06/03/2015 // Keller Grover LLP // (press release)
New York, NY— New York job applicants no longer have to fear that an old credit card they defaulted can come back to haunt them when applying for a job. New York City lawmakers have made it illegal for employer to check an applicants credit for hiring purposes, says California employment lawyer Eric Grover of the Keller Grover law firm.
The City Council approved a bill (47-3) that makes it illegal to request or use an applicant’s credit history when determining whether or not to hire the applicant, CBS News reported.
"All New Yorkers deserve the chance to compete for a job based on their skills and qualifications, not three digits on a financial report," said Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito in a statement. "Just because you've struggled with medical bills or student loans does not make you any less hard working, qualified, or trustworthy than anyone else."
Credit checks during the hiring process have been under fire as unfairly preventing workers who need jobs the most from get hired (http://www.cawagehourlaw.com/illegal-interview-questions_35.html).
“Credit checks are not an indication of one’s future performance on the job. Just because an applicant may have made poor financial decisions in the past, doesn’t mean all their decisions are poor. People often made mistakes when they were young or simply fall on hard times at some point in their lives,” Grover stated.
Groups like the Society for Human Resources Management and Consumer Data Industry Association fought against the bill, arguing that the use of credit checks helps employers prevent fraud.
Despite the new law, credit checks can still be legally used for certain employment opportunities, like the police department or jobs that involve cyber security or fiduciary tasks.
The California employment attorneys at the San Francisco law firm of Keller Grover have been helping victims of labor law violations since 2005. To learn more about employment laws and whether you’ve been a victim contact, Keller Grover at 888.601.6939.
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