October saw yet more change in the world of prevention of illegal working.

Social distancing and remote working became the new norm during the COVID-19 pandemic – in response the Home Office introduced concessions to accommodate right to work checks in such circumstances. These permitted employers to complete adjusted right to work checks – essentially checking scanned documentation (as opposed to originals) via video calls. Those adjusted checks ceased on 30 September 2022 – manual checks now require a review of original documentation.

The civil penalty regime (and associated right to work checking requirements) was first introduced on 29 February 2008 and has evolved significantly since then. It is important employers ensure they are up to speed with the latest