why would the attorney general office call to verify employment

by Miller Hills 6 min read

These requests are often to verify wages for court decisions (such as child support) or government programs, to uncover fraudulent use of government services, or even to help an employee prove his or her identity was stolen.

How to verify employment in the state of Texas?

Employment-verification requests arise during a number of scenarios, from lenders seeking verification of income information to new employers confirming a potential recruit’s past work history. Employers aren’t obligated to respond to calls to verify an individual’s employment for a third party unless the requests are made by federal entities. However, since many important …

Do employers have to respond to calls to verify employment?

May 02, 2013 · The response given is based upon the limited facts provided by the inquiring person and additional or differing facts might change the response. Attorney is licensed to practice law only in the state of Illinois. Responses are answers to general legal questions and the inquiring party should consult a local attorney for specific answers and advice.

What does the Office of the Attorney General do?

Executive Order RP-80 is superseded by Government Code section 673.002 with respect to the requirement that all state agencies must verify the employment eligibility of new employees through the Department of Homeland Security's E-Verify program|Government Code section 673.002 with respect to the requirement that all state agencies must verify the employment …

Why work for the Texas Attorney General's Office?

As a Texas employer, do I have to respond to an employment verification letter? Yes. Effective September 1, 2015, employers or other entities are required to provide a response within seven days from receipt to the IV-D agency; (OAG) or of another state for the purpose of establishing, modifying or enforcing a support order relating to the identity, location, employment, …

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What does it mean when someone calls to verify employment?

Employment history verification involves contacting each workplace listed in a candidate's resume to confirm that the applicant was in fact employed there, to check what the applicant's job title(s) were during their work tenure, and the dates of the applicant's employment there.

How do you respond to employment verification?

Four Common Employee Requests & How to RespondObtain the employee's written authorization. Have the employee submit a written request and authorization to release the information. ... Determine what information to provide. Decide what information you are willing to provide. ... Provide accurate information.Jul 31, 2017

How does federal government verify employment?

Those requesting employment or salary verification may access THE WORK NUMBER® online at https://www.theworknumber.com/verifiers/ using DOL's code: 10915. You may also contact the service directly via phone at: 1-800-367-5690.

How do third party companies verify employment?

Employment Verification With your consent, your future employer can contact past employers. A CRA will contact the employers listed on your resume or application to verify the dates you worked and the positions you held. They may also contact references you have provided to ascertain performance and character.Sep 20, 2018

Are employment verification calls legit?

Another phone scam has been reported at Brown, this one involving someone representing a bank asking for employment verification on a former employee. If their request is denied, they may ask to be transferred to Human Resources.Sep 15, 2015

Do you respond to employment verification requests?

Employers are not required by law to respond to these requests, but most choose to. Some employers require that employees give permission to respond to these requests. Generally, employers do not face any legal issues if they respond truthfully and in good faith.

What questions can you ask when verifying employment?

HERE'S OUR LIST OF THE 10 OF THE BEST QUESTIONS TO ASK WHEN CHECKING REFERENCES:Can you verify the job candidate's employment, job title, pay, and responsibilities? ... How do you know the job candidate?What makes the candidate a good fit for this job?If you had the opportunity, would you re-hire this job candidate?More items...

How do FBI employees verify employment?

The verifier will then need to call 1-800-367-5690 in order to complete the verification process.

How can you find out if someone is employed?

Other Ways to Find Someone's WorkplaceCheck social media accounts. Usually, social media accounts have publicly available information. ... Check government employees database. ... Ask from references. ... Go for online research. ... Online data provider.May 18, 2021

Can employers charge for verification of employment?

According to The Balance, "There are no federal laws restricting what information an employer can -- or cannot -- disclose about former employees. If you were fired or terminated from employment, the company can say so. They can also give a reason."

What causes a red flag on a background check?

The background screening process is more affordable and quick than most employers think. Common background report red flags include application discrepancies, derogatory marks and criminal records.

Why is third party verification important?

Improving internal processes Third party verification can identify inefficient process areas in your organization. This allows corrective action to be taken and can also provide independent evidence as to why your organization should invest in improving these processes.

Paula Brown Sinclair

Beware. You and your employer are under no obligation to respond (and lawyers don't usually make such calls).

