This is one of the biggest shake-ups of Civil Penalties since 2014 and could see fines of up to £60,000 for repeat offenders.

Our team at Axiom follow strict guidelines and procedures to ensure we, our clients and candidates remain compliant on every job application.

This legal update hasn’t just affected employers and recruiters, it will also impact landlords, with heavy fines being issued if a landlord is found to be renting accommodation to someone without the correct right to live in the UK checks being carried out.

Since 2018 there have been over 5000 civil penalties issued to employers to the value of £88.4 million. These fines are seen as being a deterrent to those who are illegally entering the UK and the recent announcement will see these fines triple for employers who overlook the right-to-work documentation.

Every UK employer has a legal obligation to check a person’s right to work here in the UK. This is mandatory and must be carried out on every application regardless of race or nationality or an employer could be open to a race discrimination case against them. The Right-to-work guidance was first published in February 2008 and has been changed 29 times since then and it is the responsibility of the employer to check the updates and ensure it is meeting those mandatory requirements.

If you are looking to recruit and might be employing overseas workers, why not talk to us first, it will save you time and the potential of large fines if you get it wrong.