In today’s dynamic work environment, employees often juggle multiple jobs or freelance projects in addition to their primary employment. While moonlighting—the practice of holding multiple jobs simultaneously—has been a subject of discussion in recent years, it also raises significant concerns for employers regarding the authenticity and transparency of a candidate’s employment history. One of the most critical tools to uncover hidden moonlighting practices is UAN (Universal Account Number) Verification, which is crucial in ensuring that background checks are thorough and accurate.
To highlight the importance of UAN verification, let’s take a deep dive into a case involving a candidate named Maya, who tried to hide her moonlighting activities by fabricating her employment records. Through Maya’s case, we can explore how UAN verification plays a pivotal role in uncovering hidden job overlaps and fraudulent employment histories, thereby protecting employers and maintaining transparency in the hiring process.
The Case of Maya: Moonlighting and Misrepresentation
Maya, a software engineer, was applying for a new role at XYZ Company. As part of the hiring process, XYZ Company requested that Maya submit detailed information about her previous employment, including her job history, experience letters, and references. Maya, a skilled professional, had worked with two companies before applying to XYZ:
Company 1: Maya worked here from 12th January 2020 to 24th October 2021.
Company 2: Maya worked here from 30th August 2021 to 21st February 2023.
However, Maya didn’t disclose to XYZ Company that during her tenure at Company 2, she was secretly working for Company 1 on the side. To cover up her moonlighting, Maya had fabricated an experience letter from Company 1 and submitted it as part of her background verification process.
The Deceptive Overlap: Maya’s Moonlighting Attempt
The overlap between Maya’s employment at Company 2 and Company 1 raised several red flags. From 30th August 2021 to 24th October 2021, Maya was effectively working for two companies at the same time.
The Role of UAN Verification: Exposing Moonlighting
UAN Verification became the key to uncovering Maya’s attempt to hide her moonlighting activities. The UAN, a 12-digit unique identifier assigned to employees contributing to the Employees’ Provident Fund (EPF) in India, tracks a worker’s employment history and is linked to all of their EPF contributions across different companies. Since UAN records are maintained by the Employees’ Provident Fund Organization (EPFO), they provide an official, immutable record of an employee’s work history, including the employment dates and contributions made by the employer.
Here’s how UAN Verification exposed Maya’s moonlighting activities:
The UAN Check:
During the background verification process, the verification company conducted a UAN check to validate Maya’s employment history. Since UAN is connected to all EPF contributions, it allows the verifier to cross-check employment dates and company records against official government systems.
The Discovery:
Upon conducting the UAN verification, the background verification team found a mismatch between the employment dates Maya had provided in her application and the records available through her UAN. While Maya had stated that she was working for Company 2 during the period from 30th August 2021 to 21st February 2023, the EPF records indicated that Maya had also been contributing to the EPF account of Company 1 during the same time frame.
Uncovering the Moonlighting:
The overlap between the two jobs was now clear, and the verification team realized that Maya had been working two jobs simultaneously without disclosing the third job during the hiring process. The forged experience letter from the third company further corroborated this discovery, showing that Maya had attempted to cover up her moonlighting activities with fabricated documents.
The Outcome:
With the discrepancy revealed through UAN verification, XYZ Company was alerted to the fact that Maya had engaged in moonlighting. As a result, XYZ Company could take the necessary steps to verify her true employment history, which ultimately led to the withdrawal of Maya’s job offer.
Why UAN Verification Is Crucial in Uncovering Moonlighting
Maya’s case highlights the importance of UAN verification as a crucial safeguard against fraudulent employment records and deceptive practices like moonlighting. Here are several key reasons why UAN verification is indispensable in the hiring process:
Authentic Record of Employment:
Unlike experience letters, which can be easily forged, UAN records are official, government-backed documents that are updated regularly based on the employee’s EPF contributions. By verifying the UAN, employers can gain access to a true and transparent record of the candidate’s employment history, including any overlapping jobs or hidden activities.
Uncovering Hidden Employment and Moonlighting:
One of the primary ways UAN verification helps identify moonlighting is by flagging any overlapping employment periods. If a candidate is working for two companies simultaneously, UAN verification will reveal the EPF contributions made during the same period, which will be inconsistent with the candidate’s disclosed employment history.
Verification of Experience and Contributions:
UAN verification not only ensures that the employment history is legitimate but also provides a corroboration of employment dates and tenure. If a candidate claims to have worked at a particular company during a certain period but the UAN shows different employment records or gaps, it raises red flags about the authenticity of the candidate’s claims.
Prevention of Fraudulent Claims:
UAN verification helps employers avoid hiring candidates who might manipulate their work experience. In Maya’s case, the use of forged documents would have gone unnoticed if not for UAN verification, which effectively prevented fraud and safeguarded the hiring process.
Ensuring Legal Compliance:
Moonlighting can sometimes violate the terms of employment contracts or company policies, especially in sectors with strict confidentiality or non-compete clauses. UAN verification provides employers with the full picture of a candidate’s employment history, ensuring that they comply with legal and regulatory requirements.
How OnGrid Helps Prevent Employment Fraud and Moonlighting
To prevent employment fraud and moonlighting like in Maya’s case, OnGrid offers a comprehensive Employment History Verification service that can help employers ensure they are hiring candidates with honest and transparent work histories. OnGrid’s platform provides employers with an efficient and reliable way to verify candidates’ employment details, reducing the risk of fraudulent claims and moonlighting.
OnGrid’s Employment History Verification Includes:
Verification of Employment Dates: OnGrid verifies the authenticity of the candidate’s employment dates across multiple organizations, including overlap checks, helping employers spot discrepancies like moonlighting.
Cross-Checking Experience Letters: OnGrid helps cross-check the provided experience letters against company records, making it easier to spot forged or manipulated documents.
UAN Verification: OnGrid also integrates UAN verification, allowing employers to confirm EPF contributions across different companies during overlapping periods, ensuring that the candidate’s employment timeline is consistent and authentic.
Fraud Prevention: By leveraging OnGrid’s services, employers can minimize the risk of hiring candidates who are engaging in fraudulent activities or misrepresenting their employment history. The UAN verification, combined with OnGrid’s employment checks, creates a thorough and foolproof method for screening candidates.
OnGrid’s platform makes it easier for companies to verify the authenticity of a candidate’s employment records and spot fraudulent activity before it becomes a problem. Their services ensure that candidates who attempt to manipulate their work history through moonlighting or forged documents are identified early in the hiring process.
Conclusion: The Imperative Role of UAN Verification in Preventing Moonlighting
Maya’s case serves as a powerful reminder of how easily moonlighting and other deceptive practices can go undetected in the hiring process. By hiding the correct tenure under the guise of a forged experience letter, Maya attempted to manipulate her employment history. However, the UAN verification process successfully exposed the deception, preventing XYZ Company from hiring someone with a hidden agenda.
In today’s job market, where moonlighting is becoming increasingly common, UAN verification is an invaluable tool for ensuring that candidates are truthful about their employment history. It not only validates a candidate’s work experience but also provides transparency regarding overlapping jobs, hidden employment, and potential conflicts of interest.
For employers, UAN verification is a necessary step in securing the integrity of the hiring process, ensuring that only candidates with legitimate, transparent employment histories are selected for positions. By adopting UAN verification, along with services like OnGrid’s Employment History Verification, companies can safeguard themselves against fraud and maintain a high standard of recruitment.
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