Was it normal practice for this company to take passports from their staff? The only person I would willingly hand my own passport to would be working at a customs point - and God help the customs guard who fails to hand it back.
If there was some procedural need to see (and possibly copy) my passport - there would be a definitive requirement - which means it would be officially written down on some piece of company paperwork.
Go back to the offices of this company - if they are not forthcoming with your passport, call in immigration and the police. Let them fight their corner from the front-pages of The Daily Mail.
A genuine British passport sells for hundreds on the black market.
You shouldn't have to pay for their negligence - but you will probably have to! At the end of the day it is their word against yours, and if they insist that it was returned to you then there is very little that you can legally do about it.
A passport is an important legal document. The company was negligent in not keeping it safe, but you also have to accept some responsibility here: a) You should never have left the passport with them - you should have asked them to take a copy and give it straight back to you, and b) You have let this matter go on for far too long. Days would have been irresponsible on your behalf - months is totally ridiculous!
From what you say, I have no doubt that it has been lost, destroyed or simply disposed of. But can you prove that? Like I said, their word against yours.
Smyths is a large store with many branches
http://www.smythstoys.com/Store_Locator....
Start talking to the area or head office.
Yes, in the UK it is standard practice to take a copy of the passport
https://www.gov.uk/check-an-employees-ri... - see here
(as part of showing that store checked you were legal to work in the UK)
however, that should be done in days
Yes, you may believe it has been thrown out
but you need proof that the company 'ever' had it in the first place
-> you have no reciept.
Lesson 1 : make a copy yourself and give them the copy
(yes show the original passport, but you copy the ID page, and visa if needed)
Lesson 2: if you need to make copy - go with them and stay with your passport at all times Or do as (1), you make the copy.
Best plan
WRITE a letter to the store and another copy to Head office HR department
- tell them that they have had your passport since the day you started
- that you are requesting the return of the passport inside 7 days
- if you do not get the passport, you will report it "lost / Stolen"
and expect the company to pay 'all' your costs to replace it.
(and yes, are prepared to use the small claims court to recover this)
But your biggest problem is finding witnesses
and evidence that it was ever given to the company (even if it is standard practice - you have no proof)
If the police are now helping you - listen to them, and follow their advice
You are responsible for keeping your passport on your person. You should never have given it to the - if they wanted a scan/copy, you could have done that yourself. God knows where your passport is now, and what its' been used for - anyone that sketchy could have already sold it (passports are worth money for people looking to fake an identity.)
TL, DR.
You need to report the passport as missing/stolen. NOW!
https://www.gov.uk/report-a-lost-or-stol...
cut a long story short...
I worked at SMYTHS TOY STORE for 6 months (before I decided to leave as the management where none existent!)
I was asked when I started working there for my passport for a routine scan/to file a copy in the office.
a week passed and i asked for it back, a month passed, 2 months passed, 3,4,5,6 months passed.... i was told by all the managers/assistant managers "leave it with me" anyway they never got back to me.
a manager got sacked and new one replaced 3 weeks before i left.
i was told recently by a fellow ex staff member that he gutted the staff room and threw things away!
before I left I asked again but to no provable.
i rang and went into smyths last week (3 months after I left) and the assistant manager said they haven't got it, apparently...
assistant manager (that I handed the passport to) says she has never seen it!
and she then said (changed her story) the manager gave it me back... but when I confronted the manager with this (because we both know that is not true) he said no he didn't hand it to me and he has been looking for it for a while.
basically I believe they have lost/thrown it out.
I just want to know what I can do next? can I make them pay for a new one? its going to cost me ￡100 for a new one!!! I don't think I should have to pay for there lack of management filing skills!
please advice would be great.
all the staff are shitty with me over the phone (I feel like I am talking to a hormonal 12 year old with attitude when I talk to the assistant manager!) so I requested a call back from the area manager, I have also rang police that said if I don't get a reply off area manager then they will open a case of negligence
please help
