Background check and being a gun owner cost me a great job.

Sorry to hear you didn't get the job. I doubt you have any legal or even moral recourse here, but it's probably for the better in the long run. It does serve as a reminder though to watch what information you put out onto the web (especially when it's attached to your real name).

Best of luck finding a job that's a better fit.

My condolences neighbor...

I don't post my real name online, I don't post pictures of my family online... I don't socially network... My wife uses facebook, but it's locked down to a few friends, and not in her name either.

Unfortunately, firearm ownership is not a protected category (and never will be), nor is there any case law I know of that sets any other precident (there are cases relative to rental housing, but nothing on employment). Even using pseudonyms you can (surprisingly often) still be tracked down by some of the software these background check companies use nowadays (what would once have taken an investigator to root up - which noone would pay for - can now be done automatically by data mining software for less than $100). Your in-your-name postings would have made it easier, but don't trust a pseudonym alone to protect you. Also, your posession of a CCW alone may have been sufficient in their eyes.

All any of us can do is to refuse to frequent (when possible) enterprises that discriminate against gun owners in hiring, just as many of us tend to minimize our business relationships with enterprises that ban on-premises concealed carry by customers. It's unfortunate, but that's about it. (Well, as always try to educate the public about how the legally-armed citizen is at a minimum not a bad guy, but that won't help get HR/Legal to back down - they fear getting sued after an incident.)

What scares me is that being a gun owner and being on forums (not doing anything wrong or stupid) will cost me future jobs...

Click to expand...

It's time for a clean-up then.

You may or may not have noticed that over the years here, members have requested to have their screen names changed, and the Admin here is able to oblige. What you need to do is contact webmasters or admins of all the sites where you use your real name and request that they change it for you. You might even want it to be something other than Kingofthehill so that all the member profiles are not all linked together.

This goes for anyone else who might be interested in changing things up too. Maybe leave the city out of your profile location, don't allow your birth date to be viewable through your profile, and definitely don't let your email address show up visible in your profile.

now you know why there are companies out there like this one....

http://www.reputation.com/

Be especially careful about Facebook. I read an interview with Julian Assange in which claimed that FB had a built in portal for government data mining.

Makes ya wonder.

Way back in the beginning, post #8, the OP SAID that he used his real name and also ID'd the organization that he was interviewing for. THIS is how he was linked not some internet black magic.:banghead: Do some of you folks read ALL of the posts before you weigh in on a subject? Any way ANYTHING that you put into the cyber-net should be considered ALWAYS THERE FOREVER. Those nekked pix of you with that distinctive tattoo in a scandalous predicament could come back to haunt you when say, running for public office decades later. Be smart about these things and protect yourself/your reputation. What may have been funny or a reputation booster may hurt you in the long run IMHO.

Pseudonyms

When I first joined the online communities I chose my nom de Web in a fit of whimsy, partly as an homage to an uncle of mine.

Since then I have had occasion to be grateful that my real name has not been exposed in certain contexts. I will refrain from detailing those. Suffice it that I sometimes work around persons with somewhat squishy thinking tendencies.

Yes, there are a couple of pictures of me out there. My name doesn't accompany them, but anyone acquainted with a certain well-known shooting personality would find it unambiguous.

There was a time, back in the days of the earliest wikis, that my real name was used, and while that has never come back to bite me, there have been a couple of close calls.

In a time when standing up for your rights is often viewed as a radical activity, it can be a liability to be thus exposed.

When I'm rich enough or independent enough that my income no longer depends on the good graces of people whose politics and motives cannot be known until it's too late, I won't give a damn who knows what about me.

Until then it's OpSec and prudence.

A lot of people don't know that perspective employers check your
credit report these days and a bad one can cost you a job.
I just thank God that I am now retired.

Yep,,, posting on the Texas gun board with your real name got you. The farther away one can get from large corporate america, the better off you will be imho.

I guess if your name is John Smith they are in the middle of a lake without an oar with these searches?

Rule #1, don't disclose your name or address on the internet. The internet is about take, not give, unless you really have to or know what you're doing.

Rule #2, repeat Rule #1.

Rule #3, trust one.

"...go after them for discrimination..." Seriously doubt you have a case. "Gun owner" isn't a thing covered by any anti-discrimination legislation.
"...tear this company a new one on the internet and make it very known..." Good way to get sued.

