I was just wondering if anyone knew anything about employment background checks and name changes. I changed my name over two years ago and have been living stealth since. I am graduating from college next year and have just had some interviews for summer internships. This made me think about the line "List any previous names used" and what I should do? I don't want to disclose but I also don't want it to cause issues as if I was lying to my future employer. I just bought a credit report a couple weeks ago and only one of the companies (Transunion) showed my old name under "previous names used". I recently contacted the credit company for them to remove my old name and they did it very easily. So now I am wondering since that was erased, is there any other way a background check would even show my old name? Thanks!
A background check would look into anything criminal and when it was done on me by my employer, something from my driving history showed up on it. So yeah, likely it will come up or it will look suspicious to just go back a couple years and then no trail unless you're pretty young.
not to mention, if they ask for any previous names used and you fail to enter them, I imagine that can be grounds for dismissal if they find out otherwise with a lot of employers depending on their policies.
Quote from: defective snowflake on May 02, 2014, 09:03:59 AMnot to mention, if they ask for any previous names used and you fail to enter them, I imagine that can be grounds for dismissal if they find out otherwise with a lot of employers depending on their policies.
Guidance from past cases (that dealt with immigrants who changed their names to assimilate and avoid discrimination, but the same principle should apply to the trans community) says that employers need to know former or other names only to enable them to properly check your credentials and background. If your employer has no practical reason* to know your former name, putting down something like "none that relevant records are under" is an acceptable alternative response (if you want to CYA in case they find an excuse down the road to fire you). On the other hand, if they need to know your former name in order to check your work or educational history (for an event that occurred before you changed your name, and you haven't or they won't update your records) you'll probably have to out yourself sooner or later.
*Practical reasons include needing to verify your employment history or a degree/diploma/educational certificate/license that is under the name, to contact references that only know you by your former name, or if you have ANY criminal history under said name (this includes aliases that your history may be under). Note that if you leave off past employment for the sake of hoping not to out yourself that could be construed as misrepresenting your work history (since people commonly do that to hide employment that they left under less-than-favorable terms), and if you fail to give out all names/aliases your criminal history is under you may be accused of trying to cover your history up. (If the criminal history check is the only issue, another "alternative response" idea is to put down that you'll disclose the sensitive information only to the company or agency running the check.)
I should note that in cases like an adoption or the name was otherwise changed before said person was of working age (which may apply to some of our child or teen transitioners), it's generally held (except with security clearance type jobs, of which a lot I said in this post may not apply) that the name does not need to be brought up - at this link it's item #6 discussed (http://www.askamanager.org/2013/03/short-answer-sunday-7-short-answers-to-7-short-questions-32.html) (but like I said if you feel the need to CYA you can use a response like I suggested).
Hemm, would just the name you go by be show, your first name or your full name? Never thought about this before till now..
Quote from: tgchar21 on May 02, 2014, 09:28:08 AM
Guidance from past cases (that dealt with immigrants who changed their names to assimilate and avoid discrimination, but the same principle should apply to the trans community) says that employers need to know former or other names only to enable them to properly check your credentials and background. If your employer has no practical reason* to know your former name, putting down something like "none that relevant records are under" is an acceptable alternative response (if you want to CYA in case they find an excuse down the road to fire you). On the other hand, if they need to know your former name in order to check your work or educational history (for an event that occurred before you changed your name, and you haven't or they won't update your records) you'll probably have to out yourself sooner or later.
*Practical reasons include needing to verify your employment history or a degree/diploma/educational certificate/license that is under the name, to contact references that only know you by your former name, or if you have ANY criminal history under said name (this includes aliases that your history may be under). Note that if you leave off past employment for the sake of hoping not to out yourself that could be construed as misrepresenting your work history (since people commonly do that to hide employment that they left under less-than-favorable terms), and if you fail to give out all names/aliases your criminal history is under you may be accused of trying to cover your history up. (If the criminal history check is the only issue, another "alternative response" idea is to put down that you'll disclose the sensitive information only to the company or agency running the check.)
