being screwed over for the past Why is our government not doing something about all these employers who do backround checks. I understand that if you have done something terribly wrong within a few years of applying, but what about the peole who made mistakes when they were young and are not the same people and cant get a decent job. Any job almost anymore. Its ridiculous!!! The government should for certain crimes allow a time limit to where employers can look back. I am having such a hard time finding a job cause when i was 18 i got involved in some stupid stuff. Im 30 years old now and have went to college and am having the hardest time finding any type of emploment. Yes it was a felony, but the lowest one you can get and it was 13 years ago. I just dont understand why people are trying to hurt people who have changed in their life or have made some dumb decisions. We are human we make mistakes. Its just wrong to still persecute someone for something 13 years ago. We need to petition for a new law to be set. It is wrong and now my family is struggling extremely. Even jobs that barely pay over minimum wage are doing extensive backround checks. What is going on in this country? I understand if the crime was malicious or perverted or anything extreme to never be able to lock them out, but what about the small time drug offenders or small time thieves. Now if it is within a certain amount of years i can understand, but agter 10 or so years come on... If you have not been into any type of trouble in so long then it should mean you are not causing trouble anymore or just really good at not getting caught, but anyhow it is still against our rights i believe. 5 years ago you could get a job anywhere without a backround check. I was ok then. Then i lose my job and now everybody is doing them and im screwed. If anybody else agrees with this then lets do something about it!

Hire a lawyer - get it expunged. The enter key is your friend.

Tax credits for hiring ex felons. That's already being done. But employers are free to discriminate against felons, or people with a history of irresponsibility.

Your not the only one fit to be tired with IT Talk about background checks add on credit checks. Im literally biting my damn nails everytime I read a document regarding credit checks in order for hire. WTH! The last 4 months alone I've been fighting with creditors because my father used my credit/ ss information. Back in 97 and I just found out when I tried to open an account with a local back.

Oh really? I think you've been spending to much time on .

Like the guy with the criminal record - you need to get your credit report cleaned up (if it's wrong). It's too important not to. Make this a priority.

I don't have a credit history to clean up... I pay cash for things - I make enough. However, most of the people on here that ask for a credit report are scammers and are making a commission of each of the credit reports. They use a whole slew of pre-made email answers and ads, and mail-merge the personal info into the reply. Haven't you read about this in the newspapers? Nearly 100% of the ads on s List asking for a credit history or report are scams according to published police reports.

That response wasn't directed at you. I know that most of the jobs here are scams. However, many "real" jobs do run you through a credit and background check.

Oh.... ok. But, no jobs I've ever seen.. if .. they want one, they have access to those kind of tools themselves. They don't ask you... well, low-life's I guess. But if you're buying a credit report for a cooking job and they want YOU to pay for one - don't be stupid. Apply to a different one.

Article on this subject (Pt I) from Workforce.com Ex-Convicts in Workforce Pose Liability Problems Nationally, all employers must contend with myriad state laws limiting how they may use background check information as well as concern by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission that these checks have a disparate impact on minorities. September 15, 2009 Ex-Convicts in Workforce Pose Liability Problems California employers would be wise to take another look at their criminal background check policies in light of the possibility the state may be forced to release many prisoners early because of jail overcrowding, some observers say. Many employers, particularly large corporations, already have such policies in place. Nationally, all employers must contend with myriad state laws limiting how they may use this information as well as concern by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission that these checks have a disparate impact on minorities. In California, a three-judge federal panel has refused to delay a plan to release more than 40,000 inmates from the state’s overcrowded prison system. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s administration is appealing the decision to the U.S. Supreme Court, and the Legislature is considering the issue, but its ultimate resolution remains uncertain. In light of the possible releases, “I think it’s a good idea to review company policies and decide what’s appropriate under the circumstances if it hasn’t already been done,” said Christopher W. Olmsted, an attorney with Barker Olmsted & Barnier in San Diego, who said he does not expect violent felons to be released. Anthony J. Oncidi, a partner with law firm Proskauer Rose in Los Angeles, said that “the more reasonable employer should be more vigilant than ever about doing employment screening and background checks on applicants, because there’s going to be a number of unemployed, former convicted criminals dumped on the street who presumably will, among other things, be looking for a job.” But firms should take care when constructing or amending background check policies, experts say.

