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

Kingofthehill · Jul 29, 2011

I hope this is an ok place to put this but just wanted to share a situation that happened to me.

I applied at a large medical facility and was given the green light for the job but all i had to overcome was the background check which being a CCW owner and a commercial Class A driver with hazmat endorsement, i wasn't worried.

I have several friends that work there, a friend in the HR department told me that the corporate legal team axed me and I didn't get the job.

Why you ask? Because the extensive background check has web crawlers that found me on gun forums. Now, I am not some idiot with a gun... when someone asks what to buy i say training... Ive worked at ranges and have been a range officer and am very very safety minded.

my friend in HR told me even though i am not supposed to know that the reason i was passed over.

I trust my buddy with my life, he too is an active shooter but doesn't visit gun forums. This company had a shooting at one of their facilities a few years back and they are on high alert because of it.

is this just a sign of the times? im a very stand up person, i don't party, drink, do drugs... i follow all the laws, have perfect attendance and always go above and beyond and if it wasn't for a back injury, i was going to be a sheriff but it came out in the academy that i had a physical limitation.

the worst part is that im not supposed to know this, so i can't bring up discrimination or anything like that. Since its "At Will" they don't even need to give me a reason.

my fiancee works there and her boss who was hiring me was excited to bring me on and went on about how qualified i was and that i would be a good fit but now i just got axed.

Moral of the story, be careful what you post online... even if its nothing bad, just being associated as a "Gun person" is enough to kill your chances at a job you were hoping to get.

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.

Ive never even had a speeding ticket and now my name is tarnished it seems... how does this happen

ugaarguy · Jul 29, 2011

I'd contact a civil rights attorney just to see what your options are.

fatcat4620 · Jul 29, 2011

Sounds like you were discriminated against for a lifestyle choice. I would tear this company a new one on the internet and make it very known.

CTGunner · Jul 29, 2011

Because the extensive background check has web crawlers that found me on gun forums

How is this possible? I'm not doubting what you are saying but would like to know how they connected you to forum postings? Have you posted with your full name - pictures of yourself?

USAF_Vet · Jul 29, 2011

Ive never even had a speeding ticket and now my name is tarnished it seems... how does this happen

While it sucks you didn't get the job, your name is far from tarnished. Being passed over for a position doesn't effect anything except your pride.

I'd talk to the HR director of the company and ask them why you didn't get the job. It's not illegal to not hire someone, so contacting a lawyer is a bit out of bounds at this point. Unless you can prove a clear cut case of discrimination against you as a gun owner, hiring a lawyer and filing suit will probably not get you very far, and it certainly won't get you the job.

Perhaps have the manager who wanted you on board go to HR and plead your case for you.

I know it sucks not getting a job. I was a shoe in for a job, and I was passed over because my step-dad also works for the company, albeit at a different facility. Funny considering the company is a family company, with generations of family members who work at the same facilities. Sometimes HR can be a real PITA for no good reason.

CoRoMo · Jul 29, 2011

I'm not as optimistic as the first two posters, but could you please explain further how this...

...the extensive background check has web crawlers that found me on gun forums.

...happened? I assume that your real name is not Kingofthehill.

I know a guy who got fired from his job after making chit-chat with a customer. He made a whimsical reference that let the customer know he was a gun owner. The customer complained to his employer. He was swiftly fired.

longdayjake · Jul 29, 2011

You are better off. BTW. Deputies go to the academy. Sheriffs get voted in. You could be a quadrapalegic and still be a Sheriff.

Kingofthehill · Jul 29, 2011

I only know this due to their HR rep who is a friend of mine.

As for posting my real name, on a local texas gun forum im on, i do post under my real name and i made a post about the job interview and how i was excited since it went so well and the company's name was listed after someone asked me where i applied.

I can't just go after them for discrimination since im not supposed to know this information and then it could possibly cost my friend his job.

thats the tricky spot im at now

JoeMal · Jul 29, 2011

I'm interested to see how this will play out. 'Technically' you probably aren't supposed to be privy to the information as to why you weren't hired. So bringing in legal counsel would put one of your friends at risk...someone had to talk for you to find out that information.

And when it comes to the company, I'm sure there's probably no way to prove that's why you were denied the job. I'm sure the meeting was conducted verbally. While the situation stinks big time, I'm not sure what you can do about it. Of course I'm no lawyer. Good luck in the future.

Kingofthehill · Jul 29, 2011

I'm interested to see how this will play out. 'Technically' you probably aren't supposed to be privy to the information as to why you weren't hired. So bringing in legal counsel would put one of your friends at risk...someone had to talk for you to find out that information.

And when it comes to the company, I'm sure there's probably no way to prove that's why you were denied the job. I'm sure the meeting was conducted verbally. While the situation stinks big time, I'm not sure what you can do about it. Of course I'm no lawyer. Good luck in the future.

you hit the nail on the head and understand my situation completely

JustinJ · Jul 29, 2011

Were you on a gun board at this job or did you get caught on a gun board while at work at another job? Did you visit a gun board from a computer supplied by this compay? Unless one is using a real name on a message board how would they be able to figure such a thing out with out illegal hacking your computer? Something is amiss with this thread. Or the buddy is lying.

