Credit Reports for Hiring? Still A Bad Idea!

Using a credit report is becoming more popular for businesses hiring employees.  We've always felt this was an unnecessary risk to employers because:

1. What is the business justification?  If a job requires an employee to handle large amounts of cash, or have access to the same, that's good justification.
2. If someone has a bad credit report - especially in these economic times - does that make them a poor candidate for a job?  Not necessarily.
3. There is a risk that women and minorities may be disproportionately affected, and that could cause big problems.

So unless you have a good reason to do it, don't!