What Does It Mean When Asked If You Are Bondable?

The term "bondable" often appears on job applications and other such formal papers. If a potential employer asks whether you are bondable, he wants to know if can trust you to work for them.

Significance

• Being bondable sometimes determines whether a company can trust you to work for them. Past criminal offenses may determine whether the company will be able to take out insurance for you as an employee, although being considered bondable does not necessarily require a clean criminal record.

Time Frame

• The time frame may come into play when a company determines whether you are bondable. Employers may consider how much time has passed since your conviction and decide it is not an issue, but sometimes a conviction temporarily stands in your way as you try to gain employment.

Purpose

• A company requests this information to attempt to take out insurance on you to protect itself against any illegal or criminal behavior you commit while working for it. Sometimes this insurance is too costly for the company, and on other occasions a company may not be able to get any insurance, depending on the severity of your offense.