So I just started a new job and provided my Monzo details to be paid into that account. Was told that it’s company policy that they only accept high street banks. Is that legal? It’s really rubbed me up the wrong way. Any advice?
The job isn’t with Starling is it? lol
Joking aside, that is ridiculous!
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A bank account is a bank account, it’s got a sort code and account number like any other.
Not sure if it’s illegal but they shouldn’t have an issue - they’ll be paying by faster payment/bacs/chaps etc and monzo has no problems receiving payments by any of these schemes.
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Your employer has no right to dictate where you receive your salary. If they’re worried about identity then you can show them a passport or driving license, but Monzo is a fully licensed bank and can accept BACS payments and Faster Payments so they should have no problem sending your money to your account there.
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Resign, you don’t want to be working in a place like that. 
As far as whether it’s legal, I doubt it’s covered by any law, but I’d seriously question them as to why. Depending on the company I’d get your manager to support you in having finance amend their policy!
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If you like/need/want the job it might not be a good idea to argue until you pass the period where they can sack you for no reason
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That’s pretty ridiculous.
Did you happen to ask why they have that policy?
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I’d give them the middle finger on the spot. Also they deserve to be named and shamed.
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Surely there should be some kind of protection against this. What if your employer suddenly says we only allow TSB accounts from now on?
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Yeah. So you know about employment providing money that you can exchange for goods and services? That’s a thing for most people
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I’m pretty sure Santander specifically states you must have their account to work for them. I’m not sure if this is still the case and if other banks are similar!
I actually know a bank that starts with L (and used to be related to TSB 
) that apparently insists on paying their employee’s salaries only in accounts held at their own bank. Not sure if that’s illegal (I guess it could pass if it was a contractual requirement you are made aware of when signing).
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Can you imagine the poor LLoy** employees that ended up with TSB accounts post the split 
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you know about employment providing money that you can exchange for goods and services? That’s a thing for most people
Yeah, and I know that there are thousands of employers out there that at least have the decency to not dictate which current account provider their employees should use. I really don’t see the point of wasting any more time with those guys; if they can’t even sort this out (because clearly this is just about laziness and not updating their payroll systems’ sort code lists) then do you really trust everything else to be OK at that company?
They did used to, as they made me open an account with them when I started working for them. I believe they have now changed the policy though, it was something from the olden days that had apparently just never been updated in the standard contracts!
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RBS/NatWest used to be the same, it changed a few years ago though.
To the OP, tell them it’s your only bank account and the only place you can receive your salary and see what they say? It sounds like some jobsworth in HR hasn’t got the correct info to be honest 
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Just tell them you’ll start work when they agree they’ll start paying you, and not before. If they need you they’ll change their policy. If they don’t they weren’t going to be a company worth working for anyway as you can guarantee they have other ridiculous rules you haven’t come across yet.
It’s unlikely hurt your prospects. If someone came to work here saying they left their previous job because they were being messed about with pay I wouldn’t hold it against the interviewee at all.
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I wouldn’t go in heavy handed. You don’t want to piss off your employer in your first week, and I get what people are saying about “if they don’t change they weren’t worth it” but a job is a job.
I’d ask your payroll what the reasoning is behind the statement. You may find that the department/jobsworth is simply unaware that Monzo is a proper bank, and is equating it with a request to pay your salary into Revolut/credit union/Amazon gift cards.
If they’re being sticky, you could cheekily enquire how they define High Street. Is an account with First Direct acceptable (no branches)? Coventry Building Society (branches only in a certain geographic area but accounts available to all)? I’ll bet they’ll have never heard of Handelsbanken (over 200 branches), Child & Co. or C. Hoare & Co. (one branch each, but two of the most prestigious banks in the City of London). Or Smile, or Triodos…
If they still refuse, just open an account at NatWest and then use the CASS (Current Account Switching Service) it switch it to Monzo after your probation period.
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100% with Jamie. “the job isn’t worth it” is not a useful response at all, and makes it sound like it’s piss easy to get a job.
Creating a current account with a “high street” bank and then redirecting your salary with CASS sounds like it would be your best bet to get it sent to Monzo without messing about, and would work even if your employer doesn’t update their records after the first auto redirect. Also, if I understand correctly, your employer would be told to get their 
together by BACS themselves if they kept sending to your old account number and not acting on the redirect response.
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