New bill would ban discrimination against jobless

Vince524 · Mar 17, 2011

http://news.yahoo.com/s/yblog_thelo...N5bl9oZWFkbGluZV9saXN0BHNsawNuZXdiaWxsd291bGQ-

there's evidence that a growing number of employers are posting job listings that explicitly tell the unemployed not to apply. "No layoff candidates considered," read one. Another was from the cellphone giant Sony Ericsson--which the company later called a "mistake."

At a time when long-term joblessness is a record high, the practice puts what some say is yet another obstacle in front of Americans who aren't working--often through no fault of their own. It's not illegal to discriminate against the unemployed. But Rep. Hank Johnson (pictured), a Georgia Democrat, wants to change that. This week, he introduced a bill that would extend the landmark 1964 Civil Rights Act so that it bars discrimination against the jobless just as it bars discrimination on the basis of race or age.

I think it's stupid to say you won't consider hiring someone without a job as a blanket policy. Just seems silly. You would have to look at each applicant individually. Why are they jobless? How long? What they bring to the table. Why would you favor someone who has a good job, but is willing to leave that job. Loyalty?

But I think this bill could end up having unintended consquences. If it passes, does that mean a bank had to give a loan to someone who had no income to pay it back?

Thoughts?

Kitty Pryde · Mar 17, 2011

I wouldn't think so...in your example the bank isn't really discriminating against him for having no job, he's discriminating against him for having no continued source of income. Not quite the same thing. You don't need a job for that, you could have savings, or collateral, or a willing cosigner who has money. And you could have a job, a really low-paying job, and be equally turned down for that loan.

blacbird · Mar 17, 2011

Kitty Pryde said:
I wouldn't think so...in your example the bank isn't really discriminating against him for having no job, he's discriminating against him for having no continued source of income. Not quite the same thing. You don't need a job for that, you could have savings, or collateral, or a willing cosigner who has money. And you could have a job, a really low-paying job, and be equally turned down for that loan.

"Turned down for loan"? Isn't the OP was about getting turned down for employment?

Kitty Pryde · Mar 17, 2011

blacbird said:
"Turned down for loan"? Isn't the OP was about getting turned down for employment?

Vince524 said:
But I think this bill could end up having unintended consquences. If it passes, does that mean a bank had to give a loan to someone who had no income to pay it back?
Thoughts?

.

Plot Device · Mar 17, 2011

So they're essentially saying:

"~~Irish~~ Jobless Need Not Apply"

(On St. Patrick's Day! How apropos!)

muravyets · Mar 17, 2011

This trend has been building for a while, and it just tells me there are a lot of idiots in executive positions these days. Do they think the economic crisis is contagious or something? That if they get too close to someone who got laid off, they'll catch The Poor, like some people think they can catch The Gay?

I just want to go to bed, pull the covers up over my head, and stay there till the mothership comes to pick me up and get me off this drooling moronic snake-pit of a planet.

shadowwalker · Mar 17, 2011

It just boggles the mind. Why on earth cut out a huge supply of possibly excellent employees?

But I don't really see a problem with the bill. Here in Minnesota at least, one can't discriminate based on receiving public assistance, for example (I don't know if that's a federal thing or not). This would just be adding to that concept.

Now, if they could also ban using a credit check for employment...

Plot Device · Mar 17, 2011

shadowwalker said:
Now, if they could also ban using a credit check for employment...

Certain jobs can ban applicants based on a credit check. I once worked for an investment firm and had to get a license to enable me to trade securities for them (a very low-level trading license, making me a junior grunt assistant to an actual stock broker) which meant I had to become a member of the NASD. My company paid for all my training and also paid for me to take the 3 hour exam to get my NASD license. But part of the screening process for actually getting the job up front included my having to meet all NASD requirememts that the NASD places upon all NASD members: including the criteria that I had to have a reasonabe credit score and I also could NEVER have declared banruptcy. Therefore a full credit check was the normal part of the interview screening process.

Blue236 · Mar 17, 2011

Certain jobs require that you be current in the industry in order to get hired. It is just the way the job is. If you have been out of work for 2 years, you are 2 years behind.

Dommo · Mar 17, 2011

I can understand discriminating based on your credit history. I work in the government, and they will NOT give you a security clearance if you've got shitty credit. It's just been shown to be too much of a risk (e.g. people spying etc.).

