Employer / HR having a photocopy of your passport?

Well, I think have written about my grounds to believe that, as we parted on a sour tone, I was sort of unfairly dismissed however couldn't prove that dismissal in a court of law, also it was during probation and during that time they can mostly do anything. But that's besides the point of it.

I've naturally had my concernes, like what else do they have about me that might be sensitive, and the passport copies came up.

That's probably the best answer, that after 6 months things get deleted, and until it's stored somewhere secure.

Well, what I thought was a good company to work for turned out to be an issue where I didn't fit in. The job was a bit junior I admit, but it was still from a technological point of view possible.

The main issue wasn't fitting in. As part of the job it meant sitting in an office and being forced to listen to rather loud chart music and commericals by some radio station all the time. The music was louder than normal, louder than in supermarkets, more like it would have fitted a company celebration.

A conversation with my colleague sitting around 2 meters away from me at normal speaking volume wasn't possible

Having a video conference wasn't easy either as I could often hardly understand the other parties taking part

I also had the bad luck of sitting right next to the loudspeaker and a different desk in the office wasn't considered, even though I've asked.

I've also reached out to HR, and sadly no result.

And then it's a bit hard to concentrate, if you're familiarizing yourself with a lot of technical knowledge, but aren't really able to concrentrate longer term and sort of forced to listen to the same songs by Taylor Swift or Sabrina Carpenter.

In the end, if 50 people in the office want something and the 51st has a problem then he must either accept or go. To me it was the latter. ( Albeit others also complained about the loud music, but they were sort of accepting to the issue more…)

We parted on a sour way, as I was certainly not happy to accept a job loss and a dismissal just because the music was too loud.

But again, during probation they basically can do everything and anything.

Thus I was thinking, what do they have about me, and the question about passport copies came up.

I hope that clears the matter up.

Yes, it was because of that or that was the cause of everything.

In the end, I used "louder words and straight talk" ( no f words, obscenities or the likes I might add as I didn't accept that the loud music was the reason for me giving up a job) and that kind of straight talk on my part was deemed as "inapropriate behaviour" with company regulations and was in their eyes grounds for dismissal.

I guess during probation they can do everything.

I don't think you're exactly creating the right atmosphere to have a discussion about that.

Well, not shouting but talking louder than normal, or being a little closer like half a meter to a meter maybe.

I went for junior roles also in different industries as I didn't have any luck finding something fitting my experience. Salary was also below to strongly below expectations. Geography lessons for 7 year olds wasn't really something I could take, not for a salary I could barely live on. And that was only one minor part of the challenges.

Luck in the job search in these times, one needs a bit more than luck.

It was clear from day one that given the music was so loud, it would never work out.

The kind of work was also far too technical to ever be handled whilst the music was that loud, as it caused distraction.

How the others my age handled that, I don't exactly know. The colleague sitting next to me said, that he was more productive working from home than from the office, in response to myself stating to him that the music was too loud.

Reaching out to HR didn't get me anywhere.

Speaking to management also gotten me nowhere, - turning off the music or sitting at a different desk where the blaring wasn't as strong was considered as not in line with the company culture.

So you can defend the employer all you want, or deny that youre doing that, but that's how things happened.

So naturally this unresolved issue ended in an argument, in distrust, beyond repair.

Thus I had my natural concerns what they could do or attempt to do with my passport copies, or other possible other data.