beforehand. Thus excellent candidates are rejected from jobs. This cycle can lead to despair. Using credit checks does not provide relevant information in a day when so many have been slammed by the economy. It should be considered private.
Why is this important?
If someone has been unemployed for 2-3 years through no fault of their own, lost their home due to the crash, or has had a devastating medical issue in their family, their credit report reflects this. When they go to apply for a better job or any job in order to get back on their feet, they may be rejected because of the credit report. This is ridiculous for 99% of job applicants as they can never get out of the trap, and they don't get considered for a job. It also gives the employer an unfair advantage when determining the situation of the person they are going to hire. It should be a privacy issue, just like information about your marital status. This is true for government jobs and many others. Congress should create a law barring employers from running credit checks on most job applicants except where there is a clear and compelling reason to. Frankly, I can't think of many positions where there is a clear and compelling reason. I think this is simply a punitive mechanism that prevents people from recovering economically , a barrier based on the prejudices of those who apparently have never had an economic hardship, and a lack of understanding that a vast majority of financial difficulties arise through no fault of the sufferer--loss of job, medical issues, and the like. It is best for our economy to allow everyone access to jobs, regardless of whether they have been harmed by the economy or not. Using credit checks is a privacy violation and discourages job seekers by sending them into a spiral they can't see their way out of. It should be abolished.