background checks

[Elijah3291]

Hey guys, so I got hired at Target for the overnight team, they offered me the job and told me when orientation is, and I did my drug test, then they called me saying my background check didn't go though and there were problems with it.  And that if the problem wasn't solved I would not be able to be hired.  She gave me a number to call and I called it and they asked me if I knew anyone named Maggie (birth name) and I said "yes, that used to be my name" (EMBARRASSING!)

So they asked for a picture of my ID and SSC so i sent it to them about 4 days ago.

Called Target again and asked if I should still go to orientation, and they said no, and they said they would call me when my background check was processed, which could take up to a MONTH!

So, I am pretty bummed and irritated, that I am gonna have to wait a month at most to start working just because I have changed my name.

My question is, has anyone else had this problem? Are all of my jobs in the future going to be at risk/delayed just because I have changed my name?  Does this happen to everyone who has had a name change, even married women?

Just irked because I was all hyped up for the job and now I am worried the background check isn't going to go through, or there will be some other problem, its not like I have a criminal record or anything like that.

[Kreuzfidel]

Sorry to hear that, mate.  I take it you were stealth when you applied?  Was there any paperwork that asked for previous names?  I just disclose my birth name as a previous name and my legal male name anywhere else. I've also had heaps of background checks for the FBI, Australian Federal Police, etc. which were fine as long as I listed all names I've used.

[Adio]

Did the paperwork you signed for the background check (or even your application) ask for previous names?  If so and you didn't provide your birth name, that would likely be the cause of the problem.  If it didn't ask and they are holding you up for it, that's a little strange.  Especially since you admitted that was your old name.

I haven't had that happen.  I put my birth name to varying degrees on stuff like that though.  Sometimes I go full birth name, sometimes just initials, sometimes nothing at all.  With my new job, I just put my initials and full old last name.  No problems with any method I've used.

[Elijah3291]

Yep, I provided both of my previous names.. if I recall correctly, i am 95% sure I proved all of my previous names

[Adio]

That's really odd then.  No idea what the hold up is.  I don't think that's normal though.

[Kreuzfidel]

I just find it odd that you were asked "do you know anyone named [your former name]" when, if you provided that name, the paperwork was right there in front of them.  Running a bg check on names is a pretty straightforward process, so I don't know what their issue is.

[thefire]

Then how does anyone manage to work stealth if your birth name always comes up in a background check? I've got my first job interview under my new name tomorrow and I'm afraid of not getting it because where I'm from, females don't get behind the scenes jobs like working in a warehouse and are limited to being cashiers, secretaries & telemarketers. If every employer is always going to know my birth name, then I'll never get a job that I can handle, because I really am not social and need a job that's not in the public eye.

[supremecatoverlord]

Then how does anyone manage to work stealth if your birth name always comes up in a background check? I've got my first job interview under my new name tomorrow and I'm afraid of not getting it because where I'm from, females don't get behind the scenes jobs like working in a warehouse and are limited to being cashiers, secretaries & telemarketers. If every employer is always going to know my birth name, then I'll never get a job that I can handle, because I really am not social and need a job that's not in the public eye.

Not all jobs require you to fill out previous names on your form.
Also, I noticed it's mostly online applications that do so.

[peky]

Taken from the "Horse mouth" so to speak ( http://sites.target.com/site/en/company/page.jsp?contentId=WCMP04-031453
Our Definition

Diversity is individuality. It's a wide spectrum of traits, including personal style, age, race, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, language, physical ability, religion, family, citizenship status, socioeconomic circumstances, education and life experiences. We see diversity as any trait that makes someone unique and does not interfere with effective job performance.

Document every thing, if possible send them a letter requesting an explanation about the delay, make a certified letter, so as to have in writing the reasons. I doubt they will say anything about your gender. Hope this helps.

Peky

[Andy]

Could it be something unrelated, like old student loans or something like that? I mean, you said you're not a criminal, so it's not that....and probably not a gender issue. Hmm, I can't wait to hear what this was about. Do they do credit checks with a background check?

[peky]

do yourself a background check to see what it is outthere

[tgchar21]

Not all jobs require you to fill out previous names on your form.
Also, I noticed it's mostly online applications that do so.

Actually it's not so much online forms, but rather the worst offenders on asking you about your name history tend to be the big national chains (like in the OP's case Target) with highly bureaucratic HR departments, along with the federal government (although in that case it's understandable depending on the job). The big kicker is usually anytime they want to obtain a comprehensive "consumer report" is when you're most likely to be outed. Personally I'm against the idea of companies doing third-party background checks for several reasons, one of which that could affect anyone is that they tend to be riddled with errors (and when someone suggested running a check on yourself beware for those reasons different background check companies will likely show different things); as I mentioned on a post on the main TS talk forum I've read reports of people supposedly having committed crimes like rape before they were even of school age. If an employer wants to check your criminal history (which I'm not against as long as it's reasonable for the position) I think the best way to do so is to obtain a RAP sheet directly from the appropriate government agency/ies, since any errors here would be a result of the agency in question rather than the third party's mis-compilation of information, and surprisingly a TS is probably less likely to be outed this way (especially if they don't have any criminal history under the old name). Verification of employment and/or education can be done by contacting the institutions in question (with a release from the applicant if necessary), and here instead of asking for former names in general they could ask whether or not the particular records are under another name (which by the way from the employer's perspective is the fully legal way to handle the issue of records possibly being under another name). If you want to learn more about the issue of being asked for previous names and ideas on how to handle the question without outing yourself, there is a thread that at the time of this posting is on the first page of the main TS talk forum on the subject.

