I was hired by a company who required and ran a 7 year background check on me prior to hiring.
2 weeks later, I was called into the office and summarily terminated because the company that ran the check provided information that was over 7 years old and revealed a conviction that didn't show up within the 7 year window.
I was not given an exit interview or any explanation on paper. I asked for this and was told there was nothing to give me, beyond showing me the report (which I was also not able to have a copy of). In addition, though my checks were direct deposited to the bank, I was never given my pay stubs despite asking for them.
Do I have any recourse against this employer? Can someone run a background check, ask for specific information that is truthfully given, then run a check BEYOND what they ask of you and terminate you based on that data? This doesn't seem to be right to me.
I have read that Washington is an 'at will' state, which seems to indicate that there are no protections in place for employees at all, in any circumstance. 'At will' seems to be an umbrella for letting employers terminate without cause or fear of consequence.
What options, if any, do I have in this particular case? I feel that I was dealt with unfairly, especially given that the personnel manager stated they had no problems with my performance, etc.. but were required to terminate me because the corporate office instructed them to do so based on the BG check info.
It seems to me that if you require specific background information, you should be required by law to base your decision based on what you asked for, not what you went digging for beyond the scope of the original request. I was under the impression that I had consented to a 7 year check, not a 10+ year one.