Tara Leigh Goodwin

You should order your credit report and see if any judgments or collection accounts appear on the report. Unless you signed a wage assignment, the only way wages can be garnished is by court order after a judgment against you is obtained, so they would have to serve your employer with a copy of the proper court documents.

Judy A. Goldstein

Something is fishy about this. Hopefully your employer did not provide any information, or at the very least, will notify you when and if any "garnishment" notice is received.

Keith G Langer

It is odd that the AG's office would be calling, unless it was in response to your contacting it first. If that were the case, it would presumably have the current information, which you provided.

David M Owens

It may be related to employment or business that you did with a company they are investigating that they either want information about, or there was a settlement and they are trying to find you as a result. The AG's office does not prosecute individuals.

General Information

The Office of the Attorney General of Texas, Child Support Division (CSD) may request and obtain from an employer information relating to the identity, location, employment, compensation, benefits, and income of an employee for the purpose of establishment, modification, or enforcement of a support order.

Penalties

The Title IV-D agency of this state or another state may issue an administrative subpoena to an employer requesting information.

How can a state attorney general influence labor and employment policies and regulations?

State attorneys general can also influence labor and employment policies and regulations by participating in litigation before the United States Supreme Court and by submitting comments in relation to federal rulemaking.

What is the role of the Attorney General?

A core function of state attorneys general is representing the state in court. Offices may defend labor agencies in their enforcement of state laws when employers challenge that enforcement in court, or they may defend agency decisions in unemployment or workers’ compensation cases. For example, in New York during the past decade, there have been numerous unemployment insurance cases where the New York Department of Labor determined that a worker had employee status, and was not an independent contractor as the employer claimed, and the attorney general’s office defended those determinations in appellate courts. 9 This representational function can also come into play in cases with national implications, such as in the Janus v. AFSCME case, in which the Illinois Attorney General’s Office represented the state as a party when defending public-sector unions’ ability to collect fair share fees (OAG Illinois 2018).

What is wage theft?

Wage theft occurs when employers fail to pay workers the full wages to which they are entitled for their labor. This includes, for example, refusing to pay workers the total amount of promised wages, not paying for time spent preparing a workstation at the start of a shift or closing up at the end of a shift, not paying overtime premiums to workers who work more than 40 hours a week, and keeping workers’ tips. Given that wage theft disproportionately affects workers from low-income households—who are already struggling to make ends meet—the loss of wages can have a particularly damaging impact.

How many states have attorneys general?

All 50 states and the District of Columbia, as well as Puerto Rico and other territories, have attorneys general. Although 43 of these attorneys general are elected statewide on a partisan basis, the staffs of these offices are generally career and operate in a professional, nonpolitical manner. 2

When two or more businesses determine or have control over a worker’s pay, schedule, job duties, or other

When two or more businesses determine or have control over a worker’s pay, schedule, job duties, or other important terms and conditions of employment, the joint-employer doctrine allows them both to be held accountable as employers and responsible for violations of employment and labor laws (von Wilpert 2018):

What is prevailing wage?

Prevailing wage laws seek to ensure that government contractors pay wages that are comparable to the local norms for a given trade when those contractors are working on public construction and certain other contracts. Without prevailing wage requirements, contractors can win bids on government contracts by reducing their workers’ wages rather than competing on the basis of efficiency and management skills, materials costs, or the productivity of their workforce. Even after taking into account cost-of-living differences, median wages in construction are almost 7 percent lower in states where there is no prevailing wage law (Eisenbrey and Kroeger 2017).

How many convictions has the Attorney General of New York had?

New York’s attorney general has obtained over 40 convictions of employers for violating labor laws since 2011. One such case involved a Papa John’s franchisee who created false records and gave workers fictitious names in order to continue to illegally withhold overtime pay after becoming aware that he was under investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor for wage violations. 8

What is the Texas Attorney General?

The Texas Attorney General is the State of Texas’s chief legal officer. As provided by the Texas Constitution and statutes, the main responsibilities of the Office of Attorney General are:

Is the Attorney General Equal Opportunity?

The Office of the Attorney General is an Equal Opportunity Employer who seeks energetic and talented individuals. Employees of the Attorney General's Office enjoy excellent benefits along with tremendous opportunities to do important work and make a positive difference in the lives of all Texans.

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