> I have a contract sitting on my desk that was due yesterday but I hesitate
> to sign it.  For years I have provided workshops for this particular major
> educational company, freelance.  Permission to do a 'criminal background
> check' is part of the contract I sign with them every year.  No problem with
> that as many of the teaching assignments are with youth and family.  But
> this years contract, they have added a form giving them the right to check,
> under the Fair Credit reporting Act Disclosure, my motor vehicle record [no
> i do not drive for them]; my earning history [ Just look it up
> already...they have been one of my accounts for 8 years];  My credit
> history? [ I am flabbergasted here.  They should know about those purple,
> over-the-knee, suede slouch boots purchased at Nordstrom's???]  Am i being
> paranoid or is this info that they need to have?  Is it that as artists or
> independent contractors we are signing whatever is asked because we are
> afraid not to?  [deep sigh].
> Cynthia Padilla

I received all sorts of crazy forms to sign before getting the major contract job that I'm working on. In every case, when I got on the phone with an actual person, I was told, "Oh Bob, don't worry about our boilerplate language, we trust you and we wouldn't saddle you with that stuff. Just cross it all out, write "Not Applicable," and send back the form."

Having worked with the educational company for years, you must know some people there whom you can phone and seek to get all the weird language crossed out. After all, they know you. They don't want to lose you over some stupid boilerplate. Call whoever seems to be the primary decision maker (or the person who seems most likely to be into purple over-the-knee boots), talk it through, and you'll probably solve all the issues in a jiffy.  ... Bob
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Robert Jon Golder
164 Maxfield St
New Bedford, MA 02740
(508) 999-2486