Are we headed towards a "Gattaca" type civilization?

In the movie Gattaca humans in the not too distant future are categorized solely by there genes. People know essential from birth there limitations and opportunities without being given the chance to "break the mold".

With that said, I was browsing around craigslist and snagajob.com looking for a part time second job and I cam across a job posting for AMF bowling for a bartender and a lane server. No big deal, standard fair mostly except I noticed one thing.... The add said this.

As a committed equal opportunity employer who strictly maintains a drug free workplace, AMF conducts pre-employment criminal, drug, social security and credit screening.

Uh, ok, why exactly do I need good credit to work at a bowling alley again? Social security screening? To bring cocktails and food to people who are bowling, really? I have no problem at all with criminal background checks or drug tests, but credit and social security screening to work at a bowling alley? Give me a break.

My point is, gone are the days when you would go in for an interview, talk to somebody and they would give your references a call and if it checked out you were good, your hired. These days it's more like, ok, you can have the job if you can pass the 5 background and security checks we run on you.

Maybe this has alot to do with why the unemployment rate is nationally at 9% because with the economic downturn, housing forclosers and layoffs people are behind on there bills and there credit rating plummets so when they try to go get a job they find that an increasing number of employers are judging candidates based on things like a credit score and the employer makes the decision that it's not the right fit.

This probably would make sense for some jobs (banking, financial consulting, etc) but I refuse to believe AMF bowling needs to run my credit to determine if im capable of pouring a beer for somebody.

43% of all U.S. employers run credit screening on applicants, that is alarming and some states, barely a handful are trying to strictly limit employers from doing this but in my mind, there should be strict guidelines across the board for what type of positions warrant this type of excessive job screening.

This is a problem for alot of people and a real issue created by corporate goons too force you to pay your chase bill on time.

% data and article about what some states are trying to do

How many jobs have you had. Thats all standard screening. When I used to manage a photo lab 10 year ago, we did that with every applicant.

ETA: I wanted to add though, that I never did quite understand the credit check portion of it. It's possible that people with bad credit may be looked at as not as reliable or as a theft threat. But I'm not sure. This was for a major chain so it wasn't up to me.

reply to post by Helious


This country's getting more and more ridiculous by the day, month, and year. You're point is valid too, a credit and social security check are unnecessary for your job and IMO for any job, these are just too controlling on a person's life especially those who are actually trying to get themselves out of their holes they are in. Credit check for a job? Really? What if that person is trying to get that job to pay off some of their outstanding credit? Nope. Can't get the job because you're in a financial rut... Please, give me a break. As soon as these corporations give the power of this country back to who it originally belonged to, the people, the happier I'll be and I'm sure others too.

Originally posted by Under Water
How many jobs have you had. Thats all standard screening. When I used to manage a photo lab 10 year ago, we did that with every applicant.

Being in the restaurant industry which has a high turn around rate for the last 14 years I have had a couple dozen jobs and not one of them was doing credit checks, background checks or even criminal checks.

There may have been some companies doing this 10 years ago but not nearly as many as are doing it now.

reply to post by Conspiracy Now


I agree, that is the problem so many Americans are facing right now, they have lost there house, credit cards and now they can't even get a job with 43% of employers in the states.

Corporations already control the government and the media and it seems like pretty soon they will control whether you can get a job to feed your family.

It does not seem to far off, maybe 25 years from now that being hired will depend solely on an employer entering your social security number into a computer and it will tell them if your hired or not.

No, our civilization will collapse entirely before we ever reach that level of advancement shown in the film.

Nice to know at least our imaginations have no limits

reply to post by Nomad451


Are you referring to technological or social advancement. There some great tech in that movie but the idea of a persons genes defining who and what they can be in life is kinda scary to me to say the least.

reply to post by Helious


I think once our technological advancement crashes there will be a period of social unraveling and from that there will emerge a social fabric that will be far in advance of the film.

Their society was cold and emotionless, obsessed with perfection

Well, I tell you, the credit check thing has been going on for a number of years. Most companies view it as a "reflection of your character." Whatever. Anyway, expect it top get worse before it gets any better.

reply to post by Nomad451


Your probably right. It was a strangely cold and emotionless movie until close to the end, and I think a society that judges people on the sole merit of genes would be exactly that.

reply to post by Helious


I believe most insurance companies do this as well (car). You'd think a good driving record would dictate your rates. Not anymore. I have a perfect driving record, but have had some financial issues in the last few years- luckily I have a good agent. Yep, tptb have us by the proverbial balls in every conceivable way, in order to control us and force us to conform. Be good little, law abiding citizens. SLAVES.

reply to post by colbyforce


Ya know, I forgot about the insurance companies, that's a real good point because I remember my agent and I having a small discussion about this six months ago and I remember scratching my head and thinking, why in the hell do they need to run my credit?

That is just as absurd as a bowling alley running your credit before letting you serve pepsi and wings to bowlers.

well I can only speculate on the credit check but I'd assume it could be if they want to check our your "character" or if they would extend credit to you for food, drinks, etc.

As to the SS check, that is probably in reference to the illegal immigration issue. Employers are now required to check a potential employee's SSN and verify it is legitimate. If you hire someone and do not check it and later it turns out they were using a bogus or stolen SSN, the EMPLOYER is now held liable.

Originally posted by dreampsi
well I can only speculate on the credit check but I'd assume it could be if they want to check our your "character" or if they would extend credit to you for food, drinks, etc.

As to the SS check, that is probably in reference to the illegal immigration issue. Employers are now required to check a potential employee's SSN and verify it is legitimate. If you hire someone and do not check it and later it turns out they were using a bogus or stolen SSN, the EMPLOYER is now held liable.

In reality they use the credit check as a measure of your "character". Outside of jobs in the financial and banking industries it holds no relation to your job. And remember, the thread is calling out a bowling alley for requiring a credit check for bartenders and lane servers, that is just plain stupid and has nothing to do with the job.

It's not that my credit is bad, it is that I find this utterly ridiculous and an intrusion of privacy and it should not be permitted for jobs that would absolutely no relation to your credit history.