Why Ascen asks for your Social Security number, ID, and work history

Applies to: workers onboarding with Ascen who want to know why each piece of personal information is being asked for, and what happens to it.

Summary: Onboarding asks for more than most job applications because Ascen becomes your legal employer, not just an agency that introduces you. Each item below exists for a specific legal or payroll reason, and you can see exactly what you agreed to at any time in your Documents.

What each item is for

• Your identification documents. Federal law requires every US employer to verify the identity and work authorization of everyone it employs, using Form I-9. This applies to US citizens too. See Understanding document requirements for Form I-9 and identity verification.

• Your Social Security number or tax identification number. Needed to report your wages and withhold and remit tax, and to issue your year-end W-2 or 1099.

• A selfie or identity check. Confirms that the person completing onboarding is the person on the documents. Identity fraud in staffing is real, and this step protects you as much as us: someone else using your identity to work would appear on your tax record. See Completing identity verification and what to do if it fails.

• Your address history and previous employers. Used by the screening provider to know which county courts and records to search. A background check with no address history has nothing to search.

• Your bank details. Used to pay you, and entered by you in the portal rather than collected over email or chat.

• Licenses, certifications, and health documents. Requested only when the assignment requires them, most often in healthcare.

Why a background check at all

Ascen requires a basic background check on every US assignment, covering an identity trace and a national criminal search, for employees and independent contractors alike and whether or not the client asked for one. Because we are the legal employer, that consistent floor sits under everyone we engage. Before any check runs, you are shown a disclosure and asked to agree, which is itself a legal requirement. See Why am I asked to sign a Fair Credit Reporting Act disclosure?.

What you agreed to, and how to see it

Everything you sign during onboarding is saved to your Documents, where you can read and download it at any time. See Where to find your documents. If something you are being asked for does not appear in your checklist, that is worth questioning rather than answering.

How your information is handled

How Ascen protects your data covers our security practices. For access to or deletion of your personal data, see Privacy Requests or email privacy@ascen.com.

What we will never do

We will never ask for your portal password, and we will never ask you to send bank details by replying to a text or an email. If a message asks for either, do not respond to it. Email support@ascen.com and ask.