Employers in the UK have a legal responsibility to do a right to work check on every employee. But managing the evolving guidelines on how these checks are done can be tricky for recruiters as the UK government works to balance making the system simple, while actively tackling illegal immigration. If employers fail to observe the new guidelines, or if their policy is non-compliant, they can face severe penalties, warns Mark O’Hara, Enterprise Sales Manager at ID-Pal.

On the 30th September, the adjusted right to work checks that the Home Office introduced during the pandemic will cease. Currently the Home Office allows employers to check British and Irish nationals right to work via a manual check or by checking scanned documents. After 30th September, the requirements change for British and Irish nationals and there will be two ways to conduct right to work checks:

– Manually – obtaining, checking, and maintaining the documents securely after verifying them in person with the candidate.

– Digitally – by appointing an IDSP (Digital Identity Service Provider). The IDSP can use IDVT (Identification Document Verification Technology) to check the passport of British or Irish nationals, or an Irish Passport Card, on behalf of their employers.

Benefits of digital right to work checks

Using an IDSP lessens the time spent to obtain, reduces the resources used to check, and finds a way to securely retain a person’s documents compared to manual checks. You can receive, verify, and store valid passports and additional documents from anyone, anywhere when using an IDSP. This new way of conducting digital right to work checks will allow businesses to transform their employee onboarding process to help them keep pace with increasing digitalisation and meet the demands of our new world.

It can be daunting when legislation changes, particularly when it comes to sharing sensitive personal data. While employers will face severe consequences if compliance standards are not met, there are things they can do to ensure they reap the benefits of a digital process while mitigating potential risks.

Read the full article at HR Review.

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