Employment Verification

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Current Employees

MyColumbia
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Former Employees

The Work Number
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1-800-367-2884

More than 3 years ago:
Columbia University
HRPC Help Desk
email: hrpc@columbia.edu 
phone: 212-851-2888

 

About Employment Verification at Columbia

Columbia now offers a quick, easy and confidential way to provide employment and salary verification for current and past employees.   The Work Number by TALX provides Columbia employees access 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to employment verification information for leasing agencies, lenders, potential employers, social service agencies and any other individual or organization that requires verification of your employment and/or salary.

We are confident that this new employment and income verification system will be a benefit to all Columbia University employees.  You are the only person who can authorize access to your salary information. The system is designed to protect your privacy and security.

There are two types of verifications – employment only, or employment plus income (also known as salary verification).

 

How-to Guide: Employment Verification (Salary Not Included)

Give the person needing proof of your employment the following information:

• Your Social Security Number
• Columbia University Employer Code: 12529
• The Work Number web address, http://www.theworknumber.com/, or the telephone number, 1-800-367-5690

The Work Number provides the following information to the person who requests the proof:

• Your name
• Your Social Security Number
• Your most recent start or termination date (if no longer employed)
• Your total time with Columbia University
• Your current or last job title
• A reference number

 

How-to Guide: Employment Plus Salary Verification

To release income information, you must first create a unique authorization number, called a salary key, from The Work Number. The salary key is a 6-digit number that expires after 30 days and can only be used once by a verifier. You are not able to access your own salary information; however, if the verifier sees a discrepancy, you should contact The Work Number using the phone number at the bottom of this page. Once you have created the key, you will then be able to give the company or person access to your income information.

To create a salary key via the website:

Log in to The Work Number through MyColumbia: 

• On the right-hand side of the Faculty & Staff tab, under Employment Verification, select Verify Employment Now.
• Select “Prove your income with a salary key” from the main menu
• The salary key will be automatically generated. You will then be able to print the salary key information, or email it to yourself with the directions to provide to the verifier

To create a salary key via the telephone:

• Call 800-367-2884
• You will need to key in the following information, as per the phone instructions:
• Columbia University Employer Code: 12529
• Your CU Employee ID Number. This can be found at the top of your pay stub.
• Your PIN; the first time you access The Work Number, you will use the last four digits of your Social Security Number and the four-digit year of your birth as your default PIN. For example, for a person whose last four digits are 0000 and who was born in 1889, the default PIN would be 00001889
• You will be prompted to change your PIN immediately. Once you have done this, please remember your new PIN so you can use it in the future
• Follow the prompts to create your salary key
• Write down the salary key, so that you can provide it to the individual needing to verify your income and employment

Proof of Employment and Income Information

Once you have created your salary key, give the person needing proof of your employment and income the following information:

• Your Social Security Number
• Columbia University Employer Code: 12529
• Your salary key
• The Work Number web address, http://www.theworknumber.com/, or the telephone number, 1-800-367-5690

The Work Number provides the following information to the person who requests the proof:

• Your name
• Your Social Security Number
• Your most recent start or termination date (if no longer employed)
• Your total time with Columbia University
• Your current or last job title
• Your current year-to-date earnings and, optionally, your earnings for the past two years
• A reference number

 

Information for Former Employees

If your employment at Columbia University ended within the last three calendar years, you can still use The Work Number to verify your employment history. Use the link to The Work Number at the top right of this page, and follow the steps as outlined above.

If it has been more than three years, call the Columbia University HR Processing Center Help desk at 212-851-2888 or email hrpc@columbia.edu.

 

If you need assistance or have any questions about The Work Number, please contact their customer service department at 1-800-367-2884 or online at http://www.theworknumber.com/FAQ/Employees/.