With rules expanding from today to cover contractors and other non-employees, People Management considers how employers can comply
1 October 2026
Employers face wider responsibilities for checking whether people working for them have the right to work in the UK under changes taking effect from today (1 October).
Previously, organisations only had to conduct right to work checks on people they employed directly, but the requirement now extends to agency workers, contractors, sub-contractors, gig economy platforms and service providers.
Companies that operate platforms to match freelancers to clients will also be required to carry out right to work checks.
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Businesses that employ or engage someone without the right to work can face penalties of up to45,000 per worker for a first breach and 60,000 for repeat breaches, with serious cases risking prosecution, an unlimited fine and up to five years in prison.
In a statement to the House of Commons when the policy was announced, Alex Norris, then minister of state for border security and asylum, said: “Illegal working undermines honest businesses and exposes vulnerable individuals to exploitation. This government is clear that such activity will not be tolerated.”
He added that the reforms would “close gaps in the current framework and ensure that...
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