Dealing with Employers Who Perform Credit Checks?

Rick asks: "I recently accepted a Director level position at a small, 40 person, technology company. On my first day, I was provided with all of the standard employment paperwork such as the W2, NDA, healthcare, etc., as well as a document that is to provide my permission for the Company to do a comprehensive background check on me, including a credit history check. I am now in a stalemate position with my employer in regards to this background check document. I have refused to sign on the grounds that my personal credit information is of no business to the company and that they have no basis of need. The company argument (COO level so far, CEO is next) is that the company instituted this policy over a year ago for all existing employees and new hires, and to maintain consistency, every employee must comply. The company also maintains that the information allows them to identify potential problems with candidates or employees, in that people who cannot manage their own finances may not be good employees, or that those with troublesome credit may be more likely to steal from the company. The COO used less direct terms, but ultimately that was the argument. Have Slashdot readers successfully negotiated out of a mandatory employee credit check in the past? What arguments did you use?"

Comments

Re:You've got to be kidding me....

[Anonymous Coward]

I'm sure McDonalds won't run a credit check on you to flip burgers. You can start there.

I once had a boss

[t0qer]

That insisted that I do company purchases on my credit card. Not small paper clip and pen items mind you, he wanted powerbooks from fry's.

Him: "As an employee/sysadmin it is part of your job to purchase company equipment"
Me: "Well at my last job we set up accounts with local distributors and after a few order we get net 30 terms"
Him: "We have a relationship with a salesman at fry's, he gives us good discounts" (Side note, turned out this salesguy was also a member of the same mormon church my boss was a member of)
Me: "Well CDW has the same stuff for cheaper"
Him: "Fry's will beat that price, now go take your credit card down there and buy my powerbook"
Me: "I'm not using MY credit card to buy a company powerbook, you're crazy"
Him: "If you don't do it i'm bringing it up on your next performance review"
Me: "Yah you do that"

Well the performance review rolled around. Our company was small (maybe 40 employees) and the word got around that my boss had it in for me. The CEO himself had problems with this guy, so he decided to mediate the "performance review"

The three of us sat down in an empty meeting room. He started telling the CEO I was this that and the other thing, he had a manilla folder about an inch thick with every e-mail, note, reciept he had taken on me. He started his attack on me in a slow, steady monotonous voice"

"On 12/4/97 toqer was SUPPOSED to buy my powerbook, I had to miss 3 hours of programming time because he didn't do it" He sat there with a smirk on his face like a little kid that just tattled to teacher.

"WTF MAN! HOW many times do I have to tell you? It's not my place to use MY credit card to purchase company equipment! Thats why you set up corporate accounts and net terms! Or you lease!" I snapped back.

"We aren't talking about you using your credit card, we're talking about your performace, I gave you a task to complete and you didn't complete it, therefore I lost time, which is money" I could tell I had backed him into a corner, now was my chance to get on the attack.

"YOU FSCKING %#@% JERK! I WanT to HELP YOU but you WONT LET ME!, I TOLD YOU I WOULD SET UP TERMS with other vendors, but the only reason you want us to use fry's is because your mormon buddy is our sales rep, real fucking nice putting your church before the company you asshole!" I then gave the CEO a list of alternative vendors and contacts that were willing to give us net30 terms and told the CEO to ask the COO why he flat out refused to let me order from them.

Well, the COO was sort of dumbfounded at that point. He hadn't expected me to mix fact/common sense into my defense. I think he thought he was going to sit there and lecture me, and I was going to curl up into a little ball while he belittled me in front of the CEO, wasn't gonna happen.

After the review I went outside for a smoke, the CEO came up, sat down, lit one up and said "I think you both grew a little in there today" I responded, "Maybe I did, but he's going to be the same.."

He never did change that fuck, eventually we had to fire him because he was just so disruptive and abusive to the rest of the employee's.

One .com i'm happy to say is dead now.

Re:Guaranteed way to pass a credit check

[nuwayser]

And whatever you do, don't eat poppyseed bagels!!!!