Unknown Requesting Employee Verification

HRCalico

I have made it my policy to do employee verifications only in writing, so that way I know to whom the information is going and I keep a copy of what I submitted. There is a credit company in a nearby city that knows this, so they send me faxes. The problem is that the faxes contain an address and telephone number, but no name of the company.

So far, I have been refusing to verify with them, because I don't like not having the company name on the document. When I told one of their reps that on the phone, she said that they are not able to put their name on it by law. I did not ask her to quote me the statute because I doubt she could have.

Am I being too inflexible here? What do you all do when you don't know who is requesting info on your employees?

pork1

I will verify employment status as either: YES, working here or NO, is not employed with this company. When they ask for my name, I tell them to put it in writing and fax her request to me. I will give them my name. I do not care what type of company they may be representing. It is a fact the information they are seeking "verification of employment" and as long as my response is factual and not emotional I can disclose anything that is fact. HRs everywhere have built this fence around our selves and it is wrong! Facts with out emotions and opinions can be safely be given out over the telephone or in writing. Facts are facts and "stand alone in the defense of our actions". Do not be concerned with giving out factual information.

Stay away from the SSN, even if factual, someone maybe wishing to verify employment and get the social security number of someone for their own personal use.

PORK

HRCalico

Thank you, Pork. I guess I worry that someone's ex-husband will be behind the request for info, or something awful like that.

Hey - congrats on reaching 1,000 posts!

Open1

[font size="1" color="#FF0000"]LAST EDITED ON 05-04-06 AT 03:37PM (CST)[/font][br][br]Other than government agency verifications required by law, I only verify employment with signed authorization from the employee, or former employee. If they want me to verify to an unknown person or company, fine, as long as they sign that's it's OK for me to do so.

pork1

OPEN1: You are not so open! The fact is "clear" and you do not need an x-employee's authorization to answer the question with fact "yes" or "no" and what were the dates: From point A to Point B? This is fact, it either happened or it did not!!!!!

We HRs everwhere must dig ourselves out of this hole in our profession conduct. It is horrible that I an HR professional would need to validate the dates of employment on an application or resume, and in stead of receiving a quick/simple "yes or no", I must send you, a peer of mine, a document with the x-ee's signature is a terrible state of afffffffairs.

Believe me you will get professionalo service when you contact my office. We give anyone factual information pertaining to employment dates! When asked the next obvious question by the caller, OK is he/she subject to rehire? My response is YOU WILL HAVE TO ASK THE INDIVIDUAL ABOUT THAT, OR yes, please have the individual call me, for I have been trying to reach him/her.
That is so much more fun and an enjoyment to discuss the situation with my peer on the other end of the phone.

Only a thousand over 4 years of membership is not correct, PORK 1 is really the 2nd but several years ago there was a crash of our computer and I had to start all over. I do not pay much attention to these numbers except to the newbies and then I like to make a welcome remark.

PORK

WT

We get these requests all the time. Some are more detailed than others. You should have a policy of what you will answer over the phone. On the phone, anyone should identify themselves and tell you why they want to verify. If you have any doubts, tell them you are busy and will call them back. When you call back, the manner the phone is answered and any backround noise should give you a pretty good idea of who you are dealing with as most companies have some sort of phone tree these days. Over the phone, we will say yes or no to employment, and confirm hire date and job title. Many places want more detail such as wages and evaluations. For this we require a signed release from the employee.

Your policy is up to you to make, but I agree with Pork in that you should not drive yourself crazy as far as giving out information.