People Management quotes Kelvin Tanner on how businesses can avoid fines relating to employees without the right to work in the UK

The owner of a small business in Egham Surrey - a Fish & Chip shop - has been fined £40,000 by the Home Office after hiring someone who allegedly did not have the legal right to work in the UK. 

Immigration officers took away the employee suspected of working illegally during a raid on the shop in March this year. The individual is currently on immigration bail. 

The Home Office alleges the man was using another person’s identity on his British passport. A photocopy was provided to the employer, which also viewed the man’s national insurance number, proof of student loan payments and housing benefit receipts from the local council, all of which matched the name on the passport. 

On the back of the story, Kelvin Tanner, Partner in our Immigration team, gives advice in an article by People Management, explaining to employers what steps they can and should take to avoid similar fines.

Kelvin explains that employers should familiarise themselves with the Home Office’s right to work check guidance and ensure they have a robust policy in place:

They should ensure that they conduct and retain records of a compliant right to work check for all employees before they commence work,” he said. “Where they have doubts about their historical right to work checks, we recommend they conduct an audit to proactively identify and put right any past issues, as well as training any employees who will be conducting their checks.

Read the full article in People Management here.