Employer asking for pay stub

My cousin came back from a job interview last week, and he kept asking why his prospective employer would ask for his pay stub from his previous employment, especially since they didn't ask him to include it in his resume.

He was confused about the whole thing and didn't know if he had done the right thing by not telling them how much he had previously earned.

A prospective employer would ask you for your previous pay stub or previous salary history mainly for the following reasons;

• They do not trust you

They may have already asked you how much you earned previously, but they need to see your pay stub or salary history as they do not believe the words of your mouth.

Meanwhile, you are not compelled to disclose your salary history with them if you do not want to unless you are ready to accept whatever it is that will be thrown at you. If they think you're lying now, they'd probably think you're lying about everything when you start working. That is, you are desperate.

• They want to know what their competitors are doing

This is not an issue. Every normal person will want to know what their competitors are doing, to see if they are doing something wrong, spending too much, or are on the right track. It becomes an issue if they use this to offer you less of the expected pay.

While this is legal in some states, it is illegal in many other states worldwide.