Immigration issues seem to be constantly in the news at the moment. A new Immigration Bill announced on 21 May indicates that immigration regulations will be tightened still further. Whether or not these rules will actually help businesses remains to be seen.
In my latest article, featured in B4 Magazine this week, I discussed the impact of the new legislation, as well as the penalties for failing to comply.
Did you know, for instance, that the Home Office can turn up at your premises to review your personnel files, to check that you are not employing illegal workers? It can issue fines of up to £20,000 per illegal worker, almost immediately, where you’ve got things wrong. Within the last three years, the Home Office has issued £1.7million of fines to businesses of all sizes.
One of the key points to bear in mind is the need not only to ensure compliance with relevant requirements, but also to ensure that compliance is achieved in a way that does not discriminate against any particular employee or group of employees.
Ensuring parity of treatment in the implementation of compliance practices is paramount. For example, checking consistently across your workforce and not simply those who look like they may be foreign.
My article explains the points you need to be aware of in detail so take a look at the B4 Magazine website for more details, page 101
If you’re concerned about the new rules and how they might affect your business, or you need advice on any immigration-related issue please contact me for advice on the best solution for your business.