HR issues around maiden/married name

[BrrrrItsGottenChilly]

I got married a few years ago and didn’t immediately change my name. However after my kids came along I decided to change to my husband’s surname for domestic stuff and altered my passport, bank account, electoral roll etc. I kept my maiden name at work as I built up a career and I didn’t want to have to start over. This was never a problem until my current employer logged me on their electronic staff records system under my married name and when I queried it they said it had to be that because that is what It said on my passport and bank acccount. My email is still in my maiden name and that is how everyone at work knows me. I’ve now been offered a new job (applied using maiden name) and realised there is going to be confusion over the reference from my current employer. How have others managed this? Was it changing my passport that was the error and should I get it altered again to include both names even though I don’t want to be double barrelled (2 long names so would sound ridiculous). Or even back to my maiden name since I’ll need it for ID for future employers mainly? Sorry for long and confusing post but I really would appreciate some advice as I don’t want to have this issue each time I move jobs...

Your employer will need to carry out right to work checks (which usually involve your passport), and also pay you correctly - so that will need the name that matches whatever bank account you have.

Also, your tax and NI need to end up against the correct name with HMRC.

Maintaining two surnames in the workplace must be a serious faff - is it really essential?

Mind you, I always feel careers only exist in one's own head - but then I have never had a role that is particularly global etc.

I have had a lot of name changes due to marriage young and then divorce and hating my maiden name!! As far as I can tell you need to legally declare your name that is on your passport etc as this will allow work to tie everything together with HMRC etc. But I think legally you are also entitled to use your maiden name for things if you have been known by that previously as long as you make work aware. It wouldn’t take much for work to have you on their system as “Ms Chilly” if this is what you are always known as and then have “Mrs Brrrr” also logged on your record for official things. As far as I know it’s quite common for people to continue to use Maiden name for work purposes if it will affect their reputation/ history if they change. Speak to HR at the new place ASAP and make it clear you have the right to use both as one is on birth certificate and one is from marriage. They should be fine!

HR should able to cope fine. After all
It’s not difficult to evidence both names you just need birth certificate and marriage certificate.

I know several women who changed their names when they got married but kept their maiden name at work, it’s not uncommon.

I use both names, hyphenated. That way if someone's only reading one, it is there in my current name so hopefully they can put 2 and 2 together

Just add a note on your application, or get HR to add it saying, "my married names is X but for work purposes I use my maiden mane, Y".

Many many actors / TV people use stage names, this is no different.

This is very common in academia. Just take your marriage certificate in with your passport etc and explain you use your maiden name professionally.

Thanks so much for all your replies. Really helpful. I thought it should be easy but my current employer seems to have caused the problem. As you suggest I’ll try to get them to add the other name onto my records where I am now, so there is that link, and take my passport and marriage certificate to my new HR team.
I know it must seem to many people like a bit of a self indulgent faff to keep both but as someone who built up a career in one field and then switched to a linked but slightly different type of work, having that continuity has proved so useful in the past that I’m reluctant to change things now. Thanks again all.

It’s not in the least self indulgent.

You’ve built up a reputation under one name and you want to maintain it.

Meanwhile you like having the same name as your DH and any future children.

Seems perfectly reasonable to me and not the least uncommon.

Topcat is right, it will have happened because your right to work documentation is in your married name. There is not usually a problem with being known by another name so I don't see how your current employers has caused any problems though?

If your bank will accept either name then there is no problem but I would check this tbh as this may be the only sticking point in future.

Thanks. I’ll check with the bank too. So grateful for the advice and support.

I think this is becoming more difficult not less. I have been married over 30 years but have always used my maiden name at work, but all documentation in.married name. This means my pay slips are in my maiden name, going into a bank account in my married name. Of course, my NI number is the common thread. I must have come to the attention of the authorities once as receiving child benefit ( before means testing). The response that was most effective was to ask them how they handled the then PM's wife (Booth / Blair).

As a HR practitioner, I would check passport and marriage certificate if needed. It’s no big deal as long as I have evidence to support the name given for your bank account so I can pay you and when booking travel overseas we have the correct name.

I'm also an HR practitioner, it's not unusual to have a 'known as' option in HR systems. I'm surprised this is an issue.

(I didn't change my name at all when I married, v simply option ime)

I changed my name at work and at HMRC, realised what a faff it was and gave up. So all my financial stuff, bank accounts and pension,are in my maiden name. But I get paid, andI pay tax, in my married name. Never been a problem.

So heartening to hear this is no big deal at most places. My current employer seems to make simple things very complicated. My contract is in my maiden name but on the electronic records i don’t exist at all when you search for me by that name. I’ve been told that I have to fill in a form for payroll and get my manager to certify a copy of my marriage certificate just to get it put back to my maiden name (even though they had all the details and copied everything when I joined which was 7 years after my marriage!). Knowing that I’m just doing the same as countless others has definitely given me the determination to sort it out once and for all though!

If you want to use your birth name at work, you need a matching bank account so you can be paid that name. You will need to check that your NI/tax record tallies up (it works from the number, not the name, so should be OK, but it's always good to make sure it's in order than have a nasty shock later) plus you need to check pension name.

It helps if you make your own travel bookings, if your passport is in new name, because it reduces error (as admin staff might forget you have two names) and it really helps if you have a credit card which matches your passport.

It is a bit of a PITA to run two names without hitches. But it's totally possible, you just need to check it's set up in a way that is friendly to The System and works in a way you are happy with.

I chose to stay with my birth name on everything, and don't really use my married name at all. If I want to use it socially (as you do domestically) then I just use it with no supporting documents (as no-one ever needs to check and I found that way round to be far simpler).

My DMum did this back in the 50s, btw. It was considerably easier then, as her job did not involve foreign travel, and identity checks were nowhere near as extensive.

You can call yourself what you want. This is really very common.

Ethel, I get paid into a bank account in my married name. Never had a problem. I also get regular pension statements / predictions and am paid up for my state pension so it all works. No problem with travel in this country now. Years ago you used to get some receptionists look you up and down when you presented your married name credit card for extras for a maiden name booking - no problem these days. Very little international travel for me so I just book flights myself and claim back. I do have photo ID in both names, passport and rail pass in married name and security checked work ID pass in maiden name. I think if I were making the decision on names today, I would seriously consider not changing anything, but having travelled a lot with my child without my husband, passport control would be a problem in some countries - especially those which seem to restrict women's freedom.

Passport office have a section on the form now to add comments.

Lots of my friends are in this situation they all have comments printed in "also known as Dr. first name maiden name" or if passport is still in maiden name "also known as Mrs first name married name".

Thanks for the great advice all. I had no idea about that passport section but will definitely do this when I renew it or if I have further issues.