[microcolonel]

I've found a mix with background checks in the U.S; a lot of rental landlords want background checks for the obvious reasons (e.g. housing a convicted rapist with a young woman), employers can go either way, and in my experience it has tended to be reasonable (but I've always worked as a professional, and for people I know through colleagues or acquaintances).

A background check is, in my experience, unusal for renters in Canada, but that might just be my bias, having mostly rented from slumlords and acquaintances.

[ticmasta]

The demands for background checks tends to be inversely proportional to the ability of the employee/applicant to do criminal or civil harm. You'll need a clean criminal record to work a random retail job but could have numerous convictions and be a software developer. A crummy rental will require it but fancy executive rental will not.

I know some of this has historical/data underpinnings on experience, but fear most of it is based on biased expectations.

[noobermin]

Do you have evidence this is true? Also software developers can cause loads of damage I think.

[737maxtw]

Personal/anecectotal, but totally.

In my experience you will more likely see it if you are in a shop that is paying below market. I.e. Devs there make 10k less than other local shops.

We wound up with some interesting folks. Got to see what someone going through methadone withdrawals looks like. On the other hand, a few people got some really meaningful second chances at a career there.

[smnrchrds]

That's why they say "inversely proportional".