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AIBU?

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Original poster

Reed want to see my husband's bank statements 😩

543 replies

Weepingwillowtree · 08/05/2021 08:03

Desperate to get back into the workplace after 10 years out being a SAHM. Plucked up the courage to go for a Reed interview for a teaching assistant job (no qualifications required even though I have a BSc). Was told I had too much of a gap in my CV and they would need to see my husbands bank statements to “prove that I had been supported by him during this time”. I feel this is a total invasion of our privacy, what has my husbands finances got to do with whether or not I am capability of being a teaching assistant?? Am I being completely unreasonable refusing to provide this? They said they can’t give me a job unless I show his bank statements 😩

OP posts:
DontBiteTheBoobThatFeedsYou · 08/05/2021 08:05

What the fuck?!

I would tell them to stick it up their bums!

Don't do it!

DontBiteTheBoobThatFeedsYou · 08/05/2021 08:05

Could you apply directly to the school(s)?

Dailywalk · 08/05/2021 08:06

What? That doesn’t sound right! I hope this is a mistake on their part as it sounds really odd to me.

Twickerhun · 08/05/2021 08:06

Totally irrelevant and you can’t share his data with them. Complaint to management.

DinosaurDiana · 08/05/2021 08:07

I think it’s an invasion of privacy.
As long as your DBS is ok I can’t see the problem.

TabbyStar · 08/05/2021 08:07

That's shocking. What are they thinking the alternative might be, and how would it prove anything anyway? Is there someone higher up or a head office you can speak to?

TheJackieWeaver · 08/05/2021 08:08

It’s probably for DBS / safeguarding reasons. When applying for roles in schools you have to give a full employment history and explain any gaps. It’s not to judge or invade your privacy, but to check you weren’t in prison, not omitting a job from your cv, etc. I’ve never heard of anyone been asked for bank statements to prove it though! Maybe ask if they’d accept anything else? Or try calling one of the teaching unions for advice?

HannaHat · 08/05/2021 08:08

That’s beyond weird.

DeltaFlyer · 08/05/2021 08:09

Is this the job search site or something else called reed, supply agency?
Highly invasive and inappropriate imo.

If you want to be a teaching assistant you would be better to apply direct to the local council job adverts or academies in your area.
Lots of people do volunteer work to get a foot in the door at their kids school for example. Things like applying for less popular roles like lunchtime support or after school club hours often means your hours increase later too.

weareallpassengers · 08/05/2021 08:09

That's not right.

SelkieFly · 08/05/2021 08:10

Wow, did GDPR pass them right by?!

In what say does it change anything? Either they find you work or they can't?

Many women are single. What position are they in, with nobody to support them Confused

1990s · 08/05/2021 08:10

@TheJackieWeaver

It’s probably for DBS / safeguarding reasons. When applying for roles in schools you have to give a full employment history and explain any gaps. It’s not to judge or invade your privacy, but to check you weren’t in prison, not omitting a job from your cv, etc. I’ve never heard of anyone been asked for bank statements to prove it though! Maybe ask if they’d accept anything else? Or try calling one of the teaching unions for advice?

No. Someone else's bank statements do not prove this.

Honestly OP I'm beyond shocked. This is totally out of order.

It's a hard no, and I would be taking this further up the the Reed company chain. WTF?!

Zalto · 08/05/2021 08:10

That’s insane.

ItWasLikeThatWhenIGotHere · 08/05/2021 08:11

That’s actually mad. Show them your children’s birth certificates. Presumably you’d need a cleanish DBS to be a teaching assistant, which would prove you weren’t in prison. And your husband’s bank statements wouldn’t show that you didn’t have a job.

Temp023 · 08/05/2021 08:11

Well my husbands bank statements wouldn’t tell them anything, they’d have to see the joint account.. but anyway haven’t you been claiming tax credits, can’t you show that as evidence?

motherloaded · 08/05/2021 08:11

Wrong, so wrong, you should post in legal, that cannot be right!
I would strongly refuse.

I could vaguely understand (NOT condone though) the reasoning when someone applies for a PT job, only because too many people claim to want to be PT but can't or don't realise they can't live on a PT salary..

But no, just no.

Even if you had been in prison, it wouldn't stop your DH from having a job anyway, would it?

SchrodingersImmigrant · 08/05/2021 08:12

I would contact ACAS and give Reed nothing but shit storm.

SwanShaped · 08/05/2021 08:13

Er, no. What if you were a single mum? What if your husband was abusive or had a gambling problem? A DBS is fine. Also, you could have a husband with normal bank statements and still be unsuitable for working with children. Your husbands finances have nothing to do with your suitability of TA work

Snowite · 08/05/2021 08:13

OP have they put this request to you in writing?

Foofbrush · 08/05/2021 08:13

Can you point out to them how ridiculous this is? How will they tell from his bank statement whether he was supporting you or not? It's not like statements say, "15th January, £35 for some clothes for Weepingwillowtree because she isn't working", "16th January £100 for family groceries because Weepingwillowtree has no direct income right now"

User0ne · 08/05/2021 08:14

If you want to work as a TA you're much better registering with the supply teacher agencies in your area.

There's no way I (or my husband) would be handing over bank statements.

WorkWorkAngelica · 08/05/2021 08:15

Surely if anything they should ask for your bank accounts to prove you were not getting a wage from somewhere else, or being a drug dealer or in prison or whatever it is they are worried you were doing. The fact your DH was being paid during this time is totally irrelevant Confused

This is all kinds of shady shit though so absolutely refuse. Good luck with the job hunt!

RandomLondoner · 08/05/2021 08:16

Wow, did GDPR pass them right by?!

I don't think they were asking her to steal his data. I don't think GDPR stops him sharing it voluntarily.

Ugzbugz · 08/05/2021 08:18

Insane and who at Reeds decides how much is enough for one parent to work? Some families survive on an income of 30k and support everyone and some earn 100k plus and wank all their money and more. I would not be sharing.

KingdomScrolls · 08/05/2021 08:19

I work in an environment that needs enhanced DBS plus higher level vetting, someone's history has to be with no gaps. That is usually achieved by way of personal references eg a statement from your husband and someone external to the family to confirm you have been a SAHP for that time.
For my level of being they go through finances including my husband's with a fibre tooth comb and want to know if any of my immediate family have convictions, personal scandals etc (to make sure we're not ripe for blackmail), but I also have to sign the official secrets act. What they are asking of you for a TA type job is ridiculous. Go back and say you are able to provide gap references (will need to be someone in a respected profession external to the family as well as your husband), but that you won't be providing a decade of bank statements.

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