[Dony]

I've been asked by an employer to give my Passport number as apparently it is some sort of requirement for the in house payroll system.

Has anyone ever heard of this before?

[Phil57]

I take it that you mean your employer, after all why would any other employer want any information from you!!

As to your question, its laughable, what if you don't have a passport?
I would suggest that it more to do with immigrant employees, to check that they are who they say they are, and from what country.

I would, if you are a British national, politely tell the employer to get stuffed.

I take it your employment does not involve foreign travel?

[Bursar]

Sounds a bit odd for it to be a payroll requirement. Maybe they're confused? I think there are now regulations in place that mean you have to prove that either you're a UK citizen, or have a valid work permit, and the passport is usually the best form of ID for that.

If you haven't got a passport, then your birth certificate, NI card, P45/P60 should be fine.

I would, if you are a British national, politely tell the employer to get stuffed.

And the employer would then tell you to get stuffed. There are strict penalties in place for companies employing illegal immigrants, and if you are not willing to help them verify that you are entitled to work here, then you'll have to take the consequences and join the unemployment line.

[Mr_Wistles]

Originally Posted by Dony

I've been asked by an employer to give my Passport number as apparently it is some sort of requirement for the in house payroll system.

Has anyone ever heard of this before?

Are you a contractor or a temporary member of staff?

If so it is a legal requirement for the agent to have a copy of your passport.

[Phil57]

Originally Posted by Bursar

Sounds a bit odd for it to be a payroll requirement. Maybe they're confused? I think there are now regulations in place that mean you have to prove that either you're a UK citizen, or have a valid work permit, and the passport is usually the best form of ID for that.

If you haven't got a passport, then your birth certificate, NI card, P45/P60 should be fine.


And the employer would then tell you to get stuffed. There are strict penalties in place for companies employing illegal immigrants, and if you are not willing to help them verify that you are entitled to work here, then you'll have to take the consequences and join the unemployment line.

.........as you said, P45, P60, NI card, one or two of which the employer is entitled to see for other purposes anyway, an employer that demands to see a document that they are NOT entitled to nor need to see, and which the employee may not even hold should be told to get stuffed, how can ANY employer make it a requirement for the employee to provide his or her passport number and produce the passport.
Should the legally employed employee be dismissed because he or she is unable to provide-produce the document? I think not.
The passport is the property of the UK government, the individual has paid for it, (its not cheap!!) it is not needed for employment purposes, unless of coarse the employment involves foreign travel.

This assumes that the employee is a UK national.

[Dony]

Originally Posted by Phil57

I take it that you mean your employer, after all why would any other employer want any information from you!!

I would, if you are a British national, politely tell the employer to get stuffed.

I take it your employment does not involve foreign travel?

It is my employer, but I have more than 1

All members of staff have been asked the same, including the directors. My job can involve foreign travel, but it's not very frequent.

I will be questioning it tomorrow, and the fact that although a UK citizen, I only have an Irish passport so I can't see how that will be of any use to them.

Originally Posted by Mr_Wistles

Are you a contractor or a temporary member of staff?

If so it is a legal requirement for the agent to have a copy of your passport.

I'm full time on the PAYE system with this particular company, but my role is more of a contract one.
It's complicated.

[Phil57]

Originally Posted by Mr_Wistles

Are you a contractor or a temporary member of staff?

If so it is a legal requirement for the agent to have a copy of your passport.

Not wanting to argue, but are you sure?

[wormvortex]

I had to show my current passport when I applied for my job and I've been a UK citizen my entire life. The reason was to prove I was allowed to work in the UK and a passport is apparently the easiest way in which to do this.

[fencer90]

Are you of the Polish persuasion

[Dony]

Originally Posted by fencer90

Are you of the Polish persuasion

Me?....no...UK (N.I)

[unique]

a passport isn't required for payroll

an employer is required to check an employee is legally allowed to work in the UK, and the two recognised ways to check, are a passport, OR a birth certificate AND one of the following P45, P60 or NI number

the passport is the easiest check as it has a photo to confirm ID, whereas a birth certificate, P45, P60 etc doesn't

perhaps the person is requesting this data as payroll is taking care of the HR/legal requirement, whereas the person employing you should be doing this (ie. line manager), as they will be the person seeing you face to face to confirm the passport matches your face

a passport number means nothing really, as far as i'm aware i don't think anyone can check this unless they are part of the government or something. they could be confused with NI number

[domtheone]

Originally Posted by wormvortex

I had to show my current passport when I applied for my job and I've been a UK citizen my entire life. The reason was to prove I was allowed to work in the UK and a passport is apparently the easiest way in which to do this.

Yep.

This is normal course (well for agencies anyway) these days.