Written by Background Check Repair
Background Checks | June 8, 2023
Table of Contents
When someone needs to know how to find where someone works for garnishment, there’s a trick that creditors use to locate an individual’s workplace.
It’s simple and easy… just run a background check using the person’s name and access all the public information available about them.
In fact, many things like current employment, previous arrests and court documents are all part of the public record and can be accessed, if you know where to look.
A name-based check will often come up with plenty of information to determine how to find where someone works for garnishment, but there are also other avenues that private citizens can access.
This guide explains how to find out where someone works, quickly and easily.
Many people will be surprised at just how difficult it can be to find out where someone works. This is especially true if the individual is trying to keep their employment a secret and is covering their tracks well. The main reason that this practice is so difficult is that there is often little publicly accessible information regarding an individual’s place of work.
When it comes to finding out certain information on individuals, the first place that many people will go is the courthouse or another source of public records. By going through this process, individuals can find out tons of information on someone using just their name such as addresses, court records, criminal history, and more.
However, there are very few records involving an individual’s place of work, and the records that do exist are often confidential and not available to the public for privacy reasons.
The US Department of Labor sets limitations for wage garnishments, but in reality, the state courts have the power to issue garnishments based on case specifics and other reasons.
This lack of public information narrows the possible answers to the question of “how to find out where someone works for garnishment.”
The two most reliable methods are performing various kinds of background checks online or hiring a private investigator to do this for you. Obviously, the latter option can be extremely expensive with many private investigators charging upwards of $500 for such services.
However, many of the background check options available will be at an extremely low cost and will often be free. Although this is not a method that is 100% reliable, the low cost makes it the most sensible starting point when trying to figure out where someone works.
A common misconception is that there are various online databases that track employment records that can be searched to find out someone’s current and past employers. Unfortunately, no such database exists.
The misconception likely comes from the term “employment verification”, which is a commonly used term for pre-employment background checks. However, this verification process relies on the individual providing their past or current employer. Once given, this information is verified manually by contacting the supposed employer directly and inquiring about the employee.
There are currently only a couple of databases that contain the employment information of regular individuals such as IRS databases.1 Since employment information must be provided to the IRS for tax purposes, this will be the only agency that has a truly comprehensive database of every citizen’s current employment. However, this is confidential information and the database is not accessible to anyone but the Internal Revenue Service.1
Another database that many individuals may think to search on is the Social Security Administration.2 The SSA tends to pop into people’s minds because SSN verification is an extremely common practice during a typical hiring process with just about every employer. However, like the IRS this database is simply inaccessible to the public.
The Consumer Credit Protection Act ensures that a person can’t be fired because of a wage garnishment order.
When it comes to using another individual’s SSN for any reason, individuals should be aware of the potential legal consequences as using someone else’s SSN is often considered identity theft which is a felony punishable by several years in prison and fines that can be as high as $200,000 in some cases.3
Before hiring a background check service to run a full comprehensive background check of someone there are a few basic places to check that may offer insight into someone’s work. With so many jobs being online and services like LinkedIn being used to apply for jobs, a google search can be surprisingly effective when it comes to how to find out where someone works for garnishment.
Although the free options may be the most attractive for obvious reasons, they are not always the most effective. Something as simple as the individual setting all of their social media accounts to private can be a difficult hindrance to overcome. In this case, hiring a background check service to perform a more thorough check may be necessary.
There are two main free methods that can be used to find where someone works. The first is the DIY investigative method and the other would be to use a background check company that offers their services for free or at least offers a free trial.
The DIY method is fairly simple but can be extremely effective if the individual is not aware that someone is trying to find out where they work. The most obvious sources of information should be checked first, which for most individuals will be social media accounts such as Twitter, Facebook, and Linkedin. All three of these platforms will allow any individual to view another individual’s profile, providing they have not set their profile to private.
By simply locating the individual’s social media accounts, it may be possible to determine where they work simply because of information in their account bio or because they were discussing their work in some capacity on their profile.
If the DIY method proves ineffective, it may be time to enlist the help of a private background check service. Regardless of the price of the service, almost all of them operate the same way: Searching online databases for anything matching the name of an individual. This will not only turn up public information like court documents and tax documents but also social media profiles that may be otherwise difficult to find.
There are currently no employment databases besides those operated by individual companies for their own employees. However, even in this case, these databases are almost never publicly accessible.
Any website or service that claims to have an employment lookup database is likely misleading individuals and will simply be performing a basic online background check of public databases.
With that being said, there are a few different ways to find someone’s employment history online as a private citizen, although this will still require a bit of luck and know-how to achieve.
Many individuals wondering how to find where someone works for garnishment, may have an idea of where the individual works but might not know how to confirm it. If this is the case, the first step after looking at the individual social media profiles is to check the company website.
The US Dept of Labor issues guidelines on wage garnishment in the private sector.
These days many websites will have basic employee information, such as their name and job title, on the company website. Although this is a good place to start, it may not provide the answers you are looking for.
If the company website does not turn up any of this information the next place to look is the LinkedIn page of the business. Oftentimes the names of the individuals who list the business as their place of work on their personal profile will be accessible on the company page. This is especially useful if the individual has a private LinkedIn profile, as even if their personal profile is not accessible, their name may be visible on the list of employees on the company profile.
