Want Your Employees to Do Their Best Work? Protect Their Identities

​Think Fortnite is just the next time-wasting fad for Gen Z? Think again. Epic Games, creator of the massively popular online game, is currently the target of a class action lawsuit for a data breach affecting Fortnite account holders. Such cases have become increasingly common, rising 100% between 2016 and 2017. But for the vast majority of Americans, an expensive lawsuit just isn’t on the table. All they’re interested in is ensuring that their own personal information remains safe.

As I discussed a few weeks ago at a webcast ID Experts cosponsored with BenefitsPRO, this is where employers have a crucial role to play. Data breaches can disrupt business, even if the breach isn’t yours. Identity theft takes an average of 100 to 200 hours to resolve, and often requires making calls to financial organizations during business hours. Baby boomers and Gen X – who together comprise more than half of the U.S. workforce – are particularly vulnerable to identity theft, accounting for over 75% of all cases.

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In short, it’s in employers’ best interests to invest in identity protection services. Not only does it ensure your employees don’t have to fight identity thieves on company time, but it also can help you attract top talent. Peace of mind when online is becoming an increasingly rare commodity: Half of Americans have had their information hacked, and one American falls victim to identity theft every two seconds. Being able to offer identity protection services o your employees gives you a competitive edge.

That being said, not all privacy solutions are created equal. Some focus on social media threats; some on healthcare information; others scout out compromised passwords and alert you when something is amiss. Ideally, you’ll be able to offer your employees a comprehensive solution that addresses all nine types of identity theft rather than just one component. You’ll also want a solution that scans the dark web and empowers users to take action should it detect suspicious activity.

To put a slight twist on a common observation: It’s not a matter of if your employees will experience identity theft, but when they’ll experience it. Recognizing this, 70% of employers are seeking out identity theft protection of some kind for their employees. But by adopting an all-inclusive solution, you’ll give your employees the confidence they need to do their work to the best of their ability. And at the end of the day, that’s all any employee can ask.