I should note that in cases like an adoption or the name was otherwise changed before said person was of working age (which may apply to some of our child or teen transitioners), it's generally held (except with security clearance type jobs, of which a lot I said in this post may not apply) that the name does not need to be brought up - at this link it's item #6 discussed (http://www.askamanager.org/2013/03/short-answer-sunday-7-short-answers-to-7-short-questions-32.html) (but like I said if you feel the need to CYA you can use a response like I suggested).
I am 23 and changed my name when I was 20. My college records are all under my current legal name and my most recent part time job was under my new legal name. The only thing that would be under my old name that I can think of is old speeding tickets I had a few years ago. (Also my high school but that doesn't matter to employers in my degree).
So I guess that means it's not relevant for me?
Find something you don't care about see if it pops up anything from that name. I would rather find out with something I can live without like a concealed carry gun permit, than find out trying to get my dream job.
Quote from: MikeyG500 on May 02, 2014, 11:25:21 AM
I am 23 and changed my name when I was 20. My college records are all under my current legal name and my most recent part time job was under my new legal name. The only thing that would be under my old name that I can think of is old speeding tickets I had a few years ago. (Also my high school but that doesn't matter to employers in my degree).
So I guess that means it's not relevant for me?
With your case and the speeding tickets it's a bit iffy. Like someone else said even those kinds of things can show up on your criminal history report - the risk you take is if it's something that doesn't show up with only your current name, but would if the prior name was also known when the check was done, you could be presumed to be trying to hide your record and that can get you in trouble. Your best bet is to pull your driving record from the state(s) where the infractions took place, and see if they need to know both names to make it show up.
If you apply for a city, state, county or especially federal job you will have to list ALL names used in the past. There is no way to get away with name stealth in these positions. :)
Quote from: Jessica Merriman on May 02, 2014, 12:01:08 PM
If you apply for a city, state, county or especially federal job you will have to list ALL names used in the past. There is no way to get away with name stealth in these positions. :)
That's not quite true - for a city job I once asked someone from HR (not mentioning the specifics), and like for most jobs they said if you don't have anything relevant you don't need to list it (at least in cases where it was changed before you'd have any history to be checked). Now what you said is true for federal jobs, particularly those that require a security clearance, but even then you can arrange it where you can disclose the prior names only to those running the checks and not to the one making the actual hiring decision as I suggested as a tip (as someone on here once did for a security clearance - I don't know if she's still actively posting or not).
ETA: What Jessica said is very true for something like a police officer or the kind of position it looks like she's in based on her title (where they can ask you lots of things that employers can't for typical jobs like details about your family, and you'll know the difference right away), but not for a run-of-the-mill "low-security" position (like working as a city clerk or in the sanitation or utilities department) - and if in doubt you can ask someone in charge like I did. With a job like a teacher that involves work around minors, they will almost certainly do a formal criminal history check (but not the intensive investigations of your whole life that those in positions like Jessica's get), but like I mentioned above you may be able to work around and give the sensitive info straight to whoever's searching your history.
ETA2: I did some digging around searching several local government sites (of varying sizes), and in many cases there are different forms used for the positions I referred to vs. the kind that Jessica referred to (the former looks like a typical application and if they ask for other names it's for the typical purpose, and the latter is usually much longer and asks for much more info that a standard one can't).
Quote from: tgchar21 on May 02, 2014, 12:45:27 PM
That's not quite true - for a city job I once asked someone from HR (not mentioning the specifics), and like for most jobs they said if you don't have anything relevant you don't need to list it (at least in cases where it was changed before you'd have any history to be checked). Now what you said is true for federal jobs, particularly those that require a security clearance, but even then you can arrange it where you can disclose the prior names only to those running the checks and not to the one making the actual hiring decision as I suggested as a tip (as someone on here once did for a security clearance - I don't know if she's still actively posting or not).
ETA: What Jessica said is very true for something like a police officer or the kind of position it looks like she's in based on her title (where they can ask you lots of things that employers can't for typical jobs like details about your family, and you'll know the difference right away), but not for a run-of-the-mill "low-security" position (like working as a city clerk or in the sanitation or utilities department) - and if in doubt you can ask someone in charge like I did. With a job like a teacher that involves work around minors, they will almost certainly do a formal criminal history check (but not the intensive investigations of your whole life that those in positions like Jessica's get), but like I mentioned above you may be able to work around and give the sensitive info straight to whoever's searching your history.
