It’s true that they’ve always asked about salary history, but if they get your W-2, they can see if you have kids and glean other bits of sensitive information.
Article here.
An interviewee quoted in the article said:
“I recently interviewed for an Amazon position and made it through the three-month interview process and was notified that they wanted to hire me. The first step in the offer process, however, was that I had to submit my previous year’s W-2 or federal tax return. Without that information, they would be unable to proceed. After providing them with my W-2, they made an offer that was below the salary range they originally quoted.”
First your Facebook password and now this. What’s next?
I’d tell such a prospective employer the same thing I would if they asked me to enter my Facebook credentials: here’s a counter-offer: how about I don’t do that, and you can go fuck yourself. Deal?
Ditto. Any company that wanted this kind of information and control is not a company that I would work for.
Agree. My resume is 100% truthful.
However, early in my career, I went for an interview at another firm, they asked about my current salary; the offer they made was to roll my salary & bonus into a salary. My commute costs would have gone up for the same total income, just spread out a little bit better. I learned from that experience to ‘round up’ my salary. Any company that would demand that I *prove *non-public information to them could go f#$% themselves; I wouldn’t want to work there.
They can’t see if you have kids on any W-2s I’ve seen. Some have a a bigger “for your records” copy with more information, but you don’t have to show them that. With that, they might see how many allowances you claim, but that number is determined by the taxpayer’s choice. In other words, having x kids and filling out the worksheet might tell you you can do 3 allowances, but you are not required to, and you can claim 0 if you want a bigger refund next year but more withholding.
Like the Facebook thing, I have nothing to hide. But I’d hope I’d not be desperate and have the balls to tell them to STFU. They don’t need that information, and it’s a sign of future employer problems.
I’d send them the W-2 after blacking out the financial bits with permanent marker.
You make me think of something. You could walk out of the interview if someone asks you to surrender your W-2. I think it would be better if you just constantly repeat your name and SSN in a loop until they kick you out.
Some of these employers sound like absolute tyrants who would own slaves if they had their druthers :mad:
“I’m sorry, but that contains company confidential information. I am contractually bound to not reveal it.” (i.e. your previous salary)
The only way to stop companies from becoming increasingly bold about invading their workers’ privacy is if we can organize to BOYCOTT companies that require such things from their employees.
Walking out of the interview won’t teach them anything since there are enough other people out there who are desperate for a job nowadays. Telling all your friends to never again do business with their company because of their exploitation of the employees MIGHT get their attention.