Credit check law has Maryland jewelers worried

According to findings from a 2010 study by the Society for Human Resource Management, 13 percent of respondents conducted credit checks on job candidates - a 6 percent decrease from 2004. About 40 percent stated that they didn't use a consumer credit report for a background check at all. However, the Gazette reports that certain Maryland employers are concerned about a state law passed last week that limits credit report history checks on job applicants. Among those fretting are state jewelers, who believe their job requires finding more responsible applicants. "Their employees deal with valuable merchandise," Patrick Donoho, president of the Maryland Retailers Association, told the news source. "It just doesn't work to have someone with a credit score of say, 100, handling jewels worth tens of thousands of dollars." However, labor and employment lawyer David M. Stevens points out that the goal of the law is to prevent a bad credit score from keeping a qualified applicant from obtaining a position. Maryland is the fifth state to pass legislation limiting consumer credit history checks, joining Oregon, Illinois, Washington and Hawaii.