In an “at will” state, I’d think they can require anything they wish. And you are free to decline, and find work elsewhere.
And the Department of Justice is free to sue you for violating Federal law. Here’s but one of the many, many examples in which a company was held financially liable for requiring employees to present documentation beyond that required by law. I see press releases like this on approximately a weekly basis, and I’m sure the DOJ doesn’t report every single one.
Me too. I lost mine in the great wallet disaster of 1974 when I forgot to take my wallet out of my pants pocket before putting them in the laundry bin.
Just the other day my mom (age 87) showed me her SS card. She claims it is a necessary form of ID and she carries it everywhere. She does not get SS, BTW.
What Eva said.
Here is an actual web page from the DoJ which states:
[Emphasis mine.]
As you can see in the quote, it’s only a civil rights violation if they’re doing it in order to discriminate, but I’d hate to have to fight that one in court.
–Cliffy
At some point in time you will NEED one, so get it NOW, rather than later.
Why do you think this? We’ve already established in the thread that if you have an approved ID–such as a passport–employers can’t ask for the card, and as I mentioned early on, my card says right on it that it isn’t to be used for ID.
If you have the number, you really don’t need the card.
Its a little paper card with a number on it. I seem to remember anyway, it’s been almost 40 years since I had one. Even if I kept it I would have disentigrated by now. You are not the first person to tell me that I NEED one but nobody can tell me when situation that would be.
PEOPLE! PEOPLE! PEOPLE!
Stop,…just stop!
When one is hired (in the US) there are a number of parts to the process, here are just 2 of them:
[ul]
[li]I-9 - Eligibility to work, requires any of a number of documents, can be SS card + Drivers Licence OR can be Passport only. [/li]
[li]Payroll - Needs correct SS number and Name as it appears on SS card. Best way to get this is look at the physical SS card. Employers who do not get correct SS number and Name as it appears on SS card, and report incorrect SS number or name are liable for some fines when filing taxes at the end of the year.[/li][/ul]
You may now return to your regularly scheduled confusion and misplaced outrage.
Oh, and as for the “can not be used for ID” on the SS card - that means for everyone else, other than your Payroll. Payroll is what it exists for in the first place.
Other than for the Government itself, which has required a copy from me.
The Feds and variosu states require it:
*The only documents acceptable for SSN verification are originals of the following:
Social Security Card (cannot be laminated)
Medicare card
U.S. Armed Forces Identification Cards:
Active-DD 2
Retired-DD 2
Reserved-DD 2
Dependent-DD 173
Military separation document-DD 214*
Never having been in the Military or on Medicare, I thus needed to show a SocSec card.
Not to mention that message is obsolete, newer cards no longer have it,
wiki"Social Security cards up until the 1980s expressly stated the number and card were not to be used for identification purposes. Since nearly everyone in the United States now has a number, it became convenient to use it anyway and the message was removed."
shiftless, etc
Yes, technically, there are many other forms of ID other than a SocSec card. But you are applying for a job, which presumably you want. Thus if a somewhat clueless HR drone sez they need to see a SocSec card, you are not going to win any friends (or the job) by getting all huffy and insisting on other ID’s. A lawsuit isn;t a real good option either.
Just get the card. It’s free. And, not having it could cost you a job when the other applicant has one and you don’t.
And of course there are jobs where you need to be a US Citizen.
Good point. The government can require anything it pleases.
Don’t I know it. 
This thread intrigued me so I shot of letters to the IRS and IL Dept of Labor and asked if an employer could require a physical social security card. I said, that I know an employer cannot require a particular document for the I-9 form, can they require the physical card for the purpose of payroll.
The IRS answered
.
So that tells us absolutely nothing. I am still waiting to hear from the IL Dept of Labor
Which has not very much to do with whether you have a Social Security card. Millions of people who are not U.S. citizens have them.
Just as a followup this morning I got an email from the Illinois Dept Labor, when I asked if I as an employer could physically require the SS card, not for I9 purposes but for payroll only.
Response:
So I hard from the state and the IRS and I just shot an email to the US Dept of Labor and we’ll see
Thank you, Icarus!
An employer cannot legally require the Social Security card for the Homeland Security I-9 verification form.
They can for payroll.
As Icarus said a ways back – two different things.
Reported.
… But while I’m here, can I hijack this zombie to request anyone with the e-mail address or telephone number of a useful Soc Sec official to PM it to me? (My Soc Sec case worker is the world’s least competent and almost appears to have deliberately sabotaged my application.)
I worked for SSA as a contractor. Somewhat amusingly, they won’t accept a SS card as ID - they wanted a voter registration card instead… which seemed rather odd.