What can I do about this??!!?

I work for a supermarket and I'm afriad that not only my idenity is in danger, but also my fellow co-workers. To find out the amount of vacation pay we have or things of that sort, the manager prints out a paper with the information on it. This piece of paper contains everyone's social security numbers on it. What surprises me is that when someone asks for such info like their vacation pay, the manager prints out the whole piece of paper with maybe 20-30 other people's info on it including their social security numbers on it and just hands it over to anyone. God forbid this info gets into the wrong persons hands. There has also been papers with every employees social security numbers just laying around on an unattended desk. I'm extremely nervous about this and need some advice on what actions I should take! ( This has been brought to the managers attention and they continue to do this!)

- I am part of the union
- I'm from Rhode Island

Hard to believe!!!

These morons sound like they need to hear from someone higher up the corporate foodchain; failing that, a brief call from an attorney explaining the meaning of the term 'liability' just might focus their attention.

And it sounds like they need some modern, up-to-date computer systems, too.

Good luck!

have him just put the last 4 digits of the ss number

Contact the Social Security administration. They are not permitted to use SSN as an identification for employees.

I would go to the labor board about this. Don't know for sure but this does not seem like a legal thing to do. Wouldn't hurt to contact the labor board. If they can't help you they may be able to direct you to someone who can.

Dependent upon what state you live in, that could be against the law.

I would contact an attorney, if I were you. This way you could find out what exactly the laws are regarding this exposure of personal info, and what you and the other employees can do about it.

This answer is intended for informational purposes, and does not constitute legal advice or representation.

Well, I'm not sure what state you are in, but your answer will vary based upon that information, but here is some general information.

1. The employer should not be disclosing this information as it is an invitation for identity theft.

2. If you approach management, approaching management in a group of two or more employees will generally invoke collective bargaining protections against retalitory firing.

3. If you have a union (in my area, many supermarket employees are unionized), now would be the time to contact them. If the union makes it an issue, it is much more likely to be resolved.

4. Consider collectively writing a letter to management, explaining your concerns, specifically, that a) the process reveals the SSN of you and your coworkers to anyone who asks, b) that this list is often left unattended, c) that you are concerned that this will lead to identity theft.

5. Check your local law library (or consult an employment attorney) to see what laws may protect you in your jurisdiction.

For some general information about SSN privacy, the Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) has a page:
http://www.epic.org/privacy/ssn/