Take Action!
- Know Your Rights!
- Know the City Law – New York City’s Local Law 37 prohibits employers from checking the credit of employees or potential employees, allowing only limited exemptions. Employers may not ask about your credit history or seek permission to run a credit check, and the law applies to all employment decisions – including hiring, promotion, and termination. Local Law 37 also applies to all positions, whether part-time or full-time. Learn more here.
- Know the Federal Law – The federal Fair Credit Reporting Act requires employers to obtain your written permission before they may request your credit history. The law also requires employers to notify you in writing if they turned you down for a job based on your credit information. You are entitled to a free copy of your credit report and a chance to dispute any errors in it. These protections apply even in cases where the position is exempted from New York City’s Local Law 37.
- Order Your Free Credit Report – Be sure your credit report is free of errors. Order your free annual credit report from each of the TransUnion, Equifax, and Experian at annualcreditreport.com or by calling 877-322-8228. For information on how to fix errors in your credit report, visit New Economy Project’s Guide to Correcting your Credit Report.
- Attend a training on the law provided by the NYC Commission on Human Rights, or request a presentation for your organization.
- Share Your Story – If you have been turned down from a job or lost a job due to your credit history, or have been asked by an employer to authorize a credit check since September 3, 2015, speak out! You should file a complaint with the NYC Commission on Human Rights, and if you’d like to share your story about the experience – or how Local Law 37 has helped you – please contact us.
- Interested in launching a campaign to ban employment credit checks in your city or state? Check out some of our campaign material & resources, and contact us if you’d like more information about the NYC campaign.
