Home Depot using social security numbers?

A friend of mine works at Home Depot and says they are required to enter their full social security number in the time clock every time they clock in. Is this legal? What can you do if you are concerned about identity fraud?

The reason for that is to prevent someone from having another person clock them in and out.

I doubt very much if Home Depot is in the business of identity theft. They have everyone's SocSec number on file already.

back in the day you can do stuff with social security things.. now a days you need a lot more documentation to do stuff, and you can not do it with ssn alone...

If you are entering the numbers into a time clock, then the only system that is using the numbers is the mechanism. The time clock matches the numbers to a name, and that is how the time is recorded. No one sees your numbers, and they are not accessable to anyone they aren't supposed to be. HR typically handles payroll, and they don't need the numbers at all.

I don't think the fear of identity theft is a valid one in this situation. Home Depot has the ss# when your friend applied, and they can access that by getting into their employee file.

so does Lowe's...but the system is not accessable to anyone.