UK Expected to Extend Right-to-work checks

UK Expected to Extend Right-to-work checks

The UK government intends to introduce mandatory right-to-work checks for self-employed contractors and gig economy workers as part of a broader effort to combat illegal employment and exploitative employers.

Businesses engaging contractors will be required by law to verify that anyone performing work on their behalf has the legal right to work in the UK, aligning these requirements with those already in place for direct employees.

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper stated that these reforms will, for the first time, extend employment verification obligations to companies using gig economy platforms or zero-hours contracts, particularly in sectors such as construction, food delivery, beauty salons, and courier services.

Companies that fail to perform these checks will face the same severe penalties applied to those employing illegal workers in traditional roles, including fines of up to £60,000 per worker, potential business closures, disqualification of directors, and imprisonment for up to five years.

Currently, the UK's right-to-work scheme focuses on verifying employees' eligibility, with no legal obligation for checks on genuinely self-employed individuals. This has allowed many businesses using flexible labour models to bypass such verifications.
The Home Office plans to enable these changes through amendments to the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill, currently progressing through Parliament. A full consultation with businesses will follow to refine implementation details.

Officials emphasise that the checks can be completed quickly—often in minutes—via online services to confirm immigration status. The Home Office will offer a dedicated checking platform, support for digital ID verification, and guidance for businesses.
This initiative is a key element of the government's strategy to reinforce the immigration system overall.

These measures build on ongoing actions to disrupt organised immigration crime and safeguard UK borders, including a rise in raids and arrests related to illegal working.