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Hello, recently I started to build my online profile to apply to a job to a grocery store chain and they require you to submit your date of birth and Social Security number simply to apply for a job. Is it legal to ask for one's DOB to apply? You cannot skip submitting this information as the web page will not advance until submitted. I did not provide this info and emailed their customer service and complained, but they state that the info goes to a background company, not the hiring official. Needless, to say, I find this practice increasingly common ,unethical and should be illegal. In addition, it puts applicants as risk for identity theft if their servers get hacked. Has anyone else run into the same situation?
[FONT=Verdana]Hello, recently I started to build my online profile to apply to a job to a grocery store chain and they require you to submit your date of birth and Social Security number simply to apply for a job. Is it legal to ask for one's DOB to apply? You cannot skip submitting this information as the web page will not advance until submitted. I did not provide this info and emailed their customer service and complained, but they state that the info goes to a background company, not the hiring official. Needless, to say, I find this practice increasingly common ,unethical and should be illegal. In addition, it puts applicants as risk for identity theft if their servers get hacked. Has anyone else run into the same situation? [/FONT]
NEVER enter your SSN. If their system is compromised, you'll be a prime candidate for identity theft.
I'm assuming you're applying on the company site itself. If you've clicked on an ad on something like Craigslist and it says, "Apply here," watch out. That's a notorious way to scam.
Location: East of Seattle since 1992, 615' Elevation, Zone 8b - originally from SF Bay Area
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It's legal, and required to be able to access your credit report which they apparently use to determine that you are not a deadbeat that might skim cash. Any employer will get that information eventually anyway when they
hire you, for tax purposes and verification of work eligibility.
If you don't trust their computer system you won't be able to work as all employers will keep the information in their payroll system. Sounds like they might do the credit report right away, to me that seems a waste of money, better to do it only after interviews and pay for fewer of them.
I would just put in today's date for your birthday and a fake number a few digits off for the social secruity and when challenged at the interview tell them it was a typo and if you are a finalist then you could provide that information.
It's pretty standard in today's world. If you do as other posters have suggested and put in fake numbers you will proly not get a job interview. If you'll read the "fine print" of the application it has word to the effect that if you falsify your application it's grounds for immediate dismissal.
Also, some systems are set up to catch it if you put in something in your birth date that would not be a hiring age. Most times you can not leave the field blank because the online form would spit your application right back as incomplete.
You just have to be careful and make sure you go directly to the companies website and don't go through any job search engines when applying.
There are tons of scams out there and just verify by going the company website if there is really a job available.
It's legal, and required to be able to access your credit report which they apparently use to determine that you are not a deadbeat that might skim cash. Any employer will get that information eventually anyway when they
hire you, for tax purposes and verification of work eligibility.
If you don't trust their computer system you won't be able to work as all employers will keep the information in their payroll system. Sounds like they might do the credit report right away, to me that seems a waste of money, better to do it only after interviews and pay for fewer of them.
I can understand the SSN being legal. Was not aware DoB was, since if you are not hired, the company could be open to age discrimination lawsuits?
Nothing illegal about it. As noted above, false info will get your app tossed in the trash.
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