Employer Wants Passport Details

[sammmo]

I,ve been employed at my company for 22 yrs. every year we have a criminal check done.we have to fill in a form to prove who we are etc. and show a utility bill and drivers license.. the company already knows my banking details and NI number.. this morning ive been informed that they need to take a copy of my passport number because the HMRC requires it..
my company knows more about me than the wife.. is this all really necessary? I wouldn't mind but i've no idea who has access to all this information..

[coccinelle]

And what if you didn't hold a passport?

[emmie]

if you have worked for the same company all these years, why have they requested a passport, that i don't believe is usual practice. Have you actually asked them why it's necessary.

[rockyracoon]

What if you haven't got a passport? I filled in one of these new HMRC things last night, there was no mention of passport, just NI number, name, address and DOB.

[EDDIE51]

Something wrong here, a CRB check is valid for 3 years so no need to recheck every year. They know who you are and your address so filling in those details every year is not needed either. As to HMRC needing passport details that is b*llocks .
Who the hell do you work for ? Not even M15 need that level of information from its employees.
Your company is way over the top, it does not need anywhere near all the information. They need your adddress , bank details and NI number no more. They coud need driving licence details if you drive a company car but not otherwise , they NEVER need passport details. If it is a high security place they may need a CRB check every 3 years but not every year.
They must keep all personal information confidential .

[factor-fiction]

Maybe two things are being confused here.

If it's a CRB check then I don't see why the HMRC has any requirements. Maybe the passport is needed as it has a photo on, and maybe
the rule is being applied consistently regardless of whether people have been there 22 years or 22 days.

Or maybe it's to do with showing you are a UK resident and entitled to work here.

It does seem 'over the top'.

[Mosaic]

Wild guess - has their HR function been greatly ovrhauled or even hived out to a company? If so, they'll be working from 'year zero'. Went through similar at one workplace - GCE certificates, 25-yard swimming test, the lot were required even though they had been seen before.
Thing is, in some organisations that have been around for a long time, they get over complacent to the point of corruption. Boss says he's got a degree - that's fine by us....kind of thing. Trainee says he's got leave to remain....you get the picture.
So I'd suggest bite down on it, show them your passport and smile when your pay comes in.

[EDDIE51]

I dont have a current passport it ran out years ago so if it was me I would be scuppered. I can only assume the passport thing is to make sure no illegal immigrants are working for the company.
Sammo I would just tell them that you do not have a passport and ask them to pay the £74 for you to get one and see what they say.

[Haggisdj]

Ity is possibly for REal Time Information (RTI). Payroll departments and their software are changing the way they iteract with the HMRC. Organisations can be fined if their employee details differ from HMRC's so most organisations are performing a data cleanse... hope that was clear?

[rosycider]

Its to do with the right to work in the UK (UKBA). In order not to discriminate all staff must provide evidence of the right to work https://www.gov.uk/check-an-employees-right-to-work-documents. Gives examples of the type of evidence required

CRB checks can be done more often than 3 yearly - it depends on the nature of the job. If your employer pays for it what is the issue? IF they dont but require you to have one yearly to stay in the job claim it back on your tax code

[woofgang]

rosy, that's a dead link

[DaisyNonna]

Agree with Eddie.
Would not a birth certificate be proof of a right to work here?
I had problems in the past when I did not have a driver's licence or a current passport.

[rosycider]

Try this link
https://www.gov.uk/legal-right-to-work-in-the-uk

[factor-fiction]

I think haggisdj may have hit on the correct explanation

[boxtops]

Haggis is right, I know that some employers in the public sector are moving to real time for the coming tax year.

We always have to show a passport or some other form of photo ID when we go for interview, to prove we are who we say we are on the application form. It's not unusual, but once should be enough!

[rosycider]

There is a You have to provide some form of photo id - hence passport or driving licence. Birth certificates have no photo obviously and are easily obtainable and are not proof of right to work in the UK

[Maydup]

From next week all employers have to process you tax payments live via the internet rather than in retrospect. They are held responsible for any discrepancy whether it be a payment or a piece of information. So if you go by one name but you were registered in another, or if you have a middle name you've never given to your employer, the process will be rejected.

At the moment, passport number is an optional field, but it will be mandatory eventually unless the person doesn't hold a passport. Many employers are using the field to help show they have made best effort to input correct information. Its amazing how many people fail to tell their employer change of address info yet still expect their taxes etc to be kept up to date, so expect more checks as this live real time process gets rolled out from HMRC.