{"id":6339,"date":"2025-04-29T09:24:56","date_gmt":"2025-04-29T08:24:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bainesjewitt.co.uk\/blog\/?p=6339"},"modified":"2025-04-29T08:24:58","modified_gmt":"2025-04-29T08:24:58","slug":"right-to-work-checks-financial-risks-and-compliance-steps-for-business-owners","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.bainesjewitt.co.uk\/blog\/right-to-work-checks-financial-risks-and-compliance-steps-for-business-owners\/","title":{"rendered":"Right to work checks \u2013 Financial risks and compliance steps for business owners"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Right to work checks form an important part of business risk management, particularly now that the Government has increased the financial penalties for non-compliance.<\/p>\n<p><!--more--><\/p>\n<p>From 2024, employers who fail to carry out correct checks face fines of up to \u00a345,000 per worker for a first breach and up to \u00a360,000 for repeat breaches.<\/p>\n<p>These costs can have a big impact on businesses of all sizes, affecting cash flow, profitability, and business reputation.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Approved methods for right to work checks<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Employers have three options to verify an employee\u2019s right to work:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Manual checks<\/strong> \u2013 Reviewing and copying original identity documents.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Online checks<\/strong> \u2013 Using the Government&#8217;s online checking service for employees with digital immigration status.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Identity Service Provider (IDSP) checks<\/strong> \u2013 Using certified providers to check valid British or Irish passports digitally.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Whichever method is used, employers must retain dated copies of documents and keep records securely for the duration of employment plus two years after.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Common compliance risks for employers<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Problems often arise when checks are rushed or poorly documented. Employers must:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Ensure documents are valid and current (with limited exceptions)<\/li>\n<li>Verify that names, photographs, and dates of birth match the employee<\/li>\n<li>Schedule follow-up checks for employees with limited working rights<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Right to work checks should be integrated into recruitment and payroll processes from the outset.<\/p>\n<p>Failing to do so can result in compliance gaps that could be costly if the Home Office carries out an inspection.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Financial and operational impact of non-compliance<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>The financial penalties for employing someone illegally are high, but the consequences do not stop there.<\/p>\n<p>Businesses risk disrupted operations, increased audit scrutiny, damaged client relationships, and recruitment difficulties.<\/p>\n<p>In sectors with seasonal or temporary workforces such as hospitality, tourism, and construction, the risk is even greater if right to work checks are not managed properly.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Reducing risk with better right to work checks<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Employers can take a few straightforward steps to improve their right to work processes and reduce the risk of financial penalties:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Review and update recruitment procedures to ensure right to work checks are consistently carried out<\/li>\n<li>Maintain clear records and integrate documentation into employee files<\/li>\n<li>Carry out internal reviews of existing employee right to work evidence<\/li>\n<li>Train HR and management staff on the latest checking requirements<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Putting the right steps in place protects your business from costly fines and gives you the confidence that your operations are secure and well-managed<\/p>\n<p>We help businesses build right to work processes that support compliance and protect financial stability.<\/p>\n<p>Our team can assist with process reviews, audit preparation, and ongoing compliance advice.<\/p>\n<p><strong>If you would like support in reviewing your right to work procedures or wider business risk management, please contact us today. <\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Right to work checks form an important part of business risk management, particularly now that the Government has increased the financial penalties for non-compliance.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":6342,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[24,125],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bainesjewitt.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6339"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bainesjewitt.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bainesjewitt.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bainesjewitt.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bainesjewitt.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6339"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.bainesjewitt.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6339\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6340,"href":"https:\/\/www.bainesjewitt.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6339\/revisions\/6340"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bainesjewitt.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6342"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bainesjewitt.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6339"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bainesjewitt.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6339"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bainesjewitt.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6339"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}