Right to work check changes: What you need to know to stay compliant and avoid a penalty

In line with its ongoing focus on preventing illegal working, the Home Office is fundamentally changing the way the right to work check regime works in the UK from 1 October 2026. 

Under the new code of practice, businesses must carry out right to work checks on a much wider group than just employees, including individuals within contractual chains and substitutes. Contracts should also be reviewed to ensure they include required provisions for preventing illegal working. 

Failure to comply can be costly. Civil penalties of up to £60,000 per illegal worker can apply throughout the contractual chain, even where the worker is not directly recruited by your business. Deliberately employing illegal workers or doing so where there is reasonable cause to know, can result in unlimited fines and up to five years' imprisonment. 

Join us, in partnership with Capital Law, to understand the new civil penalty requirements coming into force on 1 October 2026. Discover the steps employers should be taking now to prepare, alongside practical guidance on how Reed Screening's solutions can help you manage compliance with confidence. 

Why attend? 

• Hear examples of how the new code will apply in practice so you can easily relate the changes to your business. 

• Understand how existing and future commercial contracts will need to be updated to include prescribed terms. 

• Gain a better understanding of the changes, so you can take necessary steps to train staff internally, audit your supply chain and workforce, and update your processes to ensure you are compliant ahead of the implication date. 

Reed Screening will also discuss the services they offer to keep your business compliant with the upcoming changes. 

Speaker bios  

Alex Christen, Partner, Capital Law 

Alex advises on all areas of business immigration law, including helping businesses identify appropriate visa routes for international hires, applying for sponsor licences, and meeting sponsor compliance obligations.  

In tandem with this, Alex advises businesses of all sizes, and in all sectors, on how to conduct compliant right to work checks so they can avoid liability for civil penalties for illegal working, and meet their sponsor licence obligations. 

Lucy Gray, Business Development Manager, Reed Screening 

Lucy is a Business Development Manager at Reed Screening, where she works with organisations across the public and private sectors to deliver compliant, efficient, and scalable background screening solutions.  

She partners with employers to support safer recruitment practices, helping them navigate pre-employment checks, regulatory requirements, and workforce assurance.  

With extensive experience in business development and client engagement, Lucy is passionate about building trusted partnerships and enabling organisations to hire with confidence.