You probably wouldn't want to work at this company if this is the way these folks are. It would not be a pleasant place to work and your job probably wouldn't last long.

Background check and being a gun owner cost me a great job.

Click to expand...

I have to disagree with your premise here. Any company that refuses to hire you because you are a gun owner is probably not a place that you want to work. If the leadership doesn't approve of basic constitutional rights, there's no telling how morally corrupt the organization is. Or I could be totally off - in my profession being a gun owner isn't usually frowned upon.

If you really cared you would ask them what the reason they didn't hire/fired you was and found out the reason from them first hand. If what you say is true, I'm not sure how great the work environment would be for you anyways...or the answer may surprise you.

Just sayin'.

If you really cared you would ask them what the reason they didn't hire/fired you was and found out the reason from them.

Click to expand...

"We have decided to go with another candidate. Thank you for your interest."
It's extremely unlikely that any company will give you more information than that.

If the leadership doesn't approve of basic constitutional rights, there's no telling how morally corrupt the organization is.

Click to expand...

Forget the "leadership". What they have is a general liability insurance policy and an insurer. They also have a legal adviser, usually in the form of a law firm who works for them. You can be assured that legions of attorneys work for the insurance company who provides them with that liability policy.

Those are the offices who are calling the shots. Especially in light of the recent shooting that the OP mentioned. They write company policy for all intents and purposes. The insurer will dictate a hiring process, or no insurance, take it or leave it. If you were the "leadership", you'd probably opt for insurance too.

the only reason they have a valid 30.06 sign at their facility is because i informed my fiancee of the laws and rules that need to be followed, so if it wasn't for me their circle/line cross over a picture of a gun sign wouldn't be valid.

Click to expand...

How did you inform them of this? Was HR aware of your helping to identify this. I don't know if it would affect it, but maybe someone took your action on this as a sign that your were a "gun person" which may have lead to more scrutiny.

I am only asking not accusing. I actually wondering on your behalf.

I have been thinking about this issue and the so called friends in the dumping ground of HR college grads.

Are these people in HR really your friends? Or are they folks you know, passer by's in the walk of life? Did they know you shoot? Did/Do they know of the criteria of which back room HR functions? Do they really know who you are?

To me it does not sound like it. If they knew you would be flagged as a shooter with a very simple web search. Are they really your friends? In my world a true friend would never set you up for a gut punch,,,, never! If they had no idea you were a shooter to be honest. I would not refer to them as friend. They would fall under know your name, human simple network relations. Social Quaintness. A true friend would never lead me to failure! Never if they knew my hobby or life style would lead to failure within there wicked web of a pay check.

As a past hospital employee in maint. and plant operation's. I left the profession when I saw the ilk of college boy and lawyer ID and fundamentals take over. Joint Commission and the under layment of INS, recovery realistic. Not to mention the insane federal government intervention. And the most important person in the hospital that is ignored the most is the house keeper / (college boy term) Environmental Specialist. With out the low paid and no respect cleaner. No amount of medical skill and tech can keep you alive.

Sooo are these HR folks really your friends? Honestly I don't think they are. I have friends still yet in the medical settings. From clinical to hospital all over the country. My nick name is Psycho in this setting. Not because I was mean or out of control. Because I refused to let anything fail that was within my scope of employment. Failure was not a option.

I'm going to have surgery next month to repair two major hernias. I will be in the hospital for 3 days or so,,, maybe 5 depending. I have already contacted my friends in security, maint. and engineering. My surgeon and I know each other. I will carry my PF-9 into the admin area and then let security, secure my pistol and it will be returned to me with no and if or butts about it once I'm off the pain pumps and meds. Mean while my wife and three adult daughters will carry there S&W 60's as they see fit while I am in.

Are these HR folks really your friends? From what I see,,,,, they don't have your back and can not be trusted..... Burn me once I watch you slow boil.

hopefully your fiance doesnt lose her job now because she is engaged to you.....hopefully "her performance" doesnt "suffer" or anything....ive seen people who work with their spouse or family member, and when one gets fired the others suddenly have poor performance and have to be let go as well....goodluck to you both, im sure you will find something

not much you can do, but worth a try: find out who the higher up boss is, write a nice email to him, hope he can probe the HR, and hopefully HR will tell him the "can't be told" reason and the boss likes guns or not bias against it, then you might have a chance

good luck