Helping Empower You Through Life's Pivotal Moments

THE WORK NUMBER® CAN HELP MAKE LIFE EASIER FOR YOU, HELPING YOU SECURE LIFE’S IMPORTANT MOMENTS such as starting a new job, leasing a car, applying for a mortgage, or seeking government benefits. The Work Number helps streamline required verification processes using data sourced from your employer, helping to ensure greater accuracy and efficiency. We encourage you to check out our website, where you can log in to view educational tools, gain 24/7 access to help and support content, and view and help you manage your employment data.

We recently answered some of the most frequently asked questions our call center gets with David Harrison, Vice President of Operations, Employer Services. Today, we’re exploring a second set of questions with Adrien Borger, The Work Number Product Leader:

Q: How can The Work Number help me? 

ADRIEN: The Work Number is here to help work for you throughout your life’s most important moments, like applying for a mortgage, a job, or social service benefits. Our automated digital verifications of employment and income help people save time and paperwork, which helps keep life moving forward. And we do it all while providing you with more privacy, greater security and a better experience than multiple burdensome manual processes. 

​​Q: What is the purpose of The Work Number having data about me? 

ADRIEN: The Work Number uses your employment and income data to help you more efficiently and accurately complete application processes for things such as financial services or social service benefits. In these instances, the lender or government agency will need to verify that you are employed and/or how much money you make in order to process your application. Rest assured that we only store or access your personal data for uses that are permitted under a federal law called the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA). Access to your data on The Work Number is tightly regulated, and your privacy is a top priority for us. 

Q: Is The Work Number selling my data? Who else has access to this data?

ADRIEN: Access to your data on The Work Number is tightly regulated under federal law through the FCRA . It requires anyone requesting your information to undergo a thorough credentialing process and to have a permissible purpose for accessing your data. 

In most instances, you give permission for an approved verifier to access information from The Work Number. For example, if you are seeking a new job, lease, credit card, or government benefit, you complete an application that gives approval to the verifier accessing your information. With The Work Number you can rest assured that your personal data is not being sold to data brokers or other entities for marketing or purposes beyond the scope of the FCRA. 

Q: What happens if I freeze my data with The Work Number?

ADRIEN: If you would like to prevent access to your employment data, this can be done with an employment data freeze. Keep in mind a freeze could slow down application processes for things like a loan, a job, or social service benefits if the freeze is not removed prior to such applications, since the verifier will be unable to confirm your data from The Work Number. 

You can request or remove a freeze at any time and at no cost to you. 

Q: Is my information safe? 

ADRIEN: The Work Number uses strict security standards to help protect your data. These protocols include advanced data encryption, physical security controls in the data centers, and need-to-know access. Our cloud-first approach has enabled us to build better, stronger security. Keep in mind that any entity requesting your information must first complete a thorough credentialing process and have a legally required permissible purpose for doing so.

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For more information about The Work Number and how to access and manage your employment data, please visit employees.theworknumber.com.