Denied Employment Due to Bad Credit

Here’s a question our attorneys get asked a lot, “Can you be denied a job because of bad credit?” And our consumer advocate attorneys often respond: “There are certain procedures that employers must follow to protect your rights as an applicant applying for a job. If they deny you—an eligible applicant—a job while violating the Fair Credit Reporting Act, then this is a problem that needs addressing by legal professionals such as us.”

Credit Score and Employment Facts

Procedural errors that employers can sometimes make, or steps they sometimes fail to follow can include:

1. Not disclosing to you that a background report may be obtained for employment while obtaining your signed authorization.
2. Providing you with a copy of your background report along with a summary of your rights afforded to you under the FCRA.
3. Taking adverse action without first giving you a written notice of the action along with more information about the consumer reporting agency that issued your background report.
   
   

Please note that there are employer penalties of $1000 for not following the above procedures. And these penalties are multiplied when a class action containing hundreds of wronged job applicants is brought before the courts.

Time to act if you or someone you know has been impacted. The law, namely the FCRA is on your side.