Is it unfair hiring practice?

[redirish28]

My wife right now is working at a job she only took because of the economy. The place is terrible it is a call center ran by Repug/Fundies.


Anyways they get a new contract to make calls for a company. Well, this company demanded all the employees some of which had worked their for YEARS all get drug tested and have criminal checks done.


Now those who "failed" the drug test got fired no if ands or buts. BUT those who might have had Disorderly conduct or some such thing --Nothing like Thief or fraud or anything-- where told they can transfer to another part of the company or leave.


NOW here is the thing. The Contract they had with another company (what my wife was hired for.) These employees where handling credit card numbers and ss numbers to start accounts make payments. This one they don't touch credit cards numbers yet they have let go 40 people and are in major need for workers.


Should a person's FICA score or Non major criminal record be used against you and who's idea was this in the beginning.

I mean they LOST a lot of their "top performers".

Or is there something my wife and I are missing?

[rwheeler31]

1. Can anyone come in and change a contract?

[redirish28]

3. I'm sorry how do you mean?

Like a company that outsource their work to my wife's company say okay Starting this week you need to drug test everyone? I'm not sure. I just know this knew contract came in about 6 months ago and they have now let this dominate the one call center.

[NYC_SKP]

2. Depends on many factors, is she a sub-contractor, is she on a contract,

is it an at-will employment situation (day to day)?

And state laws vary.

Wish I could help more.

I've never heard of FICA scores being used to determine job worthiness, but criminal records, sure, often.

[redirish28]

5. Yeah, PA is a at will employment state. Yeah, I know dollar generals

do background checks on credit reports and FICA

[flvegan]

4. This is becoming pretty common.

Anyone dealing with SS info and credit account numbers gets run through a whole new gamut of qualifications. It's a security issue. I'm sure the new contract specified that anyone working the account go through this gauntlet of approval.

[redirish28]

6. But the sad part is this new contract has no hands on with the stuff

ss numbers are encripted excepted for the last 4 used to verify ID.

[baldguy]

7. What? Do you think workers have *rights*?

[razors edge]

8. It could be worse.

I had to have all my employees go through a TWIC ID card background check done by the NSA. (I'm the plant manager)

Some of these people will never work on the site where it is required, but my company had already told the Teamsters that if they were rejected they would be let go, and the Teamsters agreed.

Needless to say the non union people would have met the same fate, including myself.

[Greyhound]

9. Unfair? Yes. Illegal, probably not. Where do you think you live, in some sort

of free country or something? Do you think you have a right to privacy or that employers have responsibilities?

You may think of yourself as a human being, but the fact is that you are an imminently replaceable commodity with a credit score.

Sorry for the snark, but this shit really pisses me off and the fact that so few people see where this leads makes it worse.

Good luck.