ETA2: I did some digging around searching several local government sites (of varying sizes), and in many cases there are different forms used for the positions I referred to vs. the kind that Jessica referred to (the former looks like a typical application and if they ask for other names it's for the typical purpose, and the latter is usually much longer and asks for much more info that a standard one can't).
Hmm...Honestly some of the positions i've applied to do have security clearance type stuff like NASA or places that do aerospace or defence work. I guess that I will just have to suck it up and write my old name down... BUT I was thinking that if it does come up wouldn't they just ask me about it and then I could clear it up? Or would that just nix me right away? My old name spelling is pretty similar to my name and I could possibly get away with saying it's the French spelling (Because it is a common French name but female) but I changed it for convenience. I don't know... It's tough.
Quote from: MikeyG500 on May 02, 2014, 05:30:54 PM
Hmm...Honestly some of the positions i've applied to do have security clearance type stuff like NASA or places that do aerospace or defence work. I guess that I will just have to suck it up and write my old name down... BUT I was thinking that if it does come up wouldn't they just ask me about it and then I could clear it up? Or would that just nix me right away? My old name spelling is pretty similar to my name and I could possibly get away with saying it's the French spelling (Because it is a common French name but female) but I changed it for convenience. I don't know... It's tough.
As I've said your best bet, instead of fudging the story on the name itself, is to simply put down that you'll release such info only when needed to the parties performing the investigation (I think the phrasing the other member on here once used was "Available to Authorized Investigator Only"). The only drawback is it may slow down the process a bit (since then they'll need to contact you back when you give them the name), but it should save you from outing yourself to the ones who make the final decision on whether or not you get hired.
Quote from: tgchar21 on May 02, 2014, 06:13:33 PM
As I've said your best bet, instead of fudging the story on the name itself, is to simply put down that you'll release such info only when needed to the parties performing the investigation (I think the phrasing the other member on here once used was "Available to Authorized Investigator Only"). The only drawback is it may slow down the process a bit (since then they'll need to contact you back when you give them the name), but it should save you from outing yourself to the ones who make the final decision on whether or not you get hired.
Okay, I'll see if I can figure out something to say without sounding suspicious. Thanks for the insight
Quote from: MikeyG500 on May 02, 2014, 08:53:23 PM
Okay, I'll see if I can figure out something to say without sounding suspicious. Thanks for the insight
Since there are plenty of cases where one may not want to reveal a prior name to the public (e.g. witness protection, abusive ex-spouse or family) the comments like I suggested shouldn't raise any horrible eyebrows. If they do ask what the deal is, assuming you've changed your name on your birth certificate, you can say there was an issue that called for a correction to your BC (which once again is common for people who were adopted or had other family dramas resulting in their name being changed). Another tip is if the information is asked on a sheet separate from the main application*, ask if you can send it directly to the investigator (if so, then go ahead and mention your past details on there); likewise if it's an online portal and you know it's being sent only to the investigators (if necessary you can ask someone from the site's support).
*For typical (non-security-clearance, non-federal) jobs, under FCRA, anytime they want to pull your credit history they have to follow that rule (asking it on a dedicated form).
You may attract unwanted scrutiny if you make it very mysterious though. People tunnel in and want to know the why and a juicy piece of gossip like this will travel very quickly. Also if your background takes too long it may jeopardize the position you wanted with it going to someone who passes the background easier and without issue's. Just a thought. I would not make too big a deal of it if I were you. :)
Quote from: Jessica Merriman on May 02, 2014, 09:08:25 PM
You may attract unwanted scrutiny if you make it very mysterious though. People tunnel in and want to know the why and a juicy piece of gossip like this will travel very quickly. Also if your background takes too long it may jeopardize the position you wanted with it going to someone who passes the background easier and without issue's. Just a thought. I would not make too big a deal of it if I were you. :)
Even so, any questions should be confined to no further than the HR people and the ones interviewing the prospective employee (unless it's a small company, in which case unless it's for something like a federal contract that requires a clearance they probably wouldn't be doing such intensive background investigations anyway). It's not like gossip that would likely be heard by one's (potential future) co-workers.
