Data obtained under the Freedom of Information Act revealed a total of 1270 Notification of Liability (NOL) notices for a Civil Penalty were issued to employers of illegal workers in the UK in the last year. The value of these penalties equate to 10.8 million.
While these figures are down slightly on those reported last year, it is still a concern that so many employers and recruiters are failing to carry out sufficient checks on employees despite the on-going clampdown on illegal working. And with fines for those who fail to ensure eligibility to work set to double, employers and recruiters are at risk of severe financial implications.
Matthew Brown, Managing Director of giant commented on these latest statistics. Compliance and efficient checking of an individuals employability rights have been hot topics over recent months, with more being done to raise awareness of the legal requirements for employers and recruiters. However, the number of NOLs issued still remains high. As fines are set to rise its vital the correct processes are implemented to reduce the associated risk on businesses.
All professional umbrella organisations that are members of FCSA carry out right to work checks on workers as part of adherence to a strict code of conduct.