If running a company and having employees isn’t enough to have to deal with, along with the day to day running costs of a business the last thing you would want is a hefty fine. As an employer you need to know that all companies need to have a system in place to make sure that you check that every employee has the right to work in the UK. If you do not do the correct checks then you may be liable for a fine of £20,000 per illegal worker as well as possibly being sent to prison.
According to Home Office statistics in London and the South East alone there was over a £1million worth of Civil Penalties issued to companies with illegal workers in the first quarter of 2016. The Home Office are having a major crackdown on illegal working with many immigration raids happening daily.
Unfortunately for Tesco in 2012 they were left red-faced after receiving a hefty fine of £200,000 for illegal workers.
Do you have a system in force to ensure all of your employees have the right to work in the UK? We would strongly advise that all employers are aware of their obligations to ensure they have systems in place to do the right to work checks.
Should you have any concerns please do not hesitate to contact our immigration department on 01206 835270 who will be more than happy to assist in advising you of the right to work checks.