Article Pt II One concern of the EEOC is criminal background checks’ disparate impact on minorities, experts note. According to the Department of Justice’s Bureau of Justice Statistics, as of June 2008, with more than 2.3 million inmates held in prison or jails, black males were incarcerated at 6.6 times the rate of white males. “Studies reveal that some employers make selection decisions based on names, arrest and conviction records ... all of which may disparately impact people of color,” says the EEOC in discussing its E-RACE initiative, which is intended to “identify issues, criteria and barriers that contribute to race and color discrimination.” Employers must also comply with the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act and parallel state laws, which require firms to first get applicants’ approval of background checks and to notify applicants if the information uncovered can result in a negative employment decision. Meanwhile, each state has its own laws with regard to how criminal background checks may be used. In Pennsylvania, applicants can generally be denied a position only when the job is related to their crime, said Carrie B. Rosen, a member of law firm Cozen O’Connor in Philadelphia. An employer is “going to have a hard time arguing” a secretarial job applicant should be rejected because of a drunken driving conviction, she said. Other states, such as New York, have a multifactor test, Rosen said. New York’s law, which took effect in February, generally prohibits discrimination on the basis of criminal offenses and says factors including job responsibilities, the time elapsed since the crime was committed, the applicant’s age at the time, and the seriousness of the offense must be taken into account. In California, an employer cannot take adverse action against an applicant if a person is arrested, but not convicted; if the criminal offense is more than 7 years old; or if the person was put into a community service-type program, Ashe said. The state also forbids employers from even asking about marijuana-related convictions that are more than 2 years old.

Article Pt III Observers note there are certain sectors where criminal background checks may be required, such as hospitals and schools. There is no blanket rule on conducting background checks, Olmsted said. “The employer needs to exercise good judgment.” “An employer, in most instances, is going to be safe in excluding those convicted of a felony, even if not specifiy related to the job in question,” Oncidi said. “If the employer says, ‘I just don’t want a convicted felon working for me,’ there’s no law that says the employer must hire that person. It’s that simple.” However, Paul E. Starkman, a partner with law firm Arnstein & Lehr in Chicago, said, “You don’t want to have a blanket written policy that says felons will not be hired.” But firms could face legal challenges if they do not guard against hiring certain former prisoners. Although “alleged quite frequently,” negligent hiring is “a fairly difficult theory to prove,” Oncidi said. “Very few of them even actually get to trial.” Still, Starkman said, although these cases “don’t come about very often,” when they do, “they can be a big number” in damages awarded.

Some states go back only 7 years. Its ridiculous that anyone would care about what another did at age 13. I wonder if this trend will change. Remember when everyone was drug tested for a job? This gives me an idea. With all the rage going towards digging around in peeps ancient dirt, maybe I should apply to the dirt digging companies! I think the next wave will be your credit score. Just like they stopped drug testing, they'll give up investigations into criminal histories and go for pinning those who have lived beyond their means. I'm sorry you are going through this ridiculous situation - it really is stupid shit. I wouldn't let it keep you from applying anywhere. Most applications ask for an explanation anyways. Thanks for your post.

Try Tax Preparer - they'll train you and are already starting to hire. I was going to tell you last night, but it was out of hand, so left.

Wow! I'm on it! Thanks, PaulIEB! 100%!

such limits are becoming irrelevant because data aggregators like Choicepoint can vacuum up data from myriad sources and retain them indefinitely, and sell that data to anyone I remember when "this will go on your permanent record!" was ridiculed as a joke, because it was preposterous that there could be a central clearinghouse that holds detailed dossiers on everyones' lives. it ain't a joke no mo'

They ARE doing credit checks.... which is part of many company's background check and they ARE using the credit check to determine hiring.

I Agree I was just reading your post and I wondered if I had wrote it because it explains my situation to a T. I have a felony also that was 7yrs ago and now its coming back to haunt me. I have always worked as a route driver and decided in 2006 to go to college and get my degree so I could make more money and have a better future. I WMAO while I was there and graduated with a 3.69 GPA and with honors. I have a good paying job but 8 months ago I was in a really bad car accident and now I'm physiy unable to work in that position. I have had friends and family refer me to job openings that I was perfectly qualified for, but the companies corporate offices always trash my resume because of my felony. And on top of the fact that employers won't give me a chance; the state of Virginia's government says that person convicted of a felony that has plead guilty is un-eligible for expungement for the rest of their natural life, and this wasn't told to me by my court appointed lawyer that told me it was in my best interest to plead guilty. I found this information out when I went to apply to have my rights restored. If you have any information about how to begin the process of having this issue address by local or state government I am more that willing to take part of any actions that need to be taken!!

it's because of 9/11 everyone is a suspected terrorist now