To provide 3 years worth of bank statements for a job application?

[JanuaryKat]

It's for a part time admin job with the NHS.

I applied through a recruitment agency but because I have been a stay at home mum for over 3 years I have to provide 3 years worth of bank statements.

1. I don't want to give out that kind of personal info
2. It would cost me £30 plus yo get copies of the statements

AIBU?

I am sure this must be a data protection issue. I have a joint account with DH so he would be having his private information shared as well.

I would go as high as possible to complain about this.

gin - in terms of whether or not you were imprisoned, a bank account might run as normal? Suppose you had a lump sum to live on for a while while taking a break from work, if you had a partner who paid for shopping etc...

there would be no difference in account activity whether you were actually working or in jail or staying with a mate....it just doesn't make sense.

also I think it's really coming to something when an employer can nose so far into your life. I can accept that if you are doing a really high powered job with access to a lot of money they will have ways of trying to vet you but it sounds like the OP is just doing a job, not a job where she will have the power to sign off £3million a day or some such.

Omg Bigqueenbee! That link is awful! I've only ever seen Brook Street's reviews on Glassdoor and thought they were bad - but there's 88 reviews on there and all are pretty much 1 star.

Is it to prove you haven't been working, so they are looking to check you haven't had a salary paid in. The only reason i can think would be incase you had been working, left or sacked but than claimed to be a sahm.

NHS Employers need proof of identity, proof of residence, right to work, sufficient ID for a DBS check if required, and 3 years of employment history. If you haven't been employed for the last 3 years, they can ask for a character reference from a person of good standing who isn't a relative. Ideally they would ask for a reference from your last employment too.

That's totally unreasonable of BS. But there's no data protection issue. Data protection only applies to companies. The bank can't share your details with BS without your say so, but as an individual you can share legally acquired info with whoever you please without it being illegal even if it pertains to your ex-H (unless you are doing so for nefarious purposes), so handing over statements from your joint bank account is not a breach of data protection. Might not be wise though.

Sorry, in short, no they don't need your bank statements. (Unless your position includes a visa application, but that's something different)

I wouldnt give an employment agency 3 years of my personal financial information. I actually think that would be a reckless thing to do. Id just find another agency

Of course it's a data protection issue.

Yes, you are free to gratuitously hand your personal data to any one you wish.

But Brook Street isn't free to ask you for it. The DPA covers collection of data as well as storage, processing, and selling it on.

They're almost certainly in breach of the DPA because of over-collection of data.

I was also asked for this after a 4.5 yr SAHM career break, and was told joint account wouldn't be accepted. When I pushed for alternatives, I was told a letter from HMRC verifying the period of unemployment (but not tax returns) would be acceptable. I spoke to HMRC who said they get this a lot and sent out a standard form letter that I forwarded on. It did the trick and I got the job. Might be worth speaking to your agency and seeing if they'll accept that?

I (sort of) get the reasoning but think bank statements request is too intrusive.

Good luck!

Filiboom that sounds like the correct solution.

It DOES answer the question about whether the individual really was out of work (unlike bank statement).

And it DOESN'T contain lots of personal information (unlike bank statement).

This sort of behaviour is something I'd expect from a small company without an HR department, where they're making it up as they go along. Not a company whose core business is recruitment.

filiboom I was just about to ask whether they could get it from HMRC as opposed to asking for statements - sounds like an idea. Sort of like how you shouldn't lie about your last salary because they'll have access to that via HMRC when you start.

The only possible reason I could think they would do this is to check you're not lying about your employment history. You could have been in other jobs and sacked from them and then trying to cover up about being sacked by saying your weren't working. But I really think they need to trust you. Providing bank statements is a massive invasion of privacy.

It's prob not relevant, but we have this warning up on our nhs job site at moment- theyre not asking you for any fee by any chance?

Would help if i post it!

My DFather used to have P4 security clearance for various MoD bases and Nuclear Facilities for a number of years before retiring. He's never once had to submit bank statements.

Very suspicious and ridiculously OTT.

A few years ago, after being laid off from work, I went to a job club. I remember one of the advisors telling us to be aware that some agencies were asking for bank details and that one of the men who attended the job club had had his account cloned.
He had applied for a job online and was naïve enough to disclose bank details.
A Direct Debit was set up for a mobile phone contract . The agency was kosher, but it turned out an ex employee was using their name to snare people into giving out personal details.
This was on the GOV site, which I know isn't vetted.

That's crap. I wouldn't want to work for anyone who wanted that kind of information. DH did once and basically they want it to see what kind of leverage they can have over you vis-a-vis pay, bonus and conditions.

Thanks for the replies! What would I do without mumsnet I'm going to contact HMRC & try & get proof of my employment status for the past 3 years.

I really need to find work asap, but handing over all that personal info is a complete no go.

No response yet to my emails to Brook St or the nhs.

Mimi, interesting.
January, wonder what Brook Street will say to back up what they're asking...

From my own personal experience, it is better to hold out for a job you think feels right.
I've had a few years of really crappy jobs and have taken on cleaning/janitorial work for the time being.
The pay not be brilliant but it is immensely satisfying to do a good job and not having someone breathing down your neck and the constant stream of criticising.
I remember an interview I had a few years back; the company were wanting me start up new projects in my filed of expertise,
Short story is that these " projects", never came to fruition, it was a yarn that had been spun for all new employees.
Basically they were a bunch of bullies who made my life a misery.
They are currently under investigation I'm told.
Why not get self employed status and go freelance.
There are a lot of people who require domestic help and office work.
You can charge what you like. If you are good at something ,there will always be a call for your skills.
Agencies charge employers a lot of money, yet pay the staff very little in relation to their charges.

Can you imagine the glee though, sifting through 3 years of bank statements.

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The NHS doesn't demand this. I work for them, I support interviews and we do have people who have gaps in employment. We only ask for bank statements as proof of address/identity.

Red, you have time to post on MN, you have time to write the comedy sketch you just created with your post