How to Handle Address Proof Challenges for Employees Without Direct Documentation?

Dear ALL,

A big hello...

Please inform on the following and kindly treat as urgent (tons of thanks).

We (HR Dept) asked employees for Address Proof (Electricity bill, Telephone/mobile bill, Driving license, Voter ID card, Ration card) as a part of personal file maintenance. Now there are some exceptions:

1. One employee does not have the above-mentioned proof in her name, living in a rented house, and she has only her mom to care for. A relationship can be established with her father, but since he is no longer alive, no collateral relation can be established. She also has no evidence like a monthly rent bill or an agreement between the landlord and them.

2. One employee, just married, has no proof directly in her name to prove the address. Also, the bank (though having a joint account for the salary of her husband) has the address of her husband's previous employer, so bank verification also fails as address proof. Furthermore, she mentions that it will take 1 month for the PAN card to be delivered to us.

Kindly help me in CLEARLY explaining what should one do in this situation and what are other alternatives? Also, please mention the relevance of notarization and how it is done, like the procedure and WHAT is notarized?

I am posting this because there are differences in notarization aspects, i.e., notarization is valid for corroborative evidence also, i.e., the husband's address proof is a valid one for the wife to produce as her address proof (are such things valid?).

I think if this could be sorted by HR + legal professionals???

Thank you.

Why are you going into her husband's account details and her personal life details? What you need is address proof. She already mentioned that there is nothing of that sort as she is living in a rented house, etc. She also mentioned that she will submit her PAN card in a month. Can't you wait for a month until she submits the PAN card, or is it so important for your company that this address proof is a big issue?

Hi,

1. Ask them to fill PVF (Police Verification Form) if it's really urgent. Otherwise, give them some time.
2. The landlord can write a letter mentioning that they are staying at their house, and they can get it attested by any gazetted officer with a seal. It is valid.

Hope you find the solution.

Thanks & Regards,
Manish Mishra

Thank you to all experienced friends for the humble advice. We are currently in the HR implementation phase and are focused on getting things done efficiently to progress to the next phase.

I would appreciate your insights on the following matter: Is notarization valid for corroborative evidence, such as a husband's address proof being acceptable for a wife to use as her own address proof? Are such practices considered valid?

Thank you and regards to all.

PAllUV

This is the typical style in which we live. We start many things without doing a proper study of the situation. Sometimes it may be for a simple reason that we want to do something new, which may be exciting on the thought.

We talk a lot about employee collaboration, building trust, long-term association, etc. Employer pays to the employee based on his/her capabilities. It is a mutual agreement where one stays is purely an individual's decision.

I am commenting on this as my company also asks for proof of residence ever since they increased the house rent allowance. None of the lady staff could produce this as it is either in their husband's or father's name.

All is fine. Can anyone explain why is it needed? Is it a must? Why can't we maintain some other details like employees and their family members' birthdays, send them greetings, and make them feel happy to be a part of the family? After all, we write the management system.

For address proof, any of the following documents are sufficient:

1. Passport
2. Voter ID card
3. Ration Card
4. Driving License
5. Rent Agreement (for rented)
6. Mobile Bills (for postpaid connection)

If you have any of these documents, your purpose will be served.

Bibek Banerjee

Kindly provide your noble views on this too:

Notarization is valid for corroborative evidence also, i.e., a husband's address proof is a valid one for the wife to produce as address proof for her. Are such things valid?

Thanks and regards,
PAllUV

Dear Pallavi,

In the case of a married female, you may take her husband's proof along with her marriage certificate. That should be enough for her address proof.

Regarding the one who stays in the rented apartment, there must be something like a credit card statement or bank statement. Try to check if there is any bill she receives in her name. If she is still unable to produce anything, ask her to send an email to you stating the address and the reason she is unable to produce. You may file that email for records. That should be sufficient.

Hi,

Yes, the address proof of the husband is valid. If any supportive documents are needed, then an affidavit or proof of marriage is required.

Regards,
Venugopal Dodda

Respected all,

Please inform if, for the purpose of personal file maintenance, permanent proof or present proof is required. Also, in regards to the email from my dear friend, kindly inform if nothing can be produced for the purpose of any proof, is a written statement from the employee stating the insufficiency to provide the documents enough to serve the purpose.

Thanks and regards to all.

You should have both the permanent & present address for your records.

With regards to your second query, we need to have some faith in the employees. Remember, if someone really wants to cheat, that person can produce a fake address proof. Then, how are you going to confirm that?

You can ask the person to send an email to you. Also, you should follow up with him/her to arrange for address proof. Convince them it would be convenient for them, especially in the case of all government requirements. Encourage them to apply for passports/pan cards, etc., by telling them the importance. I am sure that at least out of 3, 2 will try to arrange for address proof eventually. Hope I have been able to help solve your query.

Regards,
AS

Thank you, respected AS, for the quick reply. I will try to consult with our HR implementation consultant at our organization. Thank you again.

Also, as regards proof of previous employers, what are the proofs that a present employer can ask for? What are the legally valid documents that the employee normally provides?

Regards