by samuel samson

Created on: July 28, 2010

Employers should absolutely be able to run background and credit checks. To have a debate on this subject is slightly ludicrous. Would you want someone working at a day care who has not had a background check? I have a little more sympathy for the person with the questionable credit history, but your ability or inability to fulfill past obligations can give an employer a good idea how far you can be trusted.

I believe that the environment we are in danger of setting up by restricting an employer's access to past records is extremely damaging to everyone involved. The most obvious person at a disadvantage is the employer. Employers are often already taking a shot in the dark by hiring someone. Many times these workers are in a situation that puts tremendous liability on the employer. It is essential that an employer can protect themselves in every way. If not, prices become very high for starters because the amount of insurance a firm has to carry goes through the roof.

The employee is also disadvantaged when thorough checks are not done. There has to be penalties for doing things that are wrong. We cannot punish good citizens who obey the law and pay their bills by disregarding someone else's transgressions. This is not to say that people can't rehabilitate their reputations. Your background check should show recent history also. If that recent history shows a steady track toward improvement, that should be taken into account. But the main point is that bad behavior should have consequences.

If we as a society can put an emphasis back on clean living we can have a better country. One way we can do it is by putting people on notice that all qualifications will be scrutinized when searching for a job. In reality, what could is it to hire the most talented person in the world, if that person can't be trusted? Why would you want an employee who will bail at the first sign that the job is getting tough? Strict hiring policies keep prices down and quality up for the consumer. They can only lead to a happier, healthier work force also, by ensuring the best, most trustworthy are the ones who get put at the front of the line. Checks into a person's past only tell us more about the person. If that person is worried they should start right away getting their act together.

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