Advice for employers carrying out right to work checks has been updated as a result for Covid-19, replacing 18 June 2021 guidance.
All UK employers must carry out a right to work check for any individual you employ in the UK regardless of nationality, before they start work and undertake repeat checks where required.
UK Visas & Immigration (UKVI) have 'An employer's guide to right to work checks' which UK employers should familiarise themselves with for checking the right to work for all employees. Further guidance can also be found here.
As a result of Covid-19 there is updated advice for employers carrying out right to work checks, the most recent update replaces previous guidance issued on 18 June 2021.
The temporary provisions allowing manual right to work checks to be carried out remotely were due to end at the end of this month (31 August 2021). The adjusted right to work checks will now be extended to 5 April 2022.
When carrying out manual right to work checks this means that:
The UKVI have also produced a short video which provides an overview of right to work checks, with full details of these temporary adjustments for manual checks available at GOV.UK.
It is an offence to knowingly employ anyone who does not have the right to work in the UK. If you are found to be employing an illegal worker and have not carried out the prescribed checks, you may face sanctions including:
If you are unsure about how the changes will impact you, feel free to get in touch.
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The World Cup kicks off in Qatar on Sunday 20 November 2022, with the final taking place on Sunday 18 December 2022. Undoubtedly, this is a huge sporting event, and many employees will be keen to show their support for their favourite teams. However, due to the time difference, start times for the matches are between 10 a.m. and 7 p.m. UK time, which could have an impact on employers if employees who wish to watch the matches are scheduled to work.
Settlement agreements are commonplace in an employment context and are ordinarily used to provide the parties to the agreement with certainty following the conclusion of an employment relationship. There are already restrictions on the extent to which personal injury claims can be settled by a settlement agreement. There have also been numerous consultations about the use of non-disclosure agreements and confidentiality clauses, particularly where allegations of sexual harassment and discrimination have been raised. In any event, it is clear that settlement agreements should not be used to prevent an employee from raising a protected disclosure.
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Settlement agreements in an employment context are ordinarily used to provide both parties with certainty following the conclusion of an employment relationship – but what happens when there is alleged discrimination after entering into a settlement agreement?
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The Government has announced a change to the categorisation of “small” businesses to reduce the amount of regulatory compliance (or “red tape”) required. Currently, SMEs (those with fewer than 250 employees) are exempt from certain regulations – such as the obligation to comply with gender pay reporting. With effect from 3 October, these exemptions will be widened to apply to businesses with fewer than 500 employees.
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Browne Jacobson has welcomed 10 future lawyers to its trainee scheme for 2022 – 2024 as it continues to grow its business. The new recruits have joined 36 trainees currently at the firm, bringing the total number of trainee solicitors at Browne Jacobson to 46 – a record number for the firm.
The Employment Appeal Tribunal’s recent decision in the case of Mr Michael Cowie & Others v Scottish Fire and Rescue Service provides a useful insight into favourable - or unfavourable - treatment in the context of discrimination claims.
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Janice Walsh applied for a job with Domino’s Pizza, hoping to secure a role as a Delivery Driver. However things quickly took a turn for the worse during her initial interview, with the very first question that she was asked relating to her age. Ms Walsh was ultimately informed that she had not been successful in her application.
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