Reed want to see my husband's bank statements 😩

[Weepingwillowtree]

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 😩

Glad to hear OP has decided to give this agency the swerve. If this thread has done nothing else it has at least raised awareness for her and anyone in a similar situation of the best ways for a TA to apply to a school. (Discounting the recent contribution by, I can only assume, an employee of the Reed marketing department.)

@BerniesMittens

“It’s not your financial situation specifically however we do need to obtain 2 years employment referencing for education and are asked to explain how someone who has not worked and not been in receipt of benefits has supported themselves financially. Unfortunately a letter from your husband declaring financial support would be insufficient evidence, we would need to see bank statements for proof“

Reed do seem to be overstepping here. They (Reed) took over HR recruitment processes for one of the big 4 banks 8 years ago. If an applicant said they had been supported by their husband/partner while bringing up children or studying (etc) then a statement by that person sufficed to cover the gap. I'm guessing there's a high turnover of staff with minimal knowledge of what they're doing!

Not that it excuses in any way their overstepping!

a statement by that person

Yes, precisely. This is just some idiot at Reed who didn't understand what they were told to do, which was ask for a confirmation statement (i.e. brief letter) from the DH. Complain OP, it'll take you 5 minutes to escalate this within Reed by forwarding on that reply and someone can then sort this out.

(Apply for the work directly though anyway!)

Go straight to the school, ask for a meet with the head, explain your intentions for any upcoming vacancies and sell yourself. Good luck!

Don't do this. I work in a school and there is absolutely no way on earth our Head would entertain a meeting with someone so they could "sell themselves" for a hypothetical job role! It's not The Apprentice
Honestly, OP you wouldn't even get past the Reception staff, they would tell you to keep an eye on the vacancies page of the school website and if a job comes up you just have to apply for it like everyone else. HT's haven't had any involvement in the recruitment of support staff in any of the school's I've worked in, it's not even on their radar. Our SENCO is responsible for recruiting and managing the TA team but I know she wouldn't appreciate this either, she's incredibly busy and rushing from one meeting to another as it is.

Safeguarding innit.

This is absolutely appalling!!!

Surely a clean DBS, and acceptable credit reference check would be appropriate?

@TeddingtonTrashbag Are you being serious?

@OhWhyNot

I haven’t broken any confidentiality or GDPR

So I’m not quite sure what you are getting at Purple

I do not work in HR, they get on with their role I get on with mine and we cross over at times ie. when a new role comes up and i interview, when their are staff issues or the endless risk assessments under taken in the last year due to covid

We are certainly pulled up when breached GDPR/confidentiality. We have had numerous concerns around covid and government guidelines

And risk assessment is part of the role every day

As I said before, are you a simpleton?

All that training and no critical thinking skills. Just blindly assume everyone is doing their jobs correctly even when it’s patently obvious they aren’t.

Try as we may to protect vulnerable people, this is a prime example of why it’s so difficult. The people employed can’t be trusted to use an ounce of common sense.

I work in a school (and at the mo we are recruiting for TAs) - no need to use Reed.
Just google your local schools (or use Greensheets / local newspapers- if you still have one! - local council websites

Explain a gap yes, but prove you didn't need benefits to stay home with your kids is irrelevant because if you did take benefits while sahm, if you're entitled to them, DIY what! Personally I'd be checking with senior management if the agent isn't stepping outside policy to fulfill client brief. Explain a gap and what you have done with your life is one thing, proving how you were financially supported while employment gap was happening is a different thing!

Go on the site to the Ask James Reed, or use the contact details.
There's absolutely no way they can ask you this.

@midlifecrash

Illegal surely, for them to ask you for someone else's private documentation?

Why would that be illegal?

Can I have your dhs bank statements? Not illegal for me to ask, I would expect you to say no

[quote Nicknacky]@TeddingtonTrashbag Are you being serious?[/quote]
A lot of people don't understand the meaning of the word and just throw it around randomly.

@AccidentallyOnPurpose Absolutely, I think they think they are sounding clever when they say it so I’m hoping that poster was joking. I’m all for safeguarding, obviously but providing someone else’s financial information doesn’t safeguard children!

I would assume that this is Reed’s policy and would have been thoroughly checked out by their Legal team

Good grief why on earth would you assume that? More likely to be some numpty in regional offices overreaching.

So many posters meekly compliant in handing over a third party's private and confidential data or thinking that someone needing a job has no expectation of privacy. Identity fraud is a massive issue, why on earth would you make it so easy?

Im speechless and disgusted at this request.

The little woman cannot have a job until her Husband proves he fed and clothed her during these last years.

WTF

And if you had been supported by parents would you have to provide documentation proving that? Very bizarre

@Twickerhun

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

Which management??

@OhWhyNot

I’m single always been a single parent

I handed over my bank statements for background checks and when my advanced dbs was applied for (nhs)

I am a nurse, qualified and started first job in 2016. I have not had to hand over bank statements. I may have used a bank statement as a proof of address for my DBS, but would have covered it so as not to show any financial transactions.

OhWhyNot, you are trying to defend an indefensible policy here!

How the hell does your DH statements prove he's been supporting you?

And what an outdated term anyway!

You've had joint finances whilst he's held a job WOH and you've supported him working by providing childcare

Agree with contacting ACAS.

Another agreeing contact ACAS.

@C8H10N4O2

I would assume that this is Reed’s policy and would have been thoroughly checked out by their Legal team

Good grief why on earth would you assume that? More likely to be some numpty in regional offices overreaching.

So many posters meekly compliant in handing over a third party's private and confidential data or thinking that someone needing a job has no expectation of privacy. Identity fraud is a massive issue, why on earth would you make it so easy?

Exactly this

Link on Reeds Twitter to this thread... Watch them back peddle like crazy. This is a garbage request.

@RealisticSketch

Link on Reeds Twitter to this thread... Watch them back peddle like crazy. This is a garbage request.

darn it I don't have Twitter.

well done.

@EnoughnowIthink

How will looking at her husband's bank statement show that she is safe to work with children?

It won’t. But it will, in one way or another, verify that he has supported the OP and ergo she isn’t hiding a job somewhere that she’s been dismissed from or quietly let go without the involvement of the police or other services that might show up on a CV.

OP could be in school with your children. The school needs to know that all checks that could possibly have been made have been made. You need to know it as a parent because she will automatically be able to be on her own with your child.

As I say, there are other agencies.

OK, let’s say I’m a really crap TA, who is quickly sacked from every job I take for being shitty towards the children.

How exactly is that going to show up on DH’s bank statements?

its utterly bizarre