Bad credit, criminal background may bar jobseekers

Bad credit or a criminal history may disqualify jobseekers for certain positions, National broadcaster Yle reported quoting Security and intelligence police, Supo.

Supo said that it performs about 62,000 security checks annually for employers.

The audits form part of the recruitment process if the job in question involves national security, national defence or data security, Supo told Yle.

Applicants interested in installing windows at a police station under construction or cleaning an army garrison or working in the foreign service are all subject to the procedure, said the report, adding jobseekers with a poor credit history or a criminal background will soon find their applications are overlooked.

Supo, however, said that during the security screening process, it treats each case on its own merits.

"If the cabinet requests a background check for a minister’s chauffeur, we would flag a drunk driving citation. But if a ministry is looking for someone to set up scaffolding for a renovation job, the drunk driving citation would be meaningless,”" said the Yle report, quoting Supo senior inspector Pekka Aho.

Aho also said that the employer is the final authority to take decision in this regard.