Saturday, January 15, 2005

US law will require secure disposal of employee info

From USA Today (via beSpacific: beSpacific: Employers Soon to be Required to Shred Employee Documents):

USATODAY.com - Identity theft, new law about to send shredding on a tear:

"You've heard about shredding. You understand that it's probably a good idea to shred any receipts that have your credit card numbers or other personal information on them to stop identity theft.

You may have seen shredders at the office or noticed bulging trash bags of thin paper strips in the dumpster when you're walking the dog past a local business at night.

But now there's a law with a provision going into effect this summer that says if you employ even one person - a nanny, a yard man - and you have their personal information because you're doing the right thing and paying Social Security taxes, you have to 'destroy' the information before you throw it away.

You have to shred it or burn it or pulverize it.

Or you could get sued. Or fined. Or become part of a class-action lawsuit by enraged nannies whose personal information has somehow gotten out.

Bet you didn't know that.

The shredder industry does, and it expects sales to go on a tear.... "

The article is referring to the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act (Bill Summary & Status).

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