Civil Penalty Notices for Illegal Working
All employers must comply with illegal working legislation, and they face significant penalties if they don’t. We can help.

All employers must ensure that their employees have appropriate permission to work in the UK. Non-compliance with the legislation – such as failure to conduct appropriate right to work checks – can result in the Home Office issuing your business with a Civil Penalty Notice. This can lead to a fine of up to £60,000 per illegal worker, and your company details being published on a name-and-shame list. We can help in various ways.

If you receive an Information Request

If Immigration Enforcement suspects that you have breached your right to work obligations by employing an illegal worker, you may receive an Information Request probing for more information about named individuals. If so, it’s vital to respond and set out your defence. You will typically only be given one week to do this.

We will work with you to ensure that you present the best possible defence, so that you are in a strong position to avoid a civil penalty or to make a challenge if one is issued.

If you receive a Civil Penalty Notice

In this case, you have 28 days to decide whether to pay the penalty or object. Grounds of objection include having a statutory excuse from a valid right to work check, not being the party liable for the penalty, or the penalty level being incorrectly calculated. We will advise you on whether you have grounds to object – either to the penalty itself, or to the level of the penalty.

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