They DO NOT need to hold a copy of your passport if you are opted out.

[craig1]

I keep hearing this about major banks. I've contracted at 3 major banks in the past 6 years and not once been asked for my passport or had to prove my ID in those cases.

That's a fair point that I've been very reluctant to point out to clients. The greatest majority of those agencies that have requested a copy of my passport have never seen me so can't tell whether I'm just pretending to be someone else. The original passport matched to my real face is a genuine ID check, a scanned copy and never seeing me is not.

Throughout the years I've been contracting, I've turned up at everything from finance companies to law firms to insurance firms and been able to access ridiculously confidential stuff with my contractor log-in without having to ever prove my ID or credentials to anyone.

[nomadd]

More worryingly we have an agent who has in this thread said he doesn't give a toss what the law is, if he was to employ me he would want a copy of my passport to keep on file. Surely that's a worrying statement that goes to prove that people really need to start standing up for themselves and reasserting their rights

I agree with your sentiment wholeheartedly. But the problem is, your sentiment is a route to spending an awful long time on the bench. My last four roles have all been in Banking; without a passport copy for the agency, the checking agency, and the Bank, you wouldn't have got past stage one. It's one thing to have principles, but to turn down £500k+ worth of business because of them is foolhardy.

Yes, I agree that most of this checking and paperwork is both needless and senseless, but that's the way it is unfortunately. If UK working practices were sensible, then as a British citizen "born and bred", I'd have no problems applying for and getting SC (or higher) clearance; but as we all know, it's only easy to get SC clearance if you are Indian working for an Indian software house who is sponsoring you application. If you are British, you are far too high a risk to be working on British projects... Go figure.

Also, what realistic risk do you think this "copy of your passport" is opening you up to? Your identity can be forged a myriad of ways, and stopping an agency from having a photocopy of your passport is hardly going to make much of a difference, is it? As I say, I agree with you sentiment wholeheartedly, but that unfortunately is the way business is done in this country these days. Make a "stand" and "assert" yourself by all means, but plan for a very short working life and very poor retirement fund if that's what you chose to do. Sad, but true.

[nomadd]

Throughout the years I've been contracting, I've turned up at everything from finance companies to law firms to insurance firms and been able to access ridiculously confidential stuff with my contractor log-in without having to ever prove my ID or credentials to anyone.

Then you have been very lucky!

For the first 17 years of my contracting career, what you said was true. But in the last 5 years, forget it. Last four roles have ALL insisted on bringing my original passport in on day 1; and the client has always taken a photo-copy.

Two contracts ago, I was sat with another contractor waiting for someone to "pick us up from reception" on day 1. He mentioned to me he'd forgotten his passport. He didn't think that would be a problem as he'd worked there before. It was a problem; they removed him from the building immediately and said he couldn't come back in until he had passport in hand.

Maybe I've just been unlucky, but that's my experience recently, that things have changed dramatically over the last 5 years.

[Paddy]

Passport as ID is pointless

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[Ardesco]

I've always refused to let agents have a copy of my passport. I always tell them that they can meet me in person to validate that it is real, and that I am the person in the picture and every time they have climbed down after initially spouting some rubbish about it's a legal requirement.

I am also doing well with the contracts and have no bench issues despite taking a stand.

I like to think that I am doing my bit in educating agency legal departments.

[Wanderer]

Passport as ID is pointless

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So you can get fake ones and some bolshie twit refuses to give me a copy of theirs (because it's a fake). When the tulip hits the fan, I say "I saw his passport" but the worker refuses to present the fake one to the Police/Immigration. It's your word against theirs and they just deny that they ever had a fake passport, "they never asked to see any ID".

On the other hand, if you can produce a copy of the document produced by the worker you can give it to the Police. The question now is did the worker produce a fake document or did the employer/client create a fake document themselves for their files? I can tell you which scenario the courts would consider more likely, especially if all the documents for your other workers are all above board.

[SueEllen]

So you can get fake ones and some bolshie twit refuses to give me a copy of theirs (because it's a fake). When the tulip hits the fan, I say "I saw his passport" but the worker refuses to present the fake one to the Police/Immigration. It's your word against theirs and they just deny that they ever had a fake passport, "they never asked to see any ID".

Not if you are saying I saw his passport, didn't bother to go and meet the "bolshie twit" in person and happily allowed him to start working on receipt of an unverified scanned or photocopied page of the passport.

As regardless of the number of copies of passports you have on file that aren't fakes, your method of verifying that the workers you hire have a right to work in the UK doesn't comply with UK Border Agency (Home Office) methods to prevent illegal workers.

Edited to say: All they tend to do is fine you anyway. And it's often cheaper to pay the fine of £5-10K then to spend money hiring lawyers to fight your case if it goes to court.

[The Agents View]

How illegal does something have to become for it not to be alright any more...

Well in this case, it has to actually be illegal. Which asking for, and having a copy of your passport, is not.

As for the other point about not giving a toss. I can see your point of view, but I don't make up the processes we have to go through to get you working - I just manage thier completion. I don't give a damm what the law says, because at the end of the day, my superiors dictate that we have to have the information on file. To be honest, I want an easy life, so if you fail to provide me with the information I require, I will simply find someone who will - it's not as if people are thin on the ground at the moment - the bench is creaking!

[malvolio]

ll - it's not as if people are thin on the ground at the moment - the bench is creaking!

Yes, but lightening very rapidly indeed. You guys are going to have to start working for your money again in the next six months or so... Hope you're ready for it!

[SorenLorensen]

I will simply find someone who will - it's not as if people are thin on the ground at the moment - the bench is creaking!

How does that add value to the client? They go through the process of sifting CVs, interviews, find someone they want, then don't get them because of an admin issue at your side, so have to go through the process again? Who is this helping exactly?