Identity Theft Protection As An Employee Benefit

One solution that provides an affirmative defense against potential fines, fees, and lawsuits relating to identity theft in the workplace is to offer some sort of identity theft protection as an employee benefit. An employer can choose whether or not to pay for this benefit. The key is to make the protection available, and have a mandatory employee meeting on identity theft and the protection you are making available, similar to what most employers do for health insurance.
 
Employees can elect either to accept or decline to have identity theft coverage. If employees have coverage and become identity theft victims, the employer gains: The victimized employees will spend less time and money, and experience less frustration in restoring their identities. If employees decline the coverage and later claim their identities were stolen as a result of the company's actions, the employer has signed proof that they attended the presentation and declined the coverage.
 
Identity theft protection as an employee benefit is becoming a trend because employers are looking for ways to lower their costs. It's unique, it's hot in the marketplace, and it's relatively inexpensive.
 
Donald Harris, head of the International Association for Human Resource Information Management's (IHRIM) Special Interest Group on Privacy & Security, said "Privacy is like diversity in this regard: Done the right way, each involves respecting and empowering individuals, and reaping the business benefits that this can bring, rather than acting primarily to avoid risks and legal problems."