Bankruptcy and Employment in Ontario

Question: I am currently sending out resumes and applying for new employment. Will a new employer or potential employer be able to obtain information concerning my recent bankruptcy and will a recent bankruptcy have any bearing whatsoever on my obtaining employment?

Answer: It depends on the employer. If you are getting a job where you must be bonded, it may be more difficult to get bonded if you are an undischarged bankrupt. Other professions, such as investment advisors, may not employ you while you are bankrupt in Ontario.

However, in the vast majority of cases being bankrupt has no impact on a potential job. Most employers don't do credit checks as part of the hiring process, so they probably won't even know you are or were bankrupt.

To avoid surprises, if you are offered a job and the employer requests permission to do a credit check on you, be sure to disclose to them in advance that you are bankrupt; they will find out if they do a credit check, so in most cases it's better if they hear about your bankruptcy from you first.

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