Blogs

INDUSTRY NEWS

Home Improvement Retailer Accused of FCRA Violations

On February 3, 2022 a class action suit was filed against Lowe's Companies, Inc. (Lowe's), alleging the company improperly used the content of consumer reports in making employment decisions

Lowe's faces a proposed class action lawsuit claiming the company violated the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) when it unlawfully used job applicants' consumer reports to make adverse employment decisions without first providing subjects a copy of the report.

Plaintiff Anthony Hale applied for a position at Lowe's Hillsborough County Florida store as a sales specialist in March, 2020. Hale states he was offered the job contingent on the results of a background check. In April, 2020, Hale was informed via text that he did not pass the background check. The complaint indicates that Hale responded to the employer, requesting a copy of the report.

Hale claims that he was never supplied with a copy of the report by either Lowe's or the applicable consumer reporting agency. Hale further contends that, had Lowe's provided him with a copy of his consumer report and the opportunity to discuss its contents, he would have been able to explain that he had no felony convictions, contrary to what was included in the report.

"Plaintiff was never given an opportunity to explain anything to Defendant prior to his abrupt termination," the complaint states. "Defendant's termination of Plaintiff's employment caused Plaintiff damages in the form of lost pay, and emotional damages due to stress caused by the loss of a job he should certainly have retained."

The class includes all U.S. individuals who were the subject of a consumer report as ordered by Lowe's in the last five years. Additionally, qualifying individuals must have been logged in Lowe's system under a code indicating that the individual was ineligible for hire/continued employment and not supplied with either a copy of the report or a written summary of their FCRA rights at least five business days before the code was entered.

Employers are encouraged to review internal workflows on the dissemination of consumer reports and FCRA rights to denied applicants to ensure delivery occurs within proper timeframes and via appropriate channels.

Posted: February 17, 2022


All Rights Reserved © 2022 Truescreen, Inc.
This document and/or presentation is provided as a service to our customers. Its contents are designed solely for informational purposes, and should not be inferred or understood as legal advice or binding case law, nor shared with any third parties. Persons in need of legal assistance should seek the advice of competent legal counsel. Although care has been taken in preparation of these materials, we cannot guarantee the accuracy, currency or completeness of the information contained within it. Anyone using this information does so at his or her own risk.

Sending...
Thank you for your interest in Business Information Group. We have received your message and will contact you in one business day or less.
Something went wrong.Try again
You have exceeded the number of attempts to submit this form. As a result, your IP address has been temporarily blocked.
Something went wrong.Try again

Get In Touch

Send a Message *fields required

What are your Interests?optional

Even our RFP PROCESS is state-of-the-art.

Find out why
RFP Kit

What Our Clients Are Saying

The service you provide at Truescreen has been the best I have ever seen in comparison to other vendors I have worked with in the past! You guys rock!

Talent Acquisition Specialist
Retail Store Chain

I am very impressed with your company’s customer service, and the Truescreen portal seems to be an intuitive, user-friendly design.

Learning Coordinator
Public College

Our team loves working with Truescreen and the expedient, thorough service and results we get from you.

Human Resources Executive
Large Hotel Chain

I appreciate all your hard work ensuring that individuals are cleared through our processes. Truescreen makes my job so much easier and less stressful.

Human Resources Analyst
Large Academic Institution

You are leaving Truescreen.com

Ok, Continue Cancel

×
×