Personal information for HR

[QuestionOf]

Have worked at the same company for many years now, there has never been many of us but now we are increasing in numbers so have a new HR Manager. A lot of the HR documents aren’t in the best order so he is trying to sort through that. He has requested a copy of my driving license, passport and personal email address as well as NI number. Is all of this info necessary? I don’t drive a company vehicle or go out on company business so am not sure why a copy of my driving license would be required, let alone my passport but I am quite out of touch so perhaps it’s normal!

If you were recruited a while ago you may not have had to produce the same id documents as would be required now. Are you required to have a DBS or Financial check fir your job?

They need proof of right to work by the sounds of it. Pretty standard.

Good grief how long have you worked there! All those things are perfectly normal and required to confirm your right to work.

Passport is to prove right to work in the UK - this is definitely legit and required by govt. Personal email account could be useful eg in some kind of emergency or to send you documents eg P45 after you leave. No need for driving licence.

Yes all normal. The passport will be to confirm you can legally work in tbe UK. ( if u didn't have a passport they woukd prob ask for birth cert or proof of right to work in UK) The NINO will be to ensure that they have the right one on record for tax purposes. The DL will be for proof of address ( they prob can take something else if you don't drive). The personal email is prob if you were off sick or left and they can send you payslips or other documents. All very normal.

Oh and NI number obviously necessary to pay you.

Legally required ID to prove your right to work.
Sounds like a good job they've been hired!!

All of these things are necessary and completely normal requests

thanks everyone! Yes, he is very good at his job. Probably what we need to get us all in order. @LIZS no, no dbs or financial checks needed!

I worked for a company for years

Then we were requested to all provide our driving licenses, none of us had company cars, but could have perhaps needed to hire a car to attend a meeting

I think it was also to check for points on the license & address too

I've always given passport and NI number as well as personal email for every job I've had

I've never given personal email address, only to whatever agency is dealing with onboarding me.
Passport and driving license normal for ID and proof of right to work. Though should have option for alternative second form of ID to driving license.

Can't imagine they don't have your NI number, given it'll be on all your payslips.

You could create an email address to give them.

@jay55

I've never given personal email address, only to whatever agency is dealing with onboarding me. Passport and driving license normal for ID and proof of right to work. Though should have option for alternative second form of ID to driving license.

Can't imagine they don't have your NI number, given it'll be on all your payslips.

You could create an email address to give them.

Why would you not want to give your email address so they can contact you but you're no doubt happy to give a telephone number, what do you think they're going to do with it other than send you a message if needed 🤔🤔

I don't really see why the drivers license is necessary if there is no driving involved at all.

@Rewis

I don't really see why the drivers license is necessary if there is no driving involved at all.

Proof of address - because your passport doesn’t have it.

@FeedTheW0rlds8 if the job is not carrying out criminal background checks and the employee is not driving as part of the job checking for points it unlawful data collection.

If the job is collecting data for a reason that should be stated to the employee.
So using the DL for background checks is separate from using it as proof of address.
If only employees with a DL can use the Car Park ditto.

@QuestionOf I am guessing that the company don't have good written procedures around data collection (yet). The request should be linked to a written policy explain what is collected and why.
E.g. is the personal email address being used instead of a postal address.

@Evelyn52 it the question of what the email is used for I believe there was a thread about a manager using personal emails to contact employees over a weekend about a Mondsy morning work issue and wanting to sanction the employees for not responding.

Generally it would be good practice to collect all the essential data again (e.g. NI number) as it provides proof that it was collected, that it was supplied directly by the employee and due to this is correct as at time of collection.

Limiting proof of address to a DL can be direct discrimination e.g. some people can't drive due to medical conditions.

We have to provide driving licence even if not driving for the job. Duty of care apparently for us traveling to and from work

Maybe they are planning on emailing payslips going forward?

@junecat

We have to provide driving licence even if not driving for the job. Duty of care apparently for us traveling to and from work

Maybe they are planning on emailing payslips going forward?

Interesting do you know what the justification is?

Do you have staff working away from the office using it as a base?

If you don't use their property for parking can you refuse?

How far should duty of care extent e.g. you use public transport or are driven do you have to produce the DL of whom ever drives you to work?

they must have your NI number already for payroll

I don't understand reason for driving licence - UNLESS driving is part of your job.
But it could be that emplyees need to drive on business really occasionally on business in their own car- maybe dropping something to the office, not client facing. Checking to see you had a driving licence with each incident could be a real PITA.

Personal email address - given that snail mail so rarely used, it's not unreasonable that they have a method of contacting you in a personal capacity. Got v hacked off with recent employer that sent my final payslip and P45 to my work email

Passport - fairly standard as proof or right to work in the uk - I think the requiement to check was introduced about twelve years ago. I don't recollect if there was a requirement to do retrospective checks at the time, but doesn't seem overly intrusive.

ThinWomansBrain the problem with asking for a DL at a fixed point when dealing with employees who drive as part of their role is a that it's a fixed point in time. I could supply a DL and subsequently lose driving privileges.

So if the data is collected an employer needs to have a policy where the obligation is on the employee to update the employer if the DL status changes.

Motor accidents kill people so the employer also needs to have a policy and look at disiplinary processes for misconduct if carrying out a driving role if the driver or motor vehicle is not "road worthy".

The PITA for an employer is that there is a whole raft of legislation around driving and transportation of people or property which was aimed at the transport industry but could still be relevant to employers who allow employees to drive as part of their role.

I would think there are alternative ways to prove your address than flat out ask for drivers license.

To be fair, I don't really understand the need to have have address in the drivers license and getting a new license when you move. But then again I'm from somewhere where the prof of address is not a thing so I'll just happily follow 😃

I'd expect that when they ask you to share these the HR manager would also hand you the GDPR paperwork to explain what the items were needed for, and how long they would be retained.

I wouldn't offer my personal email address, and see no justification for supplying this in advance. I do hope it's not to profile social media etc.

On the other docs they might be requested to prove name and address but again I don't see the need for those specific documents. They could ask for a government-issued document with name and address but this could be a combination of Tax, Passport, Driving licence etc. Remember you might never have applied for a passport or driving licence.

Were in personal email address is needed to allow password resets for work accounts.

@Rewis

I would think there are alternative ways to prove your address than flat out ask for drivers license.

To be fair, I don't really understand the need to have have address in the drivers license and getting a new license when you move. But then again I'm from somewhere where the prof of address is not a thing so I'll just happily follow 😃

The DL address is for the police to send you tickets, and where to start looking for you if you don't pay.

I don't think I've ever had to supply my passport or personal email address to my employer. Been employed by them for over 20 years.