Many employers obtain information about job applicants from consumer reports created and sold by consumer reporting agencies (CRA's). Because this information is compiled and sold for a profit by, the CRA's and employer must follow the guidelines of the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA). FCRA is supposed to ensure that information reported about individuals is accurate and fair. Under it, job-seekers and other individuals have specific rights, including the right to see a background check that an employer used if they decided not to hire you, and to make corrections to that report if it contains errors.

This folder contains a request form for a free consumer report as well as an example of a case where an individual was terminated from employment as a result of an incorrect Credit Report.

For resources on how to dispute information on background reports, please see the Toolkit for Disputing Private Company Background Checks.

For more information, visit "Employer Use of Consumer/Credit Reports to Obtain Criminal Record Information" on the National HIRE Network website.