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----- Original Message -----
From: <peemo -at- hotmail -dot- com>
> At end of application, there is a blanket statement saying in effect, that
> they may contact references, past employers, and *anyone* else who might
> know the applicant and ask them questions about "employment and *personal*
> history."
> I'm certain employment laws differ from state to state and I am not asking
> whether the laws having an applicant sign this?
In some states, previous employers are prevented from saying anything about you,
other than the fact that you were an employee there, and confirming salary. They can't
even say why you left, including if you were fired. I am guessing that by requesting the
waiver, the potential employer is trying to get around that. Of course, they could always
ask anyway; it's just a question of whether the other person can actually answer.
> Second question: I see online applications asking for one's SS#. Do
> employers really believe this is an acceptable risk for applicants to type
> their SS# into an online form? Do any of you do that?
I have read reports that there are unscrupulous sorts who will ask applicants for their SSNs
and then use that for identity theft. Any reputable company with a decent HR person(s) should
know better than to ask for it at initial contact or through a web site. Gene and others
mentioned good tactics for dealing with this. (On a related note, I'm pleased that my health
insurance company is finally moving away from using SSN as an identifier. That's been
an area of concern for a number of years.)
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