Standing Wolf · Jul 29, 2011

I doubt this will amount to any consolation, Kingofthehill, but here's my prediction: five years from now, you'll be glad you didn't get that job. You'll be happier with the job you did get, and won't mind not hanging out with people who look down on you for exercising your Second Amendment civil rights.

Best of success to you!

Kingofthehill · Jul 29, 2011

no, i don't talk guns or log onto forums while at work. And with this employer i have only been in there for a face to face interview so no, i haven't logged onto any forums there.

22-rimfire · Jul 29, 2011

I think you have little recourse on this potential job. I have interviewed and not been offered jobs. They choose someone else or in some cases, move somebody into that position internally. Any legal action on your part will put your friend's job at risk.

As far as the background check, I have no idea. They may well not have hired you because you have a CCW permit. I suspect that probably showed up on your background check. That's the price of liberty.

Many hospitals absolutely will not hire you if you smoke and they do pre-employment tests to confirm this. That doesn't seem fair to me if you don't smoke on the premises. But it appears to be legal.

jelayne · Jul 29, 2011

Sounds like the Company's loss to me.

Frank Ettin · Jul 29, 2011

It is becoming increasingly common for employers to look at social networking Internet sites as part of pre-employment screenings. See http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Social-Media-History-Becomes-nytimes-510406413.html?x=0&.v=1 for example.

You are, of course, free to communicate how and what you wish, by your speech, by your actions, what you may post on the Internet, how you act and what you say in public (the Internet is a public place); but that does not mean that doing so is without social consequences.

You may be free to "communicate", but others are free to either pay attention or not. And others are also free to form opinions about you, your credibility, character, values, or beliefs based on how and what you "communicate."

How you present yourself to the world is up to you. But you can't complain when people form impressions of you or make judgments about you based on the way you do present yourself to the world.

As far as how one might be identified, I think we'll need to hear from some computer experts on that. I understand that someone who knows what he's doing can get a lot of information about your on-line activities starting with things like email addresses or email correspondence.

jrhyne · Jul 29, 2011

Unless one is using a real name on a message board how would they be able to figure such a thing out with out illegal hacking your computer? Something is amiss with this thread. Or the buddy is lying.

This. Your buddy may have let it slip in conversation that you were into guns and it was downhill from there....he just didn't have the stomach to tell you what really happened.

KingContraryMan · Jul 29, 2011

Forget it and move on. If you pursue this, at best you'll have a job where you "forced" your way in (you'd be a target from the git-go) and at the worst your friend there gets canned.

pacerdude · Jul 29, 2011

I agree with Kingcontraryman, just let it go. I'm looking for a job right now too, and it does suck going to interviews and thinking it went well, and then you still don't get the job, but hey that's life. Besides your fiance' and your friend still work there, so raising cain about this situation probably wont do them any favors.

Also to keep it on topic, I also agree with the poster who said that your CCW permit may have showed up on the background check.

Anyways good luck in your career pursuits.

Kingofthehill · Jul 29, 2011

i don't have a problem chalking this job off as a loss... i can accept that.

What scares me is that being a gun owner and being on forums (not doing anything wrong or stupid) will cost me future jobs if they perform the same background checks.

This all has something to do with a "web Crawl" as it was listed on the paperwork. I in no way will risk my friends job there.

JoeMal · Jul 29, 2011

Do you have a Facebook/MySpace/LinkdIn/etc account that may refer to your Kindofthehill name? Maybe that's how they 'found' you?

Could your buddy have possibly said something about your account if probed?

Kingofthehill · Jul 29, 2011

Do you have a Facebook/MySpace/LinkdIn/etc account that may refer to your Kindofthehill name? Maybe that's how they 'found' you?

Could your buddy have possibly said something about your account if probed?

Nope... I have a facebook but it has my name and my fiancee set it up for me, its basically a blank page, i don't use it and it doesn't have any info other than my old high school and and home town.

PCCUSNRET · Jul 29, 2011

He said he posted under his real name on a Texas Gun Board.

"As for posting my real name, on a local texas gun forum im on, i do post under my real name and i made a post about the job interview and how i was excited since it went so well and the company's name was listed after someone asked me where i applied."

Based on this, they could have found him by using "Google".

buck460XVR · Jul 29, 2011

Kingofthehill said:
As for posting my real name, on a local texas gun forum im on, i do post under my real name and i made a post about the job interview and how i was excited since it went so well and the company's name was listed after someone asked me where i applied.

This may have been your demise. You identified yourself and the place you thought you were hired at on a public forum. Just a simple Google search of your name would bring this up. Someone researching you may have found this and took offense at something you said. With the amount of qualified folk applying for ANY job these days, employers make hiring decisions on appearance, first impressions and gut feelings. Bringing up the employer and stating that the job was already probably yours may have been all it took to make the difference.

Kingofthehill said:
I only know this due to their HR rep who is a friend of mine.

Now you have identified a person on a public forum, that by your admission broke company rules. Sometimes it's better to say nuttin' at all.

natman · Jul 29, 2011

parker51 said:
He said he posted under his real name on a Texas Gun Board.

"As for posting my real name, on a local texas gun forum im on, i do post under my real name and i made a post about the job interview and how i was excited since it went so well and the company's name was listed after someone asked me where i applied."

Based on this, they could have found him by using "Google".

Bingo.

It's a real shame we have to resort to pseudonyms, but "gun owner" is not a class that is protected from discrimination by bigots.

At least not yet.

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

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