Social Security Number

[clare]

In Canada it is - the income tax, Canada Pension and health tax with-holding is tied to the SIN. That is ALL it is legally used for

[Larry W]

You certainly won't have to worry about it much longer. Now that you have brought it to the attention of all the powerful and politcally well-connected readers of alt.home.repair, I am sure that they will mobilize Congress to quickly act and pass appropriate legislation correcting this gross assault on the financial security of you and your cousin.

[Doug Miller]

[e-mail] wrote in news: [e-mail]:

And you need that to *apply* for a job? Wow. Here, it's not needed (for tax purposes, at least) until the employee is actually hired.

[Attila Iskander]

I think clare did not read with care

It's not needed in Canada until AFTER a job is offered and accepted. Then you need it for the very same reasons as in the US.

[clare]

Sorry - I didn't respond properly. Not needed to apply - IS needed for tax reasons I THOUGHT it was obvious what I was responding too but obviously it was not - and I can see how it could be read wrong.

[clare]

Oh, I READ with care - just did not RESPOND with care. It is not needed to APPLY - it IS needed for tax is what I THOUGHT I said.

Obviously I didn't make myself clear.

[krw]

Or the company you apply to. I've refused to supply such information very early in the process. I had one recruiter who demanded my personal information before the first phone interviews, after finding my resume on Monster. I don't think so! I never heard from him again. OTOH, I have no problem supplying it on an application.

The fact is that the SSN horse has long escaped the barn.

[krw]

Applicatoins also have the information needed to do any background checks for employment. Why would you want to work for a company that you can't trust with your SSN? Considering the number of people who have your SSN, isn't this a little silly?

[krw]

Because they're not going to do a pre-employment background check

*after* they hire.

[Ed Pawlowski]

I still contend, you don't need that for the initial application. At the time of a second interview you can ask for it and simply state, "we are interested in making you an offer contingent of a background check".

How many times recently have you seen where information was stolen and companies have to provide protection for a year after? Do you want to take on that liability just because you have an application for a couple hundred prospective employees that did not make the cut? IMO, that is irresponsible putting your company at risk for no good reason.

[Ed Pawlowski]

Sure, it is done all the time.

[krw]

My employer did a full background check on me, even though I'd worked for them as a contractor for nine months and the contracting agency had done a background check before they hired me. Anyone hiring someone to a position of trust is going to run a background check on prospective employees, if for no other reason than liability.

Oh, we can't have people actually making choices for themselves, now!

[Ed Pawlowski]

Would yo work for a company that wants your personal information for no good reason?

[krw]

You beat me to it.

[Ed Pawlowski]

Responsible employers don't ask for personal information they do not need. They don't take on the risk of keeping it on file. Some states have privacy laws that require such information to be kept double locked for security.

[Ed Pawlowski]

Take a walk out in my shop and you won't ask silly questions. Every one has provided proper documentation at the time of hire.

Pick a day, pick a shift, pick a language. We have them all. Our application does not have a place for the SS number.

[krw]

I wouldn't intentionally limit my employment options by lying to myself about the sanctity of my SSN.

[krw]

Wrong. They invariably ask for this information on the application for employment.

[krw]

They have good reason, so they ask.

[Attila Iskander]

The Stasi had "good reason" for going "Papieren" whenever they felt like it too. That they have good reason (in their minds) does not necessarily make it good reason for you or justify their asking