Every UK employer must check that a new starter is allowed to work in the UK before they start. For people whose permission is time-limited, the job is not finished on day one.
Before someone starts
You must check that a job applicant is allowed to work for you in the UK before you employ them. For a manual document check, that means seeing the original documents, checking they are valid with the person present, and keeping a copy with the date you made the check.
Follow-up checks
If someone's right to work is time-limited, you need to check their documents again when it is due to expire. Missing that date is the most common way a correctly hired employee becomes a compliance problem.
Keeping records
Keep copies of the documents during the person's employment and for 2 years after they stop working for you, in a format that cannot be changed, such as a photocopy or a scan.
What is at stake
If you employ someone who is not allowed to do the work and you have not carried out a correct check, you could face a civil penalty of up to £60,000 for each illegal worker.
A simple routine
- Record the check date, the document type, the reference and the expiry date for every starter.
- Set a reminder well before each expiry date, not on the day.
- Carry out and record the follow-up check before the permission expires.
- Keep the records for 2 years after someone leaves.
How Yumee Workforce helps
Each employee's HR record holds their right-to-work check, reference and expiry date, and you can track other expiring documents such as visas, licences and certificates. Yumee Workforce alerts you 30 days before a document expires and again when it does, by email and, if you use them, in Slack or Microsoft Teams. More about alerts and integrations.
This guide is general information, not immigration or legal advice. Check the current Home Office guidance before you rely on it.