'Unemployed' Becoming Dirty Word For Companies
McKINNEY (CBSDFW.COM) - Kristie Allen has been looking for a job for almost two years now.
"The layoff came as a shock," says Allen, who lives in McKinney "If you are not looking for a job you are sitting and saying what else could I be doing."
Allen, 42, wants a position in Marketing, but she thinks her unemployment is like having an uppercase 'U' on her clothes.
"You feel like you got that scarlet letter and you feel like you have to constantly defend who you are and what you have to offer," explains Allen.
Allen says she's been discriminated against by companies who only hire people with a job.
"They see you as damaged goods they feel like you were let go and you are out of work for a reason and it's not the economy," says Allen.
CBS 11 found several job postings which clearly list as a job requirement 'Employed within the past 60 days' or 'Currently Employed.'
"I know that to be true and it's not a new concept," explains Lisa Miller with CareerConnection in Dallas. Miller says even if a company doesn't spell it out unemployed candidates are typically ruled out quickly.
"Companies are hesitant because they have that voice in the back of their mind that says something must be wrong with that person something must be wrong with that person that they would get laid off," says Miller.
It's not against the law, but according to some it is bad business. "The way that employers probably get away with is that they are able to argue that people who have been unemployed will not have the skills in order to hold position they are seeking to fill," says Labor and Employment Attorney Stephen Fox.
CBS 11 reached out to several companies with postings for people who already have a job. We are still waiting to hear back from time.
Meanwhile, Allen will keeping pushing her resume and hopes to soon take off her scarlet letter.
"There is going to be a company out there that will see the talent I bring and will see the personality and will see the drive and ambition," says Allen "When they finally see that I'm going to knock their socks off."