I don't see why you'd discriminate against the unemployed, unless the job has some specialized trait that would require continuous employment.

Zoombie · Mar 17, 2011

This sounds like the kind of stupidity that would handle itself pretty quickly, but maybe I'm not grocking it.

muravyets · Mar 17, 2011

Blue236 said:
Certain jobs require that you be current in the industry in order to get hired. It is just the way the job is. If you have been out of work for 2 years, you are 2 years behind.

Which jobs are those? I'd like to know so I don't waste time trying to break into one of those fields from another.

Also, by the way, unemployed people don't just sit in boxes in the back of their closets, collecting dust along with the old sneakers and tangled holiday lights. They are perfectly capable of continuing their training and keeping their skills up to date. Just an FYI.

Don · Mar 17, 2011

muravyets said:
Which jobs are those? I'd like to know so I don't waste time trying to break into one of those fields from another.

Also, by the way, unemployed people don't just sit in boxes in the back of their closets, collecting dust along with the old sneakers and tangled holiday lights. They are perfectly capable of continuing their training and keeping their skills up to date. Just an FYI.

I was in information tech before I retired, and two years was a looooong time to be out of date.

shadowwalker · Mar 17, 2011

I can possibly see a credit check if you're going for a job where one is handling money or like a sensitive government job where one would have access to info worth selling. But what does one's credit history have to do with the majority of jobs? Because a spouse had a major illness, you're unqualified? Because your adjustable rate mortgage outran your pay increases, you make a lousy employee?

Credit checks are like the pseudo-psych tests employers like to give applicants - an "easy fix" to try and weed out bad employees which has no bearing whatsoever on the actual abilities/character of the applicant.

muravyets · Mar 17, 2011

Don said:
I was in information tech before I retired, and two years was a looooong time to be out of date.

Which is probably why a person in that field who got laid off wouldn't just sit on his or her ass watching day time tv rather than keeping up with the industry, right? Because you're not the only person in IT I've ever heard talk about how important it is to stay current. So I'd be willing to bet that professionals in that field stay current. I'll bet you did before you retired.

Don · Mar 17, 2011

muravyets said:
Which is probably why a person in that field who got laid off wouldn't just sit on his or her ass watching day time tv rather than keeping up with the industry, right? Because you're not the only person in IT I've ever heard talk about how important it is to stay current. So I'd be willing to bet that professionals in that field stay current. I'll bet you did before you retired.

From my hiring experience, it seems people kept up for six months or perhaps a year. I looked really close at anyone who had been out of the field over six months before I took a chance, and they were always on short probation until I saw some results.

It was fairly easy to spot the ones who knew what was going on currently in the field, and which ones hadn't been keeping up.

muravyets · Mar 17, 2011

Don said:
From my hiring experience, it seems people kept up for six months or perhaps a year. I looked really close at anyone who had been out of the field over six months before I took a chance, and they were always on short probation until I saw some results.

It was fairly easy to spot the ones who knew what was going on currently in the field, and which ones hadn't been keeping up.

So there you go. A perfectly reasonable approach that is NOT a blanket policy of "laid-off workers need not apply." Thanks for agreeing with me.

ETA: By the way, checking and reviewing to make sure new or potential hires actually are up on their skills is not unique to the IT field. I mention that because my original question was referring to the statement that some jobs require one to be current with the industry and that's what justifies the policies the thread is about, and I asked which jobs those were, since I'd guess a job where being out of work in that field precludes the possibility of continuing skills training would be different from other jobs. Apparently IT is not one of those jobs. By your statement, IT is just like other jobs in that each worker must prove their skills and worth by showing they can really do it. And if they do show that, then a break in their work history obviously doesn't matter.

New bill would ban discrimination against jobless

Vince524

Are you gonna finish that bacon?

Kitty Pryde

i luv you giant bear statue

blacbird

Kitty Pryde

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Plot Device

A woman said to write like a man.

muravyets

Old revolutionary

shadowwalker

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Plot Device

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Blue236

New Fish; Learning About Thick Skin

Dommo

On Mac's double secret probation.

Zoombie

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muravyets

Old revolutionary

Don

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shadowwalker

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muravyets

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Don

All Living is Local

muravyets

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