My HR dept has asked for a copy of my passport.?
I am English, living and working in England all my life. They say this is now law that they have this. Can anyone confirm that this is the law now ?
Answers:
By law, your employer has to hold proof of your identity, nationality, and right to work in the UK on file. Your passport is the easiest way to confirm all this, which is why they ask for it. If asked for ID, most people will provide a driving licence and a utility bill, neither of which confirm their nationality and right to work.
If you care able to find your birth certificate (and let's be honest, how many people over 21 have even looked at theirs in the past 10 years?!) , that together with photo ID eg. a driving licence and your national insurance number should be enough if you really can't bear to let them take a photocopy of your passport.
On a slightly morbid note, assuming you haven't been asked for details of your next of kin, your passport number can be used to access that information should the worst happen, and if your job description includes travel it's always good to know someone has a copy of your details just in case!
Believe me, it's worse if you have to be CRB checked, as there are so many constrictions on what combinations of ID are allowed...
No it's not the law. Not everyone who is English that lives in England actually has to have a passport by law. If that's the case then it's discrimination against people that don't have passports so are they saying you can't have a job unless you have a passport?
All they need to prove that you can work in this country is your national insurance number
Yes, it is the Law. (or any other proof of your identity and that you have no restriction to the labour market)
To prove that you have the right to work in this country.
PS- National insurance number is not a proof that you can work in this country.
Proof of nationality, identity is required. If you are not an EU national then you have to prove that you have no restriction like letter from the home office etc
You are not required by law to have a passport so they can't require you to produce a copy.
Take in a birth certificate or any proof that you are English and don't need a work visa...
That is not the law. You might not have a passport. Why do they want it? What about privacy issues? is it a small business or national/multinational?
They simply need to confirm your legal status.
Since the HR department is an instrument of the company you work for, perhaps you should ask people within the company how you can satisfy their needs in exchange for the money they give you.
It's not the law at all. Can you tell me what job it is?
I know that law offices are not allowed to conduct property transactions for clients without evidence of their identity, such as a passport, driving licence (with picture) and a utility bill. This is to do with money laundering laws, and they get into a lot of trouble if they don't follow the rules. Maybe there is a similar requirement for the company you are working for with regards to paying your salary into your account - I'm not certain but it makes sense, and I wouldn't be offended if I were you. Just give them the copy they require, or if you don't have a passport, speak to them and ask what else you can supply in its place.
I signed on with an agency the other day and was asked for my passport...i didn't have one as i don't travel often so its a waste of money...and was told I couldn't register without proof I was legally allowed to work in this country! I offered my drivers licence with the picture on it again NO it wasn't good enough (but its me I said!) At home I found a passport from 15 years ago, it still looked like me (maybe less wrinkles) and asked if this would be ok and was told NO as it wasn't current and could be a forgery! In the end i had to send off for a copy of my birth certificate which cost me £20 and they accepted it!
So sadly I think they are right and do need to see this information for thier records just incase you really are an illegal immigrant trying to work in this country!
You can always ask them for a copy of your emplyees file as any information they hold on you must be made avaialble for you to see...thats the law!
CP gone bloody mad i think!
Rubbish, an individual does not need to have a passport, just tell them you don´t have one. You need a national insurance card and that should be enough.
They probably have no right to ask as you are no obligation to hold a passport. It is probable that under the law the state is obliged to prove that you are not British if you live here as you are not obliged to have any evidence that you are, apart from your birth certificate.
However Blair and his paranoid fellow numpties don't see it that way. They want to protect the world against terrorists, excluding Sinn Fein and Israel, and money launderers, excluding HMG, the labour party and practically every head of state in subSaharan Africa.
Roza is right.
If you are an agency worker you are employed by the agency, hence they will ask you for ID and NI.
If you work directly for an employer they have to prove your right to work in the UK and get the same. Whoever employs you has to prove you are legally allowed to work here.
It's not just passports, the DTI have a whole list of permutations of ID that can be used to prove that you can work in the UK and it is a legal requirement for employers to have it.
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