Insurers Have the Right to Your Social Security Number

Q. The school district I work for pays for my health insurance. Each year forms are sent out to change providers or stay with the same company. On this year’s form, I left out my Social Security number. About a week later I received a letter saying my form was incomplete and if I didn’t comply, I wouldn’t be covered. I don’t give out my Social Security number for general identification purposes, so I made up a number similar to a Social Security number and submitted it. Another week went by and a $700 dental bill was refused payment.

About the same time I got another letter that my form was incomplete because I listed my address as a post office box and they must have my residence address to process my enrollment form.

I believe in protecting my Social Security number and I care about my right to privacy. We may be entering an age of a global economy, but I don’t care to have my life’s condensed demographics put on the Internet or sold as a menu of my lifestyle.

Can I be refused company-provided health insurance when I refuse to provide my Social Security number or my residence address?

--B.B., San Clemente

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A. Yes. Insurance coverage is a matter of private contract, and the insurance carrier is entitled to insist upon basic identifying information concerning the individuals it insures. You can continue to assert your right to privacy if you wish but the insurance company can likewise continue to refuse to provide you with coverage.

You should also be aware that giving out a false Social Security number is against the law, and it may also subject you to discipline by your employer if your employer has a rule against dishonesty or submitting false information.

--James J. McDonald Jr.

attorney, Fisher & Phillips

labor law instructor, UC Irvine

Employees’ Expenses Must Be Reimbursed

Q. We have a family member who has been in a clerical position for two years. Recently, the company was turned over to new management and the employee was told he must travel to an eastern city, secure hotel accommodations at his expense and attend a week-long seminar in order to ensure continued employment. Is that legal?

--J.T., Fullerton

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A. An employer must reimburse employees for all of the expenses incurred through employment pursuant to Labor Code 2902. This includes the cost of travel and hotel accommodations. It is a common practice for employees to pay various expenses and be reimbursed for them later. If it is a great hardship on the employee to cover the costs, an employer might have to pay the costs initially.

It is unclear why a clerical worker would be required to go to a week-long seminar. It may be reasonable if the purpose is to train for new duties or to be informed of revised policies of the new management.

Also determine if the company treated other employees differently, and if so, why. It is illegal if the difference in treatment is based in discrimination or improper retaliation.

Your family member might want to suggest in a very diplomatic letter that management consider having the seminar here if it is simply to educate current employees. Also explain to them the problems in paying the cost of the travel or accommodations. Ask them to either pay it initially or promptly reimburse it.

--Don D. Sessions

employee rights attorney

Mission Viejo

Should You Stay or Should You Go?

Q. I am very unhappy at my current company, and had made up my mind to leave. However, the company realizes how valuable a worker I am, and has offered me some cash incentives to stay with the company. I feel like I am in a good bargaining position but I am concerned it may be inappropriate to ask for more than they have already offered. To stay in this company, they will definitely have to make a better offer. What should I do?

--C.V., Pomona

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A. Obviously, the company values your work or they wouldn’t offer you incentives to stay. You need to do some soul-searching and decide exactly what it will take to make you want to stay in this organization.

You don’t say why you are unhappy. Will financial incentives make the situation better, or are you unhappy for other reasons? If you decide the company can indeed do something to make you stay and make your work situation more personally satisfying, you should state your desires to the company. If the company counteroffers something less than your requests, then only you can decide if it is enough to make you want to stay.

--Ron Riggio

professor of industrial psychology

Cal State Fullerton