Customers and commenters are expressing concern over Paychex's decision to sell payroll data, questioning the de-identification process and suggesting switching providers over the privacy...

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    "summary": "Customers and commenters are expressing concern over Paychex's decision to sell payroll data, questioning the de-identification process and suggesting switching providers over the privacy implications.",
    "category": "security",
    "comments": [
      {
        "url": "https://www.reddit.com/r/Payroll/comments/1ww7c9k/comment/pdic7ea/",
        "depth": 0,
        "score": 13,
        "author": "GirthyOwls",
        "excerpt": "Oh it’s not just paychex … how else do you think there are market comparisons for wages?",
        "posted_at": "2026-10-02T23:04:01.000Z",
        "author_url": "https://www.reddit.com/user/GirthyOwls/"
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        "url": "https://www.reddit.com/r/Payroll/comments/1ww7c9k/comment/pdia3dt/",
        "depth": 0,
        "score": 6,
        "author": "FITGuard",
        "excerpt": "I can speak to this. they are not selling your personal data they're most likely amalgamating data across industry codes and then selling that to private Equity folks who are trying to get more macroeconomic.\n\n For instance, understanding how many bagel shops are in Phoenix Arizona or understanding the average wage of a welder at a 100 person company.\n\n it's not about your business, it's about ave",
        "posted_at": "2026-10-02T22:52:43.000Z",
        "author_url": "https://www.reddit.com/user/FITGuard/"
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        "url": "https://www.reddit.com/r/Payroll/comments/1ww7c9k/comment/pdim7fb/",
        "depth": 0,
        "score": 5,
        "author": "loonydan42",
        "excerpt": "There's a whole website for this. They almost all sell the data. Companies use it when hiring. I wanna say it's some sort of Equifax site?\n\n Yep here it is. The Work Number. You can see your own data. All your previous companies, exactly what you were paid at each one. Its all been sold and was never private\n\n https://employees.theworknumber.com",
        "posted_at": "2026-10-02T23:58:25.000Z",
        "author_url": "https://www.reddit.com/user/loonydan42/"
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        "url": "https://www.reddit.com/r/Payroll/comments/1ww7c9k/comment/pdl6hkj/",
        "depth": 0,
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        "author": "SoggyMcChicken",
        "excerpt": "My thoughts are, is this really a big deal? Maybe I don’t care because I worked in the public sector where people would regularly call to get payroll data and I’d have to give it to them. They were getting the info for free from me. I wish I could have gotten paid for it.\n\n Also, market research isn’t always a bad thing. It’s only bad if you’re being overpaid. If you’re being underpaid it’ll give",
        "posted_at": "2026-10-03T10:52:03.000Z",
        "author_url": "https://www.reddit.com/user/SoggyMcChicken/"
      },
      {
        "url": "https://www.reddit.com/r/Payroll/comments/1ww7c9k/comment/pdp7e5e/",
        "depth": 0,
        "score": 1,
        "author": "Thinkb4Jump",
        "excerpt": "Well I bet that paychex and adp have great privacy tools in effect until they can monetize.\n\n If you don't think this is a big deal then walk around with your salary on your t-shirt.\n\n If you do think it's a big deal then switch providers.",
        "posted_at": "2026-10-03T22:37:54.000Z",
        "author_url": "https://www.reddit.com/user/Thinkb4Jump/"
      }
    ],
    "evidence": [
      "[post] There are claims that the data is aggregated and/or deidentified, but also that worker-level compensation details are also included (seems to conflict).",
      "[post] Paychex publicly states that they do not sell personal data, but that it makes ‘business purpose’ disclosures.",
      "[comment u/Thinkb4Jump] If you do think it's a big deal then switch providers."
    ],
    "virality": "somewhat_high",
    "post_date": "2026-10-02T22:38:20.000Z",
    "post_kind": "multi_media",
    "post_text": "Hi, I recently learned that Paychex has partnered with Carbon Arc to make client payroll data available for purchase for market insights. There appears to be no publicly available information from Paychex side, but Carbon Arc provides some limited information.\n\nhttps://www.linkedin.com/posts/paychex-structureddata-employmentinsights-ugcPost-7361784797771280384-i2kX/\n\nhttps://www.linkedin.com/posts/kirk-mckeown-400607214_carbon-arc-is-now-live-with-paychex-payroll-share-7364032853757595650-Upgo/\n\nhttps://www.carbonarc.co/explore-data/smb-workforce\n\nThere are claims that the data is aggregated and/or deidentified, but also that worker-level compensation details are also included (seems to conflict).\n\nWhat are your thoughts? Paychex publicly states that they do not sell personal data, but that it makes ‘business purpose’ disclosures.\n\nhttps://www.paychex.com/corporate/security/privacy/ccpa",
    "sentiment": "negative",
    "subreddit": "Payroll",
    "post_title": "Paychex is selling your payroll data",
    "prominence": "core",
    "source_url": "https://www.reddit.com/r/Payroll/comments/1ww7c9k/paychex_is_selling_your_payroll_data/",
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