Originally posted by Wanderer
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I don't have a problem with demanding identification from a worker I engage or having a client demand identification from me as long as they are reasonable about it. Generally, I'll present my passport on the first day or at the interview, they can take a copy and we're done.
That's not a problem at all, the guidance is pretty clear and comprehensive about which documents are acceptable. Just present the documents required from that list and you're good to go. If the poor dears don't understand that then too sad for them, I'd send them a link to the guidance tell them to go and talk to their boss about it because I wasn't going to argue the point with them.
Yeah, but we aren't employees, are we so the law doesn't apply? Well, the truth is that we really don't know because our employment status is a grey area and ultimately up to the courts to decide. The thing to focus our attention on this is that there is a civil penalty of £10,000 per illegal worker employed if you get caught so if you are taking someone on then maybe you'd want to do the checks anyway just to be on the safe side?
Except if they were born here or (apparently) grew up here, you don't need to see their papers, do you? I mean, they'll be fine, they're British, innit. Or are they? Being born in the UK doesn't automatically make you British. Yeah, but someone with a thick accent who has clearly not lived in the UK for more than a year according to their CV, what about them? What if they are African, Asian or from somewhere a little bit too far to east of Europe. Oh yeah, we'd check them out, hell yeah.
Next thing, someone takes exception to you suggesting that they aren't entitled to live and work in the UK and points out that you are being racialist discriminating against them.
So the bottom line is that you just treat everyone the same and check everyone's credentials and be done with it. Stops people giving false names and doing a runner too....
That's not a problem at all, the guidance is pretty clear and comprehensive about which documents are acceptable. Just present the documents required from that list and you're good to go. If the poor dears don't understand that then too sad for them, I'd send them a link to the guidance tell them to go and talk to their boss about it because I wasn't going to argue the point with them.
Yeah, but we aren't employees, are we so the law doesn't apply? Well, the truth is that we really don't know because our employment status is a grey area and ultimately up to the courts to decide. The thing to focus our attention on this is that there is a civil penalty of £10,000 per illegal worker employed if you get caught so if you are taking someone on then maybe you'd want to do the checks anyway just to be on the safe side?
Except if they were born here or (apparently) grew up here, you don't need to see their papers, do you? I mean, they'll be fine, they're British, innit. Or are they? Being born in the UK doesn't automatically make you British. Yeah, but someone with a thick accent who has clearly not lived in the UK for more than a year according to their CV, what about them? What if they are African, Asian or from somewhere a little bit too far to east of Europe. Oh yeah, we'd check them out, hell yeah.
Next thing, someone takes exception to you suggesting that they aren't entitled to live and work in the UK and points out that you are being racialist discriminating against them.
So the bottom line is that you just treat everyone the same and check everyone's credentials and be done with it. Stops people giving false names and doing a runner too....
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