|
|
Mobile Workforce
It's a criminal offence, punishable by a fine of up to £5,000 per employee, to employ someone who isn't entitled to live and work in the UK. You need to protect yourself against this by carrying out checks if you employ people you aren't sure about - and it's probably worth making this a standard procedure, to avoid any allegations of discrimination.
What you have to do is inspect a 'secure' document such as a UK passport or a national ID card issued by one of the current EU member states, Iceland or Norway (where residents have the right to work in the UK), or a document confirming that the holder has indefinite leave to remain in the UK. Failing that (not every UK citizen has a passport), the employee has to produce a combination of documents such as an official notification of a NI number together with a birth certificate.
You are supposed to photocopy the relevant parts of the documents, and to be satisfied that the photo on any ID is consistent with the appearance of the person in front of you. If there are discrepancies in the names, you will need to investigate them.
The Home Office has announced that nationals from the ten countries which joined the EU on 1 May 2004 can only work in the UK if they register with the Home Office. Guidance on all these issues can be found on the Home Office website (www.homeoffice.gov.uk).
|
|
