I’ve been offered a job pending a background check. The background company called me tonight and asked that I fax them pay stubs and W-2s from my last two jobs. Neither of which I have as they were direct deposit. They didn’t specifically say it was mandatory or necessary, only that “it would really help them out”.
So, what the hell? Why do I have to help them do their job, or do I at all? It was an odd and sketchy call to receive in the evening.
I wouldn’t do it without at least checking with the employer and possibly making a few inquiries on my own. Seems like a reputable background check outfit oughta be able to get all the info they need from your credit report and other public records.
If you want the job, why wouldn’t you provide the information?
because it’s none of their business, presumably.
Of course you would have those things. Having direct deposit just means you’re given a voided check- you still get your pay stubs. W-2s are mailed or handed out by employers every year- direct deposit has nothing to do with that. I can understand you not wanting to provide them but you definitely should have them. If you don’t have those things, you have something new to worry about.
Not necessarily. I don’t receive voided checks or paper pay stubs from my employer. They can be printed out from the employee self service section of our intranet, but if I no longer worked there and needed copies of pay stubs, I suppose I’d have to see if I could request copies.
Yeah, I’m pretty confident that I don’t have stubs. You’re right on the W-2s - I do have them, they’re just filed away – so I balked at faxing them to some unknown person.
You have no obligation to comply with their requests.
And if they consider that being unable to verify his previous employment they have no obligation to consider the OP for a job.
A lot of employers will not provide much information regarding previous employees so companies are forced to require other documentation to corroborate the information given by the job seeker.
By receiving a W2 or check stub they are able to determine if you worked somewhere, if you are full or part time, what your salary was and that you at least worked there when you say you did. Sure, it’s technically none of their business but so is your credit. If you refuse to provide them information to make their determination, no job for you.
It’s the principle! is nice, but paychecks are nicer.
Well I emailed my HR contact at the company that’s hiring me. I politely phrased my concerns. I’m just hoping it’s not some deal breaker; “comply or you’re not hired”.
I only have a check stub if I go online and look one up and I would only have it later if I hit print.
Not something I do often.
Well, now you might have an obligation. If they come back to you, as they likely will, and say, ‘yes we retained X company to background check you, please comply with what they ask’, then you have an obligation (if you want the job) to at least look as if you’re co-operating with them.
If you don’t have your old pay stubs then at least have a good reason for not having them and see if you can find an alternative solution.
They need to know the rest of these things, but the only reason they’d ask for salary is so they can get away with paying less.
Well, it’s actually so the person who was making 50K and said they had been making 75K in hopes of getting 80K this time will be found out.
Ideally your price at a new job should have nothing to do with your price at your last job. In the real world, at least in the US, that isn’t so. At least starting from a position of truth on both sides helps.
I hire a lot of people. As much as I might like to pad my own prior salary next time I’m looking … I can tell you that padding your prior salary is a pretty good way of convincing me that you’ll lie whenever you think you can get away with it. Which tends to make me not hire you.
Why do you even ask them what they were making in a previous position? It’s none of your business.
I’ve hired a few people, and I either state the starting salary flat out (for lower-skilled positions), or ask the prospective hire what range they’re looking for.