Can you believe this one? A friend of mine was denied employment as a LPN for bad credit. I understand the whole background check thing to some extent, but what does bad credit have to do with how you will perform as a nurse?

PittNurse said:

Can you believe this one? A friend of mine was denied employment as a LPN for bad credit. I understand the whole background check thing to some extent, but what does bad credit have to do with how you will perform as a nurse?

Bad credit does not have anything to do with work ethic as far as I can figure out. However, studies do show that those with bad credit are likely to have many other problems that interfere with work performance. And, some, not all with bad credit have sticky fingers. Many with bad credit have issues such as drug use and gambling. It is not uncommon for employers to do a credit check.

with the shortage of nurses out there....these people are worried about bad credit?!?!?!...your credit shouldn't have anything to do with getting a job...most of the time your credit is bad because of the student loans...

snowman said:

with the shortage of nurses out there....these people are worried about bad credit?!?!?!...your credit shouldn't have anything to do with getting a job...most of the time your credit is bad because of the student loans...

Here's food for thought (or an argument) when 'snowman' states "...with the shortage of nurses out there...." do many of you consider LPN's part of the 'nursing' shortage or just Registered Nurses?

I am NOT picking on 'snowman.' Yet. he mentioned LPN's in the same breath as RN's with regard to the shortage. I just wondered if RN's out there consider the shortage to be relative to RN's only.
I did until I read the 'snowman' comment. Actually, I still do.

I do not agree that just because someone has bad credit they will steal or they gamble or do drugs. Lets face it we all have done some dumb things while still young and learning. Few people reach their thirties without regrets. That being said; if someone does not want to hire me because of my credit score, that is fine, because I probably would not be happy working there anyway.

If you want to screen for things like theft, gambling and drugs....its a lot easier than running a credit report. These things usually show up in length of time on previous jobs, willingness of former employers to say more than yes he/she worked here from this day to that and nothing else and similiar findings when checking REFERENCES.

I think considering a credit score in the determination of a hiring is hideous. I don't care how you rationalize it. This reeks of suits and bean counters who don't give a damn about actual patient care. My wife and I incurred the beginning of our debt when we had to pay for in vitro out-of-pocket 7 years ago. The twins came and all was great...then we had surprise #1 in 2004 and surprise #2 earlier this year. My wife, a highly experienced ER nurse, had to seriously cut back her hours. We're into year 2 of our 5 year debt reduction. You run a check on either of us right now and it might not be all that great. I can understand how someone could argue the relevance of a credit check, but that's just some jackass in a 3-piece who can't fathom the meaning of the term "non-profit".

If a person has info that could look bad on your credit, or have a judgement of any type on your record.  Dont put that info on a resume, but tell the person interviewing that something like you had to  bankrupt because it  will show up.   My husband once told me that he saw a background check on somebody he interviewed <didnt tell me who> and there was a judgement from a library, lol.  He came home asking me if I had any overdue library books out.   The one interviewing probably has credit issues too these days, just be honest up tront.  The post about unemployment might have something to do about a judgement or maybe even child support.  I heard a year or so ago about somebody who couldnt get his lotto ticket winning because he was late on child support.   It was suppose to be over a million bucks if I remember it right. 

I know my employer checked my credit before hiring me.  I have good credit, so I wasn't worried.  It was on the employment application, and I signed a statements that they could check my credit. I was told that checking credit, weeds out those with potentially bad character.  The same way, that the auto insurance company checks your credit before issuing a policy.  Bad credit will also raise your insurance rate. 

And every time someone checks your credit score it lowers that score. It is standard for insurance companies to check your score at regular intervals as they deem that a good way to weed out bad insurance risks. That is why i buy my insurance from a Texas-based company that determines your auto insurance policy rates on your driving record.

So those safe drivers who have a sorry credit score because of nothing to do with your driving pay more for auto insurance than a rich person with an excellent credit score who drives like a maniac.

If you have and use a credit card you have debt.  It's called revolving debt, because you turn it over every billing cycle.

If you are one of the folks who pays their balances off in full every billing cycle, then that usually means you have a good score.

The credit card companies are cutting the limits on customers cards, and hurting the scores of those customers.  For example I've read several news reports of customers who had limits of 30,000 get cut to 5,000.  They had balances of 4,000, meaning their use of their overall available limits topped 80%, hurting their scores.  It wasn't that the customers were spending beyond their means--they weren't.  It wasn't that they couldn't handle the debt--they could.  They weren't behind on their debt.  But because of the new consumer protection laws getting ready to take effect, the credit card companies are trying to limit their risk exposure by cutting credit limits, imposing more fees and penalties, and changing fixed rates to variable rates.  The consumer (again!) gets caught in the middle.

Taking the approach, "if you have a bad credit score you must be a deadbeat" was probably true in the 80's, but isn't today.  It's just not that simplistic anymore because creditors have had the ability to game the system to what suits them best.

What does your credit score have to do with your ability to drive safely?  There should be no reason for auto insurance to check your credit score before issuing you a policy.  They should look at your driving record.

Also, there is a lack of consistency in how creditors calculate their scores.  They don't just use the FICO score you get from the Big Three.  They have their own formulas, which they don't have to explain to you, that are gamed to give them excuses to charge you higher interest rates, or reduce your credit limit.  It's a colassal shell game.

The original Fair Issac Co (FICO) scoring system probably was truly based on risk when it was first invented.  But even the Big 3 reporting agencies (Experiean, Tru Reliant, and Equifax) modify the FICO scoring system on archane formulae that no one but them ever sees.  You can have as much as a 100 point different in scores, and a potential creditor always picks the lowest one.

To clear your credit report, at least temporarily, request your free annual credit report from all 3 major credit reporting agencies. Then refute all derogatory report entries. The information must be removed while your objections are investigated. Use this time to allow any potential employer to check your credit.

I was denied a job because I couln't qualify for another credit card for traveling purposes. It was a coporate card that I wouldn't even be paying for, but dependent on my credit score. Since we are over extended on our own credit, I didn't qualify. 

I was forced into bankruptcy when my ex husband refused to pay child support for 6(!) years. As a result, I lived off of credit cards at times to survive . That's really unfair to penalize someone for bad credit. I'm a very godd dependable employee who's pts seem to enjoy as a nurse,If my credit was checked , I wouldn't have a job.

After going bankrupt, I remarried and never tried to re-establish credit again. I never want to have debt that I can't pay back ever again. Does that make me a person of bad charcter? I hardly think so. That's really wrong especially with economy and alot of people struggling.