Quote from: tgchar21 on May 02, 2014, 09:16:40 PM
any questions should be confined to no further than the HR people and the ones interviewing the prospective employee
In a perfect world, yes. In todays? ;)
Quote from: Jessica Merriman on May 02, 2014, 09:21:53 PM
In a perfect world, yes. In todays? ;)
My philosophy is: Would you rather exercise your right not to divulge extraneous information and avoid being discriminated against to begin with, or have to do the hard exercise and prove after the fact that you were wrongly discriminated against? Although some may find the former like trying to hide a secret, I think you have better odds that way. (This is why for typical non-high-security jobs there's a whole set of questions that are illegal or taboo for employers to ask (http://www.stat.washington.edu/jobs/questions/), and if you are asked one you have the right to answer in an alternate way that informs them of only what they need to know.*)
*Beyond (former) names other cases are what's your nationality (all they need to know here is that you're legally able to work in the U.S.) or your family plans (here all they need to know is that you're able to work the requisite schedule). Even a full date of birth can raise legal eyebrows unless there's an actual reason to know it (because of age discrimination the only concern is that you're of legal age for the job).
I know it's a bit different when a security clearance is at stake or for a position like one Jessica is in (in such a case, especially if dealing straight with the federal or other government, it may not be a big deal to out yourself if it's just to the higher-ups), but IMO my advice can be helpful with the majority of jobs.
But the OP is referencing NASA, Aerospace and defense. Those are heavy hitters for extensive background (full disclosure) checks. That is why full disclosure is best. I served as a PMC and trust me, those who fudged, misled or failed to mention items were blacklisted permanently. :)
Quote from: Jessica Merriman on May 02, 2014, 09:33:41 PM
But the OP is referencing NASA, Aerospace and defense. Those are heavy hitters for extensive background (full disclosure) checks. That is why full disclosure is best. I served as a PMC and trust me, those who fudged, misled or failed to mention items were blacklisted permanently. :)
Hence the last sentence in my last post.
Sorry, blonde moment!*giggle* ::)
There's an old thread about stuff like this. Someone suggested what I consider to be great advice for people like me. I changed all three names--first, middle, and last. If I'm ever again in a position where I need to divulge, I can write down my old name this way: J. Q. Citizen. That won't out me. If you changed your last name, you might try that. It might even work if you have kept your last name but have at least one different first or middle initial.
The last time I was asked to provide old names, the field wasn't even big enough for me to enter my full birth name. I don't remember what I did enter, but I called HR for advice. You might do the same, and mention the tickets.
I have some experience in the civilian world of defense industries. (BTW - If you value your soul and your mind stay far away. I just finished up 6 years in hell and am now celebrating my 1st aniversary of freedom and joy being a for real engineer again that can fix things)
First off you have your pre-employement criminal background check. Which is really a public records search. Name changes are part of the public record and it will get turned up. Since there is no SS number associated with it, there is wiggle room. But if name, address etc of old/new you match, then not so much room. Which then leads to actually what gets reported back to the employer. Discrepancies for sure I think. Lack of inconstancies I think will fly better. All HR wants is CYA that you are not a No-Goodnick.
OK Hurdle one passed. Except.... Name, SS Num, and Gender comes back mis-matched from SS. Or, was that taken care of? Medical Insurance will also catch that.
If the time comes for a DOD or DOE security clearance don't worry. Since it is illegal for anyone with a clearance to say they have one, to about anyone, let's say I have heard from people who have heard from people who know things. One of the things they know is that there are transitioned TS's with clearances. I cannot say for sure but I am fairly confident the rules pretty much say they can't bounce you for that anymore.
