ADVICE
E-COMMERCE TIPS
How to make Right to Work checks easier
ADRIAN BLACK , CEO at Contego , explains why Right to Work checks are vitally important and gives his advice on what businesses can do to avoid legal trouble .
The UK workforce is becoming increasingly diverse in its makeup , and while undoubtedly this is a good thing , it isn ’ t without some challenges . Civil penalties set by the UK government have become stricter for those who are employing workers who do not have the right to work in the UK . Research commissioned by immigration law firm , Migrate UK , found that of the companies who hold a sponsor license ( typically those that directly advertise and sponsor workers from outside of Europe to come and work in the UK ), up to 95 % of small to medium enterprises are at risk of having their sponsor licence for migrant workers revoked , with many others also at risk of being instantly closed by the Home Office .
Financial implications of not conducting Right to Work checks Fines can stretch up to £ 20,000 per illegal employee , so the cost of being found to be non compliant is not insignificant . It can have a significant impact on the finances of a business , or the credibility and stability of their HR departments . There ’ s also the potential for company directors to have to serve a five-year prison sentence , plus the possibility of irreversible damage to your brand reputation . There ’ s also the risk of loss of earning due to fraud and damage to supplier / customer relations . With this in mind , ‘ Right to Work ’ compliance can often weigh heavily on an employer ’ s mind .
Everyone must comply with the Right to Work checks Whether you hire one person or thousands , have parttime or full-time staff or are working in the public or private sector businesses must ensure that all potential and existing employees are considered eligible to work in the UK through mandatory Right to Work checks . The principles seem very straightforward overall . However , carrying out these Right to Work checks can often prove challenging for HR departments .
‘‘
Although HR professionals are welltrained , they are increasingly facing the growing trend for fake identity documents being used in job applications
‘‘
62 JEWELLERY FOCUS
February 2018 | jewelleryfocus . co . uk