As part of the UK government’s new rules to combat illegal working, businesses operating in the gig economy are now legally required to carry out Right to Work checks on all workers.
This change impacts a wide range of sectors, from food delivery and courier services to construction and salons, where businesses hire gig economy and zero-hour workers.
Until now, many companies using these flexible arrangements were not legally required to check the status of these workers. That is not the case anymore–if someone is working in your business’s name, it’s your legal responsibility to ensure they have the right to work in the UK.
Any gaps in compliance could become a critical liability, but there’s no need to worry. There are solutions available to help you ensure compliance and protect your business.
The risk of doing nothing
The consequences of non-compliance are severe. As of the latest Home Office update, any company found to be employing someone without verifying their right to work will face the same penalties already in place for traditional employers, including:
The consequences of non-compliance are severe. As of the latest Home Office update, any company found to be employing someone without verifying their right to work will face the same penalties already in place for traditional employers, including:
- Fines up to £60,000 per illegal worker
- Business closures
- Disqualification of directors
- Prison sentences of up to 5 years
“A level playing field for compliant businesses”
According to industry expert and Amiqus partner Stephen Rookes of SRC Consultancy, this is a pivotal moment:
“Currently, employers are not legally required to conduct Right to Work checks on individuals who are not their direct employees (for example, Limited Company and self-employed contractors). The changes proposed by the UK Government mean that both recruitment businesses and end-clients will now have a statutory obligation to ensure that all workers, irrespective of their employment arrangements, have the legal right to work in the UK.”
“Whilst those recruitment businesses who wanted to adopt a ‘best practice approach’ have for many years conducted Right to Work checks to protect both themselves and their clients from reputation damage, it will now become a statutory obligation. This will create a level playing field and a fairer environment for compliant businesses, ensuring everyone adheres to the same standards regarding employment eligibility.”
“I would advise all recruitment businesses to look at using digital ID verification technology to streamline their Right to Work check process, which can take just minutes to complete and enables them to avoid severe penalties.”
A digital solution for you
The Home Office allows the use of digital ID verification technology for Right to Work checks, allowing businesses to manage compliance quickly and securely, which is especially beneficial when working with a mobile or temporary workforce.
This is where Amiqus can help.
You can now access an efficient way to stay compliant with the employment checks requirements without slowing down your hiring or onboarding processes, using Amiqus.
With Amiqus, businesses in the gig economy can:
- Avoid costly mistakes by verifying Right to Work status accurately and in line with Home Office requirements
- Reduce admin burden through secure digital processes that simplify checks
- Onboard faster by verifying workers remotely in minutes
- Gain peace of mind with government-accredited standards and expert guidance
- Experience efficient, repeatable, and scalable onboarding for temporary staff and contractors who frequently change roles, thanks to the Amiqus candidate account. Candidates can easily store and manage all their verification information in one secure location, ensuring a seamless transition into new positions
Managing employment checks manually and keeping up with new rules can be burdensome- you just need a system you can trust.
As a UK Government Trust Framework accredited provider to the high confidence level for Right to Work and DBS checks, Amiqus gives you peace of mind that workers are verified to the highest standards.
Whether you’re hiring individuals with UK or Irish passports or international workers, we offer a reliable process that safeguards your business and workforce. But how?
- Our advanced Biometric Photo ID check employs NFC technology, along with facial similarity and liveness, to verify that the ID document truly belongs to the person who presented it, thereby ensuring that you have full confidence in their right to work status
- For non-UK employees, our Right to Work Share Code Form is specifically designed to securely collect share codes from workers and verify them against the Home Office’s online system
Next steps
If you’re working in the gig economy as a recruiter, hiring manager, or business owner, now is the time to review your Right to Work processes and make sure you’re covered. To learn how Amiqus can help you stay compliant, avoid penalties, and streamline your worker verification, schedule a quick call with our team or get in touch at [email protected].
