Employers can limit the number of direct deposits

By Patricia Sinacole | April 30, 2006

Can you limit how many direct deposits a person can have from one paycheck? If someone wants money to go to a savings account, to checking, to their mother's account, and to their kid's account at college, can you (due to payroll system constraints) only allow three direct deposit flows?

Direct deposits have become more popular in the last decade. Few employees receive a real check anymore. Instead many employees choose to receive a pay advice that summarizes their pay for a time period.

The advice serves as a notice to the employee that their pay is being electronically transferred into one or more accounts. The advice provides the employee with details such as deductions.

Many employers direct pay to several accounts. I consulted with Matt Tuohy, district manager for ADP's Boston region, to ask what is typical of a Boston-area employer.

He said that ''a high percentage of our clients, especially in the Greater Boston area, allow their employees to wire the funds into at least two accounts." Some of Matt's clients offer more, but there is an additional expense incurred by the employer.

It sounds like your employer allows you to deposit your pay in up to three different accounts. That may be a company limitation or a payroll system limitation but it seems comparable to what other firms are offering offer in the Boston area.

Pay disclosure depends on several factors

I recently applied for a job and requested a copy of the information the employer received from my references. I was shocked to discover a company I had worked for supplied my salary. I thought this was illegal in Massachusetts. Is it? If so, how can I prevent my former company from giving out this info in the future? The problem is, I was grossly underpaid in that job and do not want future employers to use that salary as a measuring stick.

The answer to your question depends on a number of factors. Massachusetts law provides that every person ''shall have a right against unreasonable, substantial, or serious interference with his privacy." According to attorney Laurie Rubin, an employment specialist at Prince, Lobel, Glovsky, and Tye LLP, courts in Massachusetts have held an employee has a high expectation of privacy in his or her personnel file, including salary information. Further, both Laurie and I find that most employers we work with are reluctant to release personnel information to third parties without written authorization from the employee or former employee.

If you signed a document authorizing your former employer to release the information to the prospective employer, then there has not been any violation of the law. If you did not authorize the release of your information, then the answer to your question depends on a number of factors, including: your expectation of privacy; applicable personnel policies of your former employer; whether your former company was a public or a private employer.Continued...

Rubin added that, ''ultimately the court would apply a balancing test to determine whether the release of the information, given all the circumstances, was unlawful." She suggested a way to prevent this from happening again. Your best course of action is to write to the human resources department of your former employer and ask that they do not share any information about you to a third party without your written authorization. While not a foolproof method, as your former employer could in some circumstances be required by law or otherwise to release the information, it will serve as evidence of your intent to maintain the confidentiality of the information, and reduce the chances of unauthorized disclosure.

It is not unlawful and is somewhat expected for a prospective employer to ask you what you earned at a prior position. You have no obligation to answer the question, but the prospective employer is not obligated to continue to consider you for employment if you refuse to answer. Also, while you may be reluctant to have your prospective employer discover what you were being paid at your prior position, you should be aware that if you provide false information and get the job, and the employer later learns that you lied during the hiring process, you could be subject to termination for cause at any time during your employment.

I recommend being truthful in your responses to a prospective employer. You should explain, though, why you feel you were underpaid.

Networking is a critical goal on job search path

Since the first of the year, I have applied to 22 jobs, had two phone interviews and seven in-person interviews. I still have not had a job offer. Many of the jobs I have interviewed for have involved development or membership experience, of which I don't have much. However, I am concerned that maybe I'm doing something wrong in the interviews. I am 40 years old and have nearly two decades of work experience, mostly as a journalist and public relations professional.

A job search can be frustrating. I recommend setting a goal -- and writing it down to hold yourself accountable. One critical goal should be to set a goal for networking. It may be as simple as ''Week 1: Contact five former co-workers and schedule a cup of coffee or lunch." You should let each former co-worker know that you are looking for a new professional opportunity. Many will offer to help your search.

I am not sure how you applied to the 22 jobs you mention (e.g., through a company's website, a help wanted advertisement, or through a placement firm). Although I would still use all of these sources, my experience is that old-fashioned face-to-face networking lands more jobs than any other approach. Successful job seekers will often report they heard about their new position through a former colleague, neighbor, sister-in-law, or other ''word of mouth" contact.

A job search can also be time consuming. Seven in-person interviews in three to four months is impressive. I am uncertain of your job level in terms of responsibility (e.g., individual contributor or manager), or your desired compensation, but typically the higher the level, the longer a search may take. You are applying for positions that require development or membership experience but you admit you don't have a lot of experience in either area. This presents a far greater challenge. You will need to think about your skill set and how it is transferable to a position that requires either such experience.

You also mention that you may be doing something wrong in your interviews. An interview can be stressful. However, preparation and experience can help quell the nerves. An interview is an opportunity to showcase both your skills and, maybe most important, your potential value to the company. Walk into the interview prepared to explain to the interviewer how you can add value to the company, and try to express that even if the interviewer does not ask the question.

Also, ask a trusted friend to conduct a mock interview with some typical interview questions. Practice your responses so they sound natural but complete. Lastly, make sure that you developed a clear, concise ''two-minute elevator speech," a short summary of your background, skill set, accomplishments, and your potential value to a firm, along with what type of position you are most interested in pursuing. This quick summary will also be useful when you are networking.

Additionally, I asked Tom Dretler, chief executive of Eduventures in Boston, to provide his opinion on your job search. Eduventures is a well-known information services company serving the education market. Dretler said, ''The most attractive candidates know exactly what they want to do, and understand how that fits in with the overall strategy of the business. My advice to job seekers is to do something that many find difficult -- make a choice. Decide what you want to do and go after it. That's the key to networking. Every businessperson I know gets ''charged up" by talking to someone who wants to follow in his or her professional footsteps. If you're clear about what you want, people will line up to help you.

''It's also incredibly important to do your homework on the companies for whom you want to work," Dretler continued. ''Study the market they're in. Know their competitors. Analyze their recent performance as best you can. This will allow you to understand why hiring you can help the business. Once you've done that, you've got the job."

E-mail questions to jobdoc@globe.com or mail to Job Doc, The Boston Globe, P.O. Box 55819, Boston, MA 02205-5819. Patricia Hunt Sinacole has 20 years of experience in human resources and is president of First Beacon Group LLC (www.firstbeacongroup.com), a human resources consulting firm headquartered in Hopkinton.

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