Sign Here = Full Access?
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- unknown
An unnamed client of ours makes everyone who gets a job at our company sign an agreement that they won't do a certain thing while employed there.
Sorry I can't be more specific. Big brother is watching. Anyway.
Many of you might have experienced something similar at your workplace. Sign here. Don't say this and that, etc.
So here is the twist. 20 or so of us get an email today saying that they have lost the original "hush hush" papers that we signed.
No big deal. Right? So the new version of the form comes in our mailboxes. Now, to the best of my memory, the original sheet I signed had nothing on it but "you agree to not say this and don't do that ,etc." and sign here.
This new sheet says, "I agree to let unnamed corporation and any of its affilates (and god knows who the frick they are) have full access to my credit history/financial records, criminal background records and to top it off, throw your Social Security number on there while your at it.
WTF? This caused quite a stir, leaving everyone asking, is this normal? Can they make us do this? Why do they need all of this shit? The old sheet didn't need all of this.
So with that said, has anyone ever experienced anything like this? And if you don't sign, do you face the firing squad.
Shed some light por favor.
thanks,
bB
- ********0
that sounds fucked.
I think they might not have lost those papers "by accident"...
I dunno enough about US law...but this seems not right...
- unknown0
I agree cy. It is kind of like, "If you don't sign, you look really guilty." Like you have something to hide. No one wants that stigma hanging over them.
thanks,
bB
- vena0
sounds fairly normal. credit and criminal checks are pretty routine for many employees, and employers are often expected to perform them to releave themselves of liability. the only thing they can't legally look at is your medical history.
having someone in the next room who's been an HR manager for 30 years helps with these questions :) (hi mom!)
- ********0
you don't happen to own a copy of the original agreement do ya?
- CAJTBr0
i would have thought that if you did face the firing squad, you'd have a good constructive dismissal case.
why don't you just organise this 20 odd people at work and have a meeting with whoever formulated it, asking why they need this stuff, why they're trying to change the terms of your employment while claiming they're not and what the consequences are if you don't comply?
- vena0
i can't believe you didn't sign an agreement to these investigations when you were first hired. i'm poor at the moment, so i've been looking for a cheepie part-time gig, and every place i've applied to (even places like Best Buy and Barnes & Noble) make you very aware that they can and may make these investigations.
- unknown0
yea. the one i signed when first hired was simple and to the point. this one digs deep.
and i agree. this really serves the purpose of covering their butts. while you are taking care of their business, they don't want any "questionable" people involved.
thanks,
bB
- vena0
i hear when you apply to Hot Topic, they check your background for gothness.
- unknown0
i guess the only difference is that this is the client doing the checking, not my employer.
a new one on me.
just re-read your first comment,
bB
- mbr0
Isn't it one of his company's clients, and not his company that is asking for this? If it's your employer, they can do whatever they want. Make you pee in a cup, if they want. But a client asking for a SS# is more than a little fishy. Makes you wonder about them (unless, of course, your doing a site for the FBI or something).
- the_user0
<sarcasm>
an emplyer that wants to do a background check and have employees sign an NDA?
You mean your employer actually wants to know your social security #?
Oh the horror.
</sarcasm>
This is standard stuff.
- unknown0
not my employer _user. a client.
read posts thoroughly
thanks,
bB
- the_user0
sorry, my bad.
I did a bunch of design work work for a us gov office overseas once and had to sign a bunch of docs, get a background and credit check and practically sign my life away just to enter the building.
They were the client of an agency I worked for at the time as well so I thought it was kind of odd, but gov't contracts are big bucks so I didn't argue :)
- Tekko0
I'm from Toronto so i don't know how it works in the US...but i would think that they may be able to pressure exsisting employees to sign but can not force.
But I would also think they can make new employees sign inorder to get the job.
What a bunch of assholes. The United States seems to be treating it's citizens like criminals, has it always been like that there?
We just worship Alien's and make baby clones here in Canada, other than that it's pretty safe.
- sp0
hm. none of you have worked for a position that required a security level, have you?
:)
you think a little credit check and criminal background is a big deal? try having not only your last 20 years looked at, but how about the last decade or two of your friends and family.
any top-level clearance requires a ton of checking.
the company i left a few months ago did some work for the pentagon. we had to institute security measures in our department because a couple of developers didn't meet the 'requirements'.
my senior programmer is a mongolian male, who attended university in communist russia. there was no way they were going to let him work on the project.
:)
nda's seem to be a commonality now.
but, it is a bit odd that a client would ask for it...
i would watch it, and make sure you get a copy of the contract...they must provide you with a copy if you sign something.
get it and have someone else look at it too.
- grunt0
what puzzles me is the credit report... "sorry Mr. Bucky B. Allz we can't let you work on this project because you bought a case of Diet Coke from CostCo in 1997."
- rise0
credit reports are pretty standard when your doing a reasonablely sized job. Most time its to see if you have acess to the resources to finish a job, or if you can or have been bonded.
You think Microsoft is going to hire X-Agency if they've filed chapter 13 in a previous venture?