EEOC To Explore Use Of Credit Histories In Employment Screening At Meeting On Wednesday, October 20

WASHINGTON – In order to gather information on the practice of using credit histories as employment screening devices, t he U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) will hold a public meeting to explore the extent of this practice, its efficacy, and its potential impact on different populations. The meeting will be held on Wednesday, Oct. 20 at 9:30 a.m. (Eastern Time), at agency headquarters, 131 M Street, N.E. The Commission is scheduled to hear from the following invited panelists:

Panel 1: The Fair Credit Reporting Act: Employer and Employee Rights and Responsibilities

Maneesha Mithal, Associate Director, Division of Privacy and Identity Protection, Federal Trade Commission

Panel 2: Stakeholder Perspectives I

Michael Eastman, Executive Director, Labor Law Policy, U.S. Chamber of Commerce
Chi Chi Wu, Counsel, National Consumer Law Center
Dr. Avis Jones-DeWeever, Executive Director, National Council of Negro Women

Panel 3: Stakeholder Perspectives II

Sarah Crawford, Counsel, Lawyers for Civil Rights Under Law
Christine V. Walters, MAS, JD, Society for Human Resource Management
Pamela Quigley Devata, Counsel, Seyfarth Shaw, LLP

Panel 4: Review of Scientific Research: Are Credit Scores a Valid Predictor of Job Performance?

Dr. Michael Aamodt, DCI Consulting
Dr. Richard Tonowski, Chief Psychologist, EEOC

In accordance with the Sunshine Act, the meeting is open for public observation of the Commission’s deliberations. Seating is limited and it is suggested that visitors arrive 30 minutes before the meeting in order to be processed through security and escorted to the meeting room.

The Commission agenda is subject to revision. Additional information about the hearing, when available, will be posted at http://www.eeoc.gov/eeoc/meetings/index.cfm.

The EEOC enforces federal laws prohibiting employment discrimination. Further information about the EEOC is available on its web site at www.eeoc.gov.