can work suspend me over this?

[Miss.Monroe]

we were all asked to bring forms of ID into work, they are doing big checks. i work at superdrug. everyones brought in their passports as proof, i dont have a passport. they already have a photocopy of my driving liscence but they said thats not enough.

so i went down there on my day off and took my deed poll certificate which proves my change of name a couple of years ago. My boss phoned his boss and was told this isnt enough, they need my national Insurance card (which i cant find) passport or birth certificate. i dont know where my birth certificate is! and it has my old name on it anyway!

so i was told if i dont phone the registry office and get a copy sent to me by today or tomorow ill get suspended from work!

it all seems a bit stupid really

 

[jennywren]

You need to ring the CAB they will beable to advise

 

[Miss.Monroe]

ok thank you, why didnt i think of that! it all just seems a bit far fetched!

 

[jennywren]

ok thank you, why didnt i think of that! it all just seems a bit far fetched!

LOL i never think of it either till after the event!! It seems far fetched to me as well, I think you should be fine tbh - its AFTER they have offered you the job and you have presumably signed your contract.

 

[Mrs_Jay]

seems pretty extreme to me

 

[Babylicious]

Sounds a bit extreme to me, I'd be more inclined to speak to ACAS they deal with employment issues

 

[Miss.Monroe]

ive been working there since May 2007 and i will only be there for a couple more months! grrr

 

[Babylicious]

I'd also ask for everything in writing too for your record incase anything does happen. Are they talking of straight forward suspension or will it be a disciplinary instead?

 

[soverign]

I have worked for TK Maxx for 4 and 1/2 years and a few months back they did the same thing to us. I had exactly the same problem as you and ended up having to buy a full birth certificate. I think they can actually suspend you you know. Seems alot of places are doing these checks.

 

[1sttimemum]

Thinking about it - it seems its something to do with the immigration side of things and having an "audit" trail if anyone is an illegal immigrant !!

Bit annoying though that they will suspend you (without pay????) even tho your legal to work?

x

 

[Sherlock]

I'd call ACAS or CAB.

The daft thing is, a birth certificate does not contain photo ID etc. Its all paperwork.

Your GP/police etc has to verify you for a passport application so its not like you are really going to lie. Same as a drivers licence iirc, if you don't have a passport. A UK (EU) drivers licence should be a vaild ID IMHO but don't quote me on it.

A National Insurance card isn't photo ID either. Your number is linked to your name etc so I don't get them needing that. Your name matches the NI number etc already.

 

[Suzie and Faith]

It does seem extreme - surely they should be fine with your drivers license shouldn't they?! As Sherlock said the other things aren't photo ID after all xx

Hope you get it sorted! Silly people!

 

[lfc_sarah]

You can get another birth certificate on the same day...

My OH had to do it for starting a new job..
A half one that cost him £4

Got this off the internet
"Can I Get Another Birth Certificate if I lose mine?
Yes you can. You must contact the registrar of births, deaths and marriages in the town where your birth was registered. There will be a nominal fee incurred but this is a small price to pay for such an important document."

My Oh said they didnt ask him for Id...
But if they do maybe a photocopy of your driving licence for that would be ok

Getting that and the paperwork to prove you changed your name should be enough...

 

[Miss.Monroe]

i looked online for a birth certificate (which will have my old name on it anyway!)

it will cost £10 and take 15 days to be delivered. or £26 and will be next day delivery.

i cant afford £26 so im going to have to do the £10 one and just print of the reciept to prove its on the way.

suspension but im not sure if its with pay i doubt it! its ridiculus, the company suspended someone a couple of weeks ago for drinking vodka in a sprite bottle at work (hes 32 and an alcholic!) and hes been allowed back to work, seems so petty that they will suspend me when im a good worker!

 

[NickS]

I work for WHSmith, and we had the same thing,. the only Legal prove of ID you require is a valid and indate passport OR proof of citizenship in the form of your national Insurance card (OR a P45 as that has it on) and your birth certificate.

Failure to provide those things could lead to dismissal.
Yuo wouldnt be able to do them for unfair dismissal either as they'd have given adequate time for all employees to provide the info and for them to process it (1 to 2 weeks).

Its happening all over the country, its to comply with Home Office regulations regarding immigrant workers or people who're fiddling the state.
You'd be suprised at the amount of people caught out by this.

Sainsburies done it last year and lost approx 1/8th of their work force in one go, that was around june/july time, and they had to do a mass recruitment drive in a lot of the shops (one of my mates is a manager for a local store and gives me info now and then whilst we banter).


Sadly, its the law.
Cant argue with that at the end of the day i'm afraid.

 

[Jen & Her Men]

I worked in recruitment for years and now run a business where i employ staff and although it seems far fetched, they CAN suspend you because if they get audited and are found not to have ID for every member of staff, they can get fined, taken to court etc etc

Its a new law the government brought in about 2 years ago. And trust me, although its a hassle for you its FAR more of a hassle to employers cos we have to collect all the paperwork from disgruntled employees who dont see the point in it! Its not your employers fault hun, its the government. They are just protecting themselves from prosecution.

It is all to do with security and illegal immigration and terrorism. It is supposed to be a preventative measure to ensure that terrorists etc dont worm their way into our infrastructure through aquiring jobs here, and if they do they are at least traceable. I think it all kicked off after those terrorists got jobs as doctors a few years back.

Hope that helps!

 

[lfc_sarah]

i looked online for a birth certificate (which will have my old name on it anyway!)

it will cost £10 and take 15 days to be delivered. or £26 and will be next day delivery.

i cant afford £26 so im going to have to do the £10 one and just print of the reciept to prove its on the way.

suspension but im not sure if its with pay i doubt it! its ridiculus, the company suspended someone a couple of weeks ago for drinking vodka in a sprite bottle at work (hes 32 and an alcholic!) and hes been allowed back to work, seems so petty that they will suspend me when im a good worker!

If you go into the place though...
They do ones you can get on the same day

Maybe its different in different places though..

 

[kirlykird]

Do you still live in the town that you were born?

If so, you can go along to your local registrars whom will charge you around £5 & print it off there and then for you

 

[Miss.Monroe]

ive ordered one online and im going to take in the email reciept to work in the next hour. they still want something with my national insurance number on it. i have nothing no P45 or P60 and i have no idea where my national insurance card is...

looks like its suspension for me!

 

[Sherlock]

ive ordered one online and im going to take in the email reciept to work in the next hour. they still want something with my national insurance number on it. i have nothing no P45 or P60 and i have no idea where my national insurance card is...

looks like its suspension for me!

Hopefully not as you are trying to get things sorted. And they have not given you much time tbh. Also they have your NI number on record to match your name etc.

Mind you, I'd say one good thing has come out of this for you, and while it may not be pleasant its at least made you aware that it is now important to have documentation such as a passport or birth cert for future employers and for yourself. At least having it already now will save for future hassles. Sorry it happened though

I still maintain a drivers licence should be acceptable ID however as it has a photo etc attached to it and required proper documentation when it was applied for.