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Original poster

Ridiculous security request

88 replies

Aposterhasnoname · 21/07/2023 11:38

DH has a new job, they’ve brought a security company in to do back ground checks. Way over the top for the type of job, but whatever. Having been asked for, and miraculously providing, the contracts and resignation acceptance letters for his last four jobs, they are now asking for “proof of school years”, WTF, it was over 40 years ago, they already have his O level certificate.

Anyone got any experience with this, what’s likely to happen when he can’t provide anything? It was a bog standard secondary, it’s not like he’s claiming he went to Eton or anything.

OP posts:
UsingChangeofName · 21/07/2023 12:09

I've not had it, but it must be 'normal'. I mean, which of us could ?
I certainly couldn't have produced the contracts and resignation acceptance letters for his last four jobs so I think he is further on that most.

I would just suggest he asks them exactly what it is they are looking for.

SmartHome · 21/07/2023 12:12

The only thing I could produce to prove I went to school is exam certificates and a year book! What other proof is there? Or give them the name of the school and they can ask them for an academic transcript. I'd be amazed if the school can produce it now 40y later though as likely to be paper based then.

Badbadbunny · 21/07/2023 12:14

Just leave it blank or make reference to the O level certs.

It's just a standard form, so different parts will be relevant to different people.

Obviously, the younger the applicant, things like school and school quals will be more relevant, but for older applicants, more weight will be placed on more recent jobs etc.

Missingthegore · 21/07/2023 12:16

That is excessive and irrational.

Original poster
Aposterhasnoname · 21/07/2023 12:20

Thanks for answering. I’m relieved to hear others wouldn’t be able to prove school years either. On the email they’ve put letter of offer of a school place, and graduation certificate. Who the hell keeps their school offer letter for 40 years, and graduation certificates aren’t a thing for secondary school, or they certainly weren’t 40 years ago. We’re lucky he’s a bit of a hoarder and had his old contracts. If it were me there’d be no chance.

I guess he’ll just have to say he’s got nothing and see what happens.

OP posts:
Original poster
Aposterhasnoname · 21/07/2023 12:22

Badbadbunny · 21/07/2023 12:14

Just leave it blank or make reference to the O level certs.

It's just a standard form, so different parts will be relevant to different people.

Obviously, the younger the applicant, things like school and school quals will be more relevant, but for older applicants, more weight will be placed on more recent jobs etc.

He’s filled in the form and put “I don’t have this” as the answer for this part. They have specifically emailed him back asking for it.

OP posts:
MrsDanversGlidesAgain · 21/07/2023 12:22

These companies ask for ridiculously OTT info. In exjob I was made permanent after years of temping and they asked for dates of every temp job (some of them a few weeks) and when I said I hadn't kept a record of every job they wanted me to account for all the weeks when I wasn't working (going back years) by asking my friends to back up that I wasn't at work; as if I kept everyone updated on the minutiae of my work life.

WeWereInParis · 21/07/2023 12:25

the contracts and resignation acceptance letters for his last four jobs

What? I didn't even get resignation acceptance letters I don't think.

As for proof of schooling - exam results are effectively proof of that, surely?? Why would they need more than that "yes we can see you have fantastic exam results and qualifications, but we really need confirmation you attended year 7"

Heyhoherewegoagain · 21/07/2023 12:26

on the face of its it’s quite amusing but I’d be asking in terms of GDPR what they ntend doing with this information

DailyMaui · 21/07/2023 12:30

It is for a role abroad? When I was offered a job abroad it took ages for them to realise that I just didn't have all the historical documents they wanted. I'd been working there for months and I kept having to say 'sorry but my old school is now luxury flats, I cannot get any evidence from them that I attended there for three years." They wanted evidence from both secondary schools that I had gone there and it was impossible.

At one point the head of our whole section, who was South African, came barrelling out of her office saying "what is it about you brits and documents? Why are you all missing so many?" But that was because they asked for things that were really uncommon for us to have.

Mind you, they wanted my exam certificates AFTER I'd accepted the job and moved there and I had to admit they were locked up somewhere in the garage back in England as no one had even looked at them since I was 20 or so.

Original poster
Aposterhasnoname · 21/07/2023 12:34

It’s a company with an international presence, but very much uk based. The security company is American though. It’s the fact that they’ve specifically emailed him asking for it despite already being told he doesn’t have it, that gets me.

OP posts:
MadamWhiteleigh · 21/07/2023 12:42

I think these companies ask for EVERYTHING with the idea of getting as much as possible to work with. They don’t expect to get it all.

Though it does sound US-specific, talking about graduation certificates for school. They must understand that the UK is different?

MoralOrLegal · 21/07/2023 12:44

In American English, "school" tends to mean "university" unless otherwise specified! Not sure if that's what they're thinking?

movingstars · 21/07/2023 12:44

Heyhoherewegoagain · 21/07/2023 12:26

on the face of its it’s quite amusing but I’d be asking in terms of GDPR what they ntend doing with this information

Absolutely this… unless he’s applying for a role with MI5 I would question how the data will be used, shared and stored.

Coyoacan · 21/07/2023 12:45

How weird. Are they trying to weed out people who were home-schooled?

I lost my O-level certificate yonks ago

MoralOrLegal · 21/07/2023 12:45

A friend of mine works for GCHQ, and the vetting procedure there wasn't as detailed!

FadeAwayAndRadiate · 21/07/2023 12:46

Blimey. I don't think I have seen my school certificates since the early 1990s! (I left mid 1980s.) I have never ever EVER been asked for them.

Original poster
Aposterhasnoname · 21/07/2023 12:47

MoralOrLegal · 21/07/2023 12:44

In American English, "school" tends to mean "university" unless otherwise specified! Not sure if that's what they're thinking?

Maybe, but he didn’t go to uni and hadn’t claimed to.

LOL at GCHQ being less stringent though.

OP posts:
Fallenangelofthenorth · 21/07/2023 12:52

Crikey! I wouldn't be able to provide any of this information. I didn't realise you were supposed to keep this stuff

MrsDanversGlidesAgain · 21/07/2023 12:53

At one point the head of our whole section, who was South African, came barrelling out of her office saying "what is it about you brits and documents? Why are you all missing so many?"

NGL my reply would have been 'because I grew up in a liberal democracy and not an apartheid state where I had to prove what race I was to be treated as a citizen.'

loislovesstewie · 21/07/2023 12:55

And we don't 'graduate from high school', we leave secondary education. We don't have graduation certificates for that. I knew it was an American firm as soon as that was said.

CrabbiesGingerBeer · 21/07/2023 13:01

loislovesstewie · 21/07/2023 12:55

And we don't 'graduate from high school', we leave secondary education. We don't have graduation certificates for that. I knew it was an American firm as soon as that was said.

He will just have to tell them he went to a UK school and we don’t have graduation certificates.

I would have no chance of producing a school place offer letter (if I ever got one. Did we do that in the U.K. 30/40 years ago?).

greenacrylicpaint · 21/07/2023 13:03

I have enhanced security clearance and had to prove my whereabouts without gaps since birth for that.
but the wording was very different.
and for a weird few months between studying and working a self declaration was accepted.

cocksstrideintheevening · 21/07/2023 13:03

Have recently been through similar. Fucking ridiculous. I'm adopted. They wanted my birth parents names and addresses. Cos yeah, I've got that.

JoeyRamoney · 21/07/2023 13:18

I once was in final interview stage with Google who wanted my GCSE results! I had to email the school and then the examining bodies....

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