There is only one way how to find someone’s employment history online in most cases: obtaining their resume. Many companies will prefer electronically submitted job applications or may even obtain applications and resumes through LinkedIn. This often means that an individual’s entire resume, and thus their employment history available on their LinkedIn profile for public viewing.
When it comes to how to find where someone works for wage garnishment, individuals are usually not limited by DIY methods and online background check services. Wage garnishment is used most often for child support payments and other kinds of debt, meaning that the courts are involved in the process. In this case, the process of finding the individual’s place of work should fall to the courts, rather than to the individual that is owed the money.
If wage garnishment is necessary in order to obtain child support, for example, individuals should simply contact an attorney who will be able to file documents to the court that request wage garnishment in order to obtain the court-ordered child support payments.
Creditors will have access to government resources in order to find out where someone works. Most often this is using W-2 or other tax-related forms that are required by law for employees to fill out when beginning a new job.
The resources they use are only available for official matters and will not be accessible to the public.
Finding out where someone works is a fairly common job for a private investigator. They may achieve this in a number of ways, some of which individuals can perform themselves such as searching various online databases or social media profiles in order to locate them. If this method is unsuccessful, a private investigator may decide to physically follow the individual to their place of work.
In New York, private investigators may be employed to locate people, contingent upon the states rules and regulations.
This process of following someone is something that is specifically permitted with a private investigator’s license and would otherwise be considered stalking if performed by someone without a P.I. license.
Many individuals wondering how to find where someone works for garnishment may have heard that they can do so using the individual’s social security number. Unfortunately, this is not entirely true.
There is currently no database that matches an individual’s name to their social security number. The closest thing to this would be the databases maintained by the IRS or SSA, both of which are not accessible to the public. Keep in mind that using another individual’s SSN to request old tax returns from the IRS constitutes identity fraud.
Payroll garnishment rules in the United States vary on a few different factors, mainly the state and the reason that wages are being garnished. Wage garnishment can be a complicated issue and it is recommended that individuals consult an attorney if possible.
It is illegal to garnish an individual’s wages without notice. Any time that an individual’s wages are garnished, the individual will receive a written notice that their wages are being garnished from a specific date forward.
When the notice that an individual’s wages are going to be garnished arrives, the letter will include all the information regarding this decision. Both the amount that is owed, the amount that will be garnished, and where the money is going should all be present in this letter.
The amount of time after a judgment before wages are garnished will depend on the state. At most the time will be 30 days. However, some states allow wages to be garnished in as few as 5 days after the judgment is made.
Technically an employer is able to refuse to garnish an individual’s wages, as the government agency overseeing the garnishment has no means to literally force the employer to garnish wages. However, the consequences of ignoring a garnishment order are extreme. Most notably, the employer may become responsible for the entire debt owed by the employee.
There are a few different types of wage garnishment, each with its own rules and circumstances that warrant them. Use the table below to learn about the different types of wage garnishment.
| Type of Wage Garnishment | Definition |
| Consumer Debt Garnishment | Garnishment taken due to debts from credit cards, medical bills, personal loans, etc. |
| Child Support Garnishment | Garnishment taken due to failure to pay court-ordered child support payments |
| Federal Student Loan Garnishment | Garnishment taken due to failure to pay back federal student loan debt |
| IRS Garnishment | Garnishment taken due to failure to pay taxes to the IRS |
Performing an employment history background check on yourself is extremely easy. Simply use the search bar at the top of this page to perform a free public records search or use an online background check service to perform the check.
Most employers will perform employment verification background checks on employers using the information that applicants provided to them. With the contact information of the current or past employer, the new employer will generally contact them directly and inquire about the individual’s time and position with the company.
Despite how much information is available online these days, finding out where someone works are surprisingly difficult in many cases. Luckily, there are several options available to individuals who need to learn how to find where someone works for garnishment.
There is currently no publicly accessible online database to search social security numbers to find someone’s current employment.
The most effective way to find out where someone works for child support is to hire a private investigator. Another option that might work is performing a DIY check using a background check service or finding social media profiles with this information.
Debt collectors will often work with government agencies in order to find out where someone works for wage garnishment. This will often be in cooperation with the IRS or SSA.
The best way to find someone’s place of employment for garnishment is to hire a private investigator or talk to an attorney about the best legal options to locate someone’s employer.
Aside from personal files such as emails that may provide this information, employers should keep track of this information in some way so contacting previous employers directly will be the best option for most individuals.
Social security numbers can generally not be used to locate someone. Using someone else social security number is often considered identity fraud so individuals should exercise caution and contact an attorney or private investigator.
A private investigator will be the most effective method to find out where someone is currently employed. Other options include performing a background check on the individual or using online profiles such as LinkedIn and facebook.
No. These terms are not legal. Garnishment laws and regulations are issued at the state level.
1IRS. (2022). Internal Revenue Service Home Page. IRS. Retrieved September 20, 2022, from <https://www.irs.gov>
2SSA. (2022). my Social Security | SSA. Social Security. Retrieved September 20, 2022, from <https://www.ssa.gov/myaccount/>
3FTC. (2022). Report Identity Theft and Get a Recovery Plan. IdentityTheft.gov. Retrieved September 20, 2022, from <https://www.identitytheft.gov/>
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