Also, keep in mind about any employer of more than like 20 heads these days all have their boiler plate Non-Discrimination policy. Most cover sexual orientation as well as gender expression. But this has not stopped the company from having medical insurance policies that do discriminant against anything Gender related. (My trump card if or when that day comes. Feel free to use it)
Quote from: Jessica Merriman on May 02, 2014, 09:33:41 PM
But the OP is referencing NASA, Aerospace and defense. Those are heavy hitters for extensive background (full disclosure) checks. That is why full disclosure is best. I served as a PMC and trust me, those who fudged, misled or failed to mention items were blacklisted permanently. :)
This is true.. I might as well just list my previous name on my application, especially if it's a bigger company. I'm just worried it will affect my hiring and that It will spread around my workplace. But I guess there really is no choice!
Quote from: JoanneB on May 03, 2014, 09:00:02 AMAlso, keep in mind about any employer of more than like 20 heads these days all have their boiler plate Non-Discrimination policy. Most cover sexual orientation as well as gender expression. But this has not stopped the company from having medical insurance policies that do discriminant against anything Gender related. (My trump card if or when that day comes. Feel free to use it)
That's because AFAIK non-discrimination polices can be written to apply only to discrimination when it comes to the employment itself, not to what insurance policies cover (because that also involves the insurance company, and unlike merely prohibiting discrimination against TSs when it comes to hiring/firing/pay/how you're treated on the job/etc. the cisgender population has a tangible financial interest - albeit a minor one - to not have insurance cover transition-related procedures). I'm not saying that's right, but there's a difference I thought I'd point out there. (If we were like most other developed countries and had a national health system, or if everyone bought their insurance through the exchanges without employers being in the equation, this would be moot. Same thing with the SCOTUS case about "religious" employers being forced to cover birth control that goes against their beliefs.)
Edited for clarification.
Quote from: Arch on May 02, 2014, 10:19:10 PM
There's an old thread about stuff like this. Someone suggested what I consider to be great advice for people like me. I changed all three names--first, middle, and last. If I'm ever again in a position where I need to divulge, I can write down my old name this way: J. Q. Citizen. That won't out me. If you changed your last name, you might try that. It might even work if you have kept your last name but have at least one different first or middle initial.
An even better idea is if you changed your last name in the transition process is to list just the old last name - don't even list any initials (so here it's moot as to whether or not they were changed). Especially if you're MTF they'll probably assume it was your "maiden"* or a "previous married" name without question (while putting down initials might be TMI and raise more eyebrows than a last name alone). I've mentioned this before, and is another good cover strategy if they have no practical need to know your full former name (in the OP's security clearance case, or where they need the full name to properly check your records, you'll still have to out yourself).
*As a side-note, if the name change amended your birth certificate (whether or not the changes are visible), in a legal sense your "maiden" or "birth" name got changed; this is mostly relevant for cases like what name goes down on things like a marriage license or your child's birth certificate (which I once had a debate with one of our members about). Although this disagrees with what most of us call the "birth name" if they ask for it on a legal document you'll need to see what context they want (name originally given at birth vs. name on birth certificate - as I had a non-trans-related name change that amended my BC I've found from personal experience they often mean the latter). For the purposes earlier in the post it's still a former last name and a valid way to avoid outing yourself.
Quote from: JoanneB on May 03, 2014, 09:00:02 AM
I have some experience in the civilian world of defense industries. (BTW - If you value your soul and your mind stay far away. I just finished up 6 years in hell and am now celebrating my 1st aniversary of freedom and joy being a for real engineer again that can fix things)
First off you have your pre-employement criminal background check. Which is really a public records search. Name changes are part of the public record and it will get turned up. Since there is no SS number associated with it, there is wiggle room. But if name, address etc of old/new you match, then not so much room. Which then leads to actually what gets reported back to the employer. Discrepancies for sure I think. Lack of inconstancies I think will fly better. All HR wants is CYA that you are not a No-Goodnick.
OK Hurdle one passed. Except.... Name, SS Num, and Gender comes back mis-matched from SS. Or, was that taken care of? Medical Insurance will also catch that.
