Can a company ask for your social security number on an application filled out on-line?
Get Legal Help Today
Compare Quotes From Top Companies and Save
Secured with SHA-256 Encryption
Can a company ask for your social security number on an application filled out on-line?
I noticed not all job applications filled out on-line ask for your social security number on the first application before you even speak or make any other contact with the company.
Asked on February 4, 2011 under Employment Labor Law, Illinois
Answers:
SJZ, Member, New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 13 years ago | Contributor
Legally, someone--such as a company or prospective employer--may ask for a social security number at any time, including in an online application. Ultimately, it's a legitimate request for a possible employer, since the company needs to, at some point, verify eligibility to work and will also need it for tax reporting purposes. There is no law saying exactly when or how in the interviewing or hiring process a company may ask for this. That said, it's understandably worrisome to provde a social security number online, given the possibility of the number being hijacked or misdirected in some way. At a minimum, make *sure* this is a legitimate opportunity and company and not some sort of "phishing" scam trying to get identity information before providing.
IMPORTANT NOTICE: The Answer(s) provided above are for general information only. The attorney providing the answer was not serving as the attorney for the person submitting the question or in any attorney-client relationship with such person. Laws may vary from state to state, and sometimes change. Tiny variations in the facts, or a fact not set forth in a question, often can change a legal outcome or an attorney's conclusion. Although AttorneyPages.com has verified the attorney was admitted to practice law in at least one jurisdiction, he or she may not be authorized to practice law in the jurisdiction referred to in the question, nor is he or she necessarily experienced in the area of the law involved. Unlike the information in the Answer(s) above, upon which you should NOT rely, for personal advice you can rely upon we suggest you retain an attorney to represent you.