Need a Job? Too Bad, Says the "Consumer Report"

Recently, I was filling out an application for part-time work at the local library. The position was for a 12-18 hour a week position sorting, filing, and shelving books. I was already surprised to find that they wanted a recorded work history of 10 years (including gaps in history) for such a small, part-time position making only a little over minimum wage, but they also forced me to sign a paper allowing them to base their decision of my employment on my credit report.

So, simply put, if you are like most Americans who have debt and have fallen behind due to unexpected expenses, such as medical bills, car repair, or anything, you can be denied a job to fix those problems. Anyone else stupefied by this concept? Unlike the discriminatory "diversity" questionnaires, this document is NOT optional or voluntary, and if it is missing from your employment application or is unsigned, it won't be accepted. This makes little sense considering the last paragraph on the document looks like this:

"By signing below, I -your name here-, hereby voluntarily authorize the -place of employment- to obtain a "consumer report" about me from a "consumer reporting agency", and to consider the "consumer reports" when making decisions regarding my employment."

Voluntarily, you are made to sign or the application is invalid. Sure, that is the very definition of voluntary isn't it? Maybe for the mob.

I recently came to know about a retired parole and probation officer, who met the love of his life, married, and moved to live a retiree's life peacefully and quietly in a small community in the eastern part of the US. At that time, his credit was flawless, due to having obtained a degree when they were still reasonable to study for, and having a steady, professional job most of his life. Soon after moving however, his wife was stricken with breast cancer, and now are in the midst of multiple surgeries, the debt literally appearing overnight reaching over $30,000. With only retail jobs to suffice the payments, they face delinquency just out of the intensely difficult circumstances, completely out of their hands. Though by no fault of their own, those credit blemishes on the "consumer reports" could deny them a desperately needed higher-paying job, since "consumer reports" don't include WHY things went wrong. Oh, and employers don't ask, either.

According to the "Fair Credit Reporting Act Authorization and Release" form, an employer may choose to obtain a "consumer report" which will help them determine if you possess job-worthy qualities, such as "character, "general reputation", and "personal characteristics". Here is the actual document quote:

"A "consumer report" is defined as any written, oral, or other communication by a "consumer reporting agency" bearing on a consumer's credit worthiness, credit standing, credit capacity, character, general reputation, personal characteristics, or mode of living used or collected to be a factor in establishing the consumer's eligibility for employment purposes."

You are forced to agree that your "consumer report" somehow denotes who you are as a person, your honor, and your value. By the way, your credit history and "consumer report" can also be used to determine if you will be given that promotion you have been working for. Oh, but they do make it fair my "providing" you with a copy of that "consumer report" if they deny you. Isn't that thoughtful?

Not every man, women, and child in America has mediocre to poor credit due to negligence, or fraud. Poor credit is used to discriminate and personally criminalize an individual. Most real, living people today just simply do not make enough money to support themselves and the unforeseen circumstances that occur through life. Credit is offered to these people as a solution to a problem they have no answers for, such as a medical need or funeral expense; even simpler day-to-day issues like groceries and gas for the car. People get sick, die, gas prices rise, and crud happens, and usually all at once. When it rains, it pours, right? Establishing the value of a person based on a credit score and "consumer report" is absurd, dehumanizing, discriminatory, and undermines the economy and common working individual.