DFAS employees can be suspended, fired over credit scores
Lawmakers object to the policy
- By Federal Daily
- Mar 30, 2010
A contingent of Ohio lawmakers asked the Defense Finance and
Accounting Service to temporarily shelve a policy which suspends or
terminates employees who post low credit scores.
In a March 24 letter to DFAS Director Teresa McKay, Rep. Dennis
Kucinich, D-Ohio, and three other members of the Ohio congressional
delegation requested the agency hold off on a policy that has resulted
in what the lawmakers called an “unjust suspension of employees.” The
letter noted that longtime DFAS employees have been fired after a
background check reported their low credit scores.
“While we agree that there may be compelling reasons to hold
employees requiring security clearances to a more stringent code of
personal conduct and financial standard,” the letter said, “the
exclusive use of bad credit, for example, as ground for suspension or
termination of employment raises questions of intent.”
Lawmakers also noted that DFAS, under DOD policy, should be doing
more to help employees who are struggling from financial stress. The
letter asked that DFAS withhold any such firings until Congress has a
chance to review the policy.
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