This is a subject for a future thread, but if you're looking to be stealth when deciding on cities/regions to live, who to work for, etc., in addition to TS acceptance think low bureaucracy. Although some on here argue that the larger companies tend to be more knowledgeable on TS issues and are more likely to have intra-company protections, having lots of rules plays out on the other end of the double-edged sword by tending to probe more into your past information (and assuming you are being hired on an at-will basis, which is usually the case in most U.S. states, company "protections" mean nothing outside of the company's channels if you are not protected legally). Since even if you're protected legally it's hard to prove discrimination, especially pre-hire and in economic times like the present with a high ratio of applicants to openings, I personally think the ability to be stealth (assuming it's physically possible and all important IDs have been changed in the individual's case) should be taken into consideration as much as acceptance/protection. (That is why if you search around on the Internet you'll find a whole listing of "taboo" questions that you should not ask a prospective employee, and proper/improper ways to ask for relevant information, so as to minimize needless discrimination.)

[thefire]

So even if you don't have any criminal history and no student loans in default, it sounds like a background check will always bring up your birth name? I don't know how anyone manages to work stealth then. I was under the impression that I could change my name and get jobs as a man. If they're always going to find out my birth name, then I'll never get where I want to be in life because women don't get to do the solitary jobs.

[peky]

So even if you don't have any criminal history and no student loans in default, it sounds like a background check will always bring up your birth name? I don't know how anyone manages to work stealth then. I was under the impression that I could change my name and get jobs as a man. If they're always going to find out my birth name, then I'll never get where I want to be in life because women don't get to do the solitary jobs.

Chage of name or gender designation are public records unless the court order is sealed

[thefire]

I was under the impression you could change genders. I guess not. I'll always be known as and considered female then.

[tgchar21]

So even if you don't have any criminal history and no student loans in default, it sounds like a background check will always bring up your birth name? I don't know how anyone manages to work stealth then. I was under the impression that I could change my name and get jobs as a man. If they're always going to find out my birth name, then I'll never get where I want to be in life because women don't get to do the solitary jobs.

As others have said before, your original name may or may not come up depending on the kind of background check they do (remember there's all kinds ranging from merely checking references which won't out you as long as said references know about your transition [and don't accidentally refer to you with the old name and/or pronouns!] to security clearances by the federal government which will show all kinds of things), the age at which you transitioned (if you changed your name prior to establishing your career that helps, and if you changed it before you had any work/credit/criminal/etc. history that's even better), how long ago you transitioned (for example records from 20 years ago are less likely to show up than those from 2 years ago), and the policies of the institutions in question with regards to name/gender changes that hold the records they want to check (e.g. whether or not the schools you've graduated from will change the name/gender on your transcript).

[Jigsaw]

I was under the impression you could change genders. I guess not. I'll always be known as and considered female then.

In the U.S. you can change your gender depending on the state you are born in.  Every state has different rules and requirements for this. 

As for hiding your previous name... it is also on your credit report even if you never establish credit with it.  I have had that happen to me before and the only time that name was ever used was a drivers license.   Also be careful on name changes.  Some states will limit you on that as well.

Basically, make sure you check your birth state's laws and regs to be fully informed.

[Traivs]

My Boss got married this year and so she changed her last name to her husbands and she has had issues due to it her medical Tried to tell her she didn't exist and she had lots of other problems like that. Sucks when that kind of stuff happens hope i dont have a problem when i legally change my name right now I just tell them upfront this is what i go by.

[Felix]

I just started working at the county library and they have to do a background check for me to work with children. Initially I was worried and they thought that meant I was a felon, and they were quick to assure me that only a few people would see my history and they wouldn't share it with anyone. But people are people. I wasn't comfortable with the idea of always wondering who knew and whatever, so  went to my supervisor and talked to her about it. She agreed to help maintain my privacy and asked me how open I wanted to be. I told her that other trans people could clock me in a heartbeat (and lol there are lots of us where I live) but that I'd rather it not be common knowledge if it doesn't have to be. The understanding currently is that it won't be discussed with my coworkers unless I bring it up.

[tgchar21]

As for hiding your previous name... it is also on your credit report even if you never establish credit with it.  I have had that happen to me before and the only time that name was ever used was a drivers license.

I think the reason that happened in your case is because auto insurance may figure into your credit rating. Also, if you ever "formally" worked (where they send you a W-2) under your old name that will probably put it on your report, as would once having a bank account under the previous name. If the name change took place before you got your driver's license and/or first job what you said may not be true (someone I know whose name was changed when he had his learner's permit but not the full license doesn't have his old name on his report, and most people who were adopted as children that I know don't have their original name show up either).

Also remember that the different credit score agencies may show different things, and your old name may show up with one but not another (and remember nicknames or the like you've used in an official capacity may also go on the report as I talked about in this post).