If the time comes for a DOD or DOE security clearance don't worry. Since it is illegal for anyone with a clearance to say they have one, to about anyone, let's say I have heard from people who have heard from people who know things. One of the things they know is that there are transitioned TS's with clearances. I cannot say for sure but I am fairly confident the rules pretty much say they can't bounce you for that anymore.
Also, keep in mind about any employer of more than like 20 heads these days all have their boiler plate Non-Discrimination policy. Most cover sexual orientation as well as gender expression. But this has not stopped the company from having medical insurance policies that do discriminant against anything Gender related. (My trump card if or when that day comes. Feel free to use it)
Haha, I am actually in engineering so this could be good advice. I would love to talk to you sometime about your experiences transitioning in this field and your jobs. Could I PM you sometime?
Quote from: Arch on May 02, 2014, 10:19:10 PM
There's an old thread about stuff like this. Someone suggested what I consider to be great advice for people like me. I changed all three names--first, middle, and last. If I'm ever again in a position where I need to divulge, I can write down my old name this way: J. Q. Citizen. That won't out me. If you changed your last name, you might try that. It might even work if you have kept your last name but have at least one different first or middle initial.
The last time I was asked to provide old names, the field wasn't even big enough for me to enter my full birth name. I don't remember what I did enter, but I called HR for advice. You might do the same, and mention the tickets.
Well unfortunately both my first and middle name initials are the same and my last name is the same, but that is a good idea.
Mikey, some people (like me) had a unisex middle name...if you do, you could try first initial, middle name, last name.
tgchar, I should have mentioned that as an alternative because it's what I was thinking when I was filling out my community college application. Duh.
Quote from: Arch on May 03, 2014, 10:18:02 PMtgchar, I should have mentioned that as an alternative because it's what I was thinking when I was filling out my community college application. Duh.
Usually on college applications they want to know what other names your academic records are under so they can properly allocate transcripts and make sure you are submitting records from all of your past colleges and not hiding part of your record. In your case did you update your records with all of your former colleges, and does your high school transcript (if they asked for it), show your new name? If not, then they'd probably need your full former name to be able to make sure they have your academic history straight. If all of your records are in line with the correct name then they probably wouldn't need to know to begin with. (An exception is if you're enrolling in a program where they need to check your criminal history, in which the same guidelines I've written about for employment apply.)
My high school refuses to change my records, but I didn't need to go so far back anyway. I changed my name when I was already an undergrad, and grad schools don't care about high school (at least, mine didn't, and I've never heard of a grad school that does). If I had changed my name while I was still in high school, I suppose that would have been the ideal route.
So my undergrad school already had me listed by my new name, but I did go back and change my name with the community college district where I was a student for a few years. The college was only too happy to oblige.
Later, when I legally changed my sex with the state and fed government, I returned to both schools and asked them to change my gender marker as well. I wanted all bases covered if at all possible.
I have heard that public high schools are not too keen to change things after the fact. I don't remember the rationale for that. I'm annoyed that my high school still has me by my old name, but trying to change that is not worth the effort.
Quote from: Arch on May 04, 2014, 01:42:16 PM
My high school refuses to change my records, but I didn't need to go so far back anyway. I changed my name when I was already an undergrad, and grad schools don't care about high school (at least, mine didn't, and I've never heard of a grad school that does). If I had changed my name while I was still in high school, I suppose that would have been the ideal route.
So my undergrad school already had me listed by my new name, but I did go back and change my name with the community college district where I was a student for a few years. The college was only too happy to oblige.
Later, when I legally changed my sex with the state and fed government, I returned to both schools and asked them to change my gender marker as well. I wanted all bases covered if at all possible.
I have heard that public high schools are not too keen to change things after the fact. I don't remember the rationale for that. I'm annoyed that my high school still has me by my old name, but trying to change that is not worth the effort.
I have the same issue with my high school. Actually they don't even reply to my emails when I try to contact them... I still have to change my name for my old community college for if I decide to go to grad school, but I looked on their website and it shouldn't be an issue. It gets a little annoying tying up these loose ends after living as male and not really thinking about trans issues for a while. Plus all these things that just come up along the way trying to live life. But at least it's getting better and times are changing.