1.28k
I ended a contract position, and am starting another one in a few weeks.
One of the questions on the background check is to provide beginning and ending paystubs for my last 5 employers. I politely declined and said that it is illegal to ask for pay information. What would you have said?
It is illegal to ask questions regarding prior pay in some, but not all states; you can Google which states. And, in my many years in the workforce I have never had anyone ask for pay stubs much less the last 5 employers. Personally, this would make me very uncomfortable and I would decline. (I doubt I could put my hands on that information without a lot of work.)
For a contract position, no way! I would have done the same as you did. I would go back and ask what is the purpose of this? Either they trust what you put on your resume or they don’t. I wouldn’t work for a company, especially as a contractor, if they didn’t trust the information I provided.
I second sending it with pay info redacted.
Never heard of providing your past paystubs to an employer; that just seems weird to me. Are you getting the positions through a company or direct? If it's through a company maybe they can provide a statement to pass along to the next one.
Through a 3rd party placement agency. They helped place me in my last contract position but didn't request this info before.
I redact the financial info. And submit as proof of dates worked. No one has ever come back and requested financial details be revealed.
I didnt know that was illegal, I would've offered it since I am sure they would be able to find out other ways.