Job ApplicationsHello All Job Seekers and Potential Employers, I have a question about protecting personal information, information typically requested on a job application. Specifically, the request for an applicant' s Social Security Number (SSN). I have been a victim of personal ID theft that almost ruined my credit. I even had law enforcement agents contact me requesting the where-about of very expensive luxury items. Hence, I am reluctant to provide my SSN to anyone. I will enter that last four digits on the application and state that once I agree to and sign employment documents, I will provide my full SSN. The alternative is to ask for a document that details how the potential employer protects my personal information (not an employee, yet), with policy numbers and signed by a corporate officer. Think about it. The job applicant fills out an application with all their personal information and hands it to who knows who, maybe a disgruntled employee that feels they are under paid and can make $25 for a copy of your application. Say goodbye to your credit rating and possible loss of any potential jobs. Recently I applied for a job with a national job resource/staffing company and they needed information from me to satisfy the TSA I-9 form. Fortunately I had a passport, so I still did not give them my SSN. My question to anyone and everyone, am I shooting myself in the foot with potential employers by demanding the same level of security they require of employees and contractors? I need some advice on this matter before it' s too late. Thanks all for taking interest. Best of Luck to Everyone, If you' re not comfortable giving the company your SSN, you shouldn' t be applying there. There' s no difference in their ability to take care of your information as an applicant versus an employee. My career history has been with large, well organized companies and between policy & procedure manuals and employee handbooks, it is very clear how an individuals private information is safeguarded. That being said, there are always the exceptions and there a lots of examples of bad employees taking liberty with other employee' s personal information. However, as an employee and if your personal information is compromised, then you have some avenue of redress with your employer. As an applicant and potential employee, you are SOL if your personal information is sold. The example of one national resource staffing company I applied with told me that the records were "locked in a file cabinet". Not reassuring or the best practice. I asked to see the policy of maintaining confidentiality of personal information, they didn' t have one. How many job seekers question a potential employer about protecting the applicant' s personal information? I have yet to see this subject on any job search or help board, have you seen this subject addressed anywhere? Thanks for the interest in the subject. The employment applications that are filled out at my firm do not contain the question of SSN. Birth dates are month and day only. (this is because, once hired, we throw b' day parties). We ask for a social security number and the year of your birth if we have to check credit because of the nature of the position but the information is not necessary until the time comes for an offer to be made that is contingent upon a credit check. At the time we ask this, you are required to fill out and sign a waiver that you will not hold the firm or any of the employees of the firm liable in any way if a problem ensues and your information is stolen. Please note that not all positions are subject to credit checks and if you are employed in a position that is not subject to this type of check then you are not allowed to assist in the functions of those who are in such a position. Which is really not a big deal, because the accounting people are in corporate in another state. Our on-line applications do ask for a SSN, BUT, if you don' t feel comfortable in providing one when we do state on the application that you can enter 000-00-0000. And, this is not an uncommon practice among companies with on-line applications, either. Thank you for the input. It sounds like your firm is on the right track, even with a hold harmless waiver. I suspect that your firm has a strong policy and procedure for safeguarding personal information, including controlling who has access and levels of security. I worked for a major Aerospace company and not only were the policies well enforced, due to security reasons, but the procedures were well documented. There are few firms such as yours that respect the privacy and security of applicant' s personal information. Most employers that I have applied to still ask for the full boat of personal information: DoB, SSN, Drivers license, addresses for last 10 years, place of birth and a signature. Everything a personal ID thief would need. In return, there are no assurances from prospective employers that they will treat your information with respect and confidentiality. I am approaching the typical age for retirement, decided to take it easy and took early retirement. Thought maybe working at the local big box home improvement store would be fun. On-line application must have SSN. Without it, the application process stops. Couldn' t get around it, so I' m still looking for something to supplement my pension. Thanks again for the note of hope. We are actually a Law Firm with 2-3 branches in most every major city within the United States. Therefore, we have a responsibility to set an example and show our clients that we are trustworthy. Also, we have, not in any of the branches I deal with, taken identity theft and fraud cases. With every case of this nature that we have learned something new and try to implement it into our firm. And you know what I have learned from you just now. Driver' s license. We do ask for them and make a copy after employment for identification purposes. But, yes, because they are scanned in, I could go into the computer and get the driver' s License number of my branches employees. They are, mostly, the person' s SSN. I never thought about this because my DL is a computer generated combination of numbers and letters. The DMV in the state I got my license told me that because of ID theft they did not accept SSN' s for DL numbers. At the time, I thought, "cool" and then I never thought about it again. I don' t have much to do today, this is a good project for me to research. Thank you for your interest and you definitely have some good resources available. Our medical benefits cards use to have our SSNs on them until the Corporation got wise. My wife' s employer use to publicly post available vacation hours by employee name and SSN - Ouch! She made sure the stopped that. Now she has to deal with her medical benefits provider and their use of SSNs on their cards and accounts. People just don' t get it. Personal ID theft is huge, and we keep feeding it. Thanks again for your interest. Look forward to seeing what you find out. For those of you interested in the privacy issue and use of SSNs, here is an excellent website that reviews this issue.If you can raise the level of awareness to seeking alternative to providing your SSNs when applying for jobs, please do so. You should only use your SSN when completing w-2' s and other tax documents. Keep as private as possible. A follow-up on personal ID security. Today I applied for a temp job through a very large staffing company here in Social. They required my SSN before presenting me to the client and before I secured the job. This agency used SSNs for ID purposes on their system (computers). I requested a copy of their policy for protecting my (as an employee) personal information and they could not provide it. Funny, they wanted me to sign confidentiality agreements to protect corporate office and their clients, but nothing could be offered to protect me. If you wonder why I am so "wrapped around the axle" about this, It has taken me over 30 years to build a stellar credit report/rating. One mistake and it is gone. I know because I am an ID theft victim and I don' t have time to start over. Please, if asked for your SSN during an application process, challenge it. State that you will provide your SSN upon signing the employment agreement. Ask for copies of the company' s policy for protecting your personal and private information. If enough people take responsibility for their personal information, then maybe the employers will get wise. | |
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