Remote identity checks – a new normal for HR teams

Remote identity checks – a new normal for HR teams

As the Covid-19 pandemic hit, we all saw an overnight switch from face-to-face to online. For some organisations, this presented a huge challenge around recruitment and compliance checks and left them facing a seismic shift in their processes. For others, already familiar with electronic identity checks, it just involved a small shift in the way they use and access that technology… In March 2020, verifying identity remotely became a new and unique challenge for many recruiters. Without now being able to meet a candidate face-to-face to see and hold an identity document presented by its owner, they suddenly needed a…read more >
5 reasons why identity document checks are an essential part of the pre-employment process

5 reasons why identity document checks are an essential part of the pre-employment process

If you work in HR or are responsible for recruiting staff, you will know that complying with Right to Work legislation remains essential and legislation isn't getting any simpler. Combined with continued enforcement, this puts more pressure on UK employers to get Right to Work checks for potential employees right.But checking whether someone has a legal right to work in the UK should only be undertaken once a potential employee's identity has been reliably confirmed. Checking identity documents, such as passports, are a first essential step. Here's why:1. Right to Work checks are irrelevant if the documents used to support their…read more >
4 steps to sensitively deal with fake identity documents

4 steps to sensitively deal with fake identity documents

Whilst there’s a lot of information available about how to check identity documents for counter fraud or Right to Work compliance, there’s little guidance about what action to take when a document fails your checks. Handling counterfeit or fraudulent documents can be nerve-wracking, so our guest blogger, Abbie Pullman, has pulled together some practical advice to tackle this sensitive topic ‘in the moment’ and beyond... Identity document forgery is rising. Forged ID (particularly EEA identity documents) and Fraudulently Obtained Genuine (FOG) documents remain a key facilitator of immigration crime. In 2016, Frontex, the European Border and Coastguard Agency, reported a 70%…read more >
Building a case for Right to Work check software in your business

Building a case for Right to Work check software in your business

Introduction All businesses in the UK, regardless of organisation size or sector, must ensure that every employee has the Right to Work in the UK. This means seeing and checking relevant identity documents in the presence of the holder. This can be a physical presence or via a live video link. In both cases, you must be in physical possession of the original documents. However, the number of people attempting to using fake identity documents to illegally gain employment continues to grow. What’s more, if you employ someone who has no Right to Work in the UK or who is using…read more >
Are you up to speed with Right to Work legislation?

Are you up to speed with Right to Work legislation?

Right to Work legislation is not straightforward! If you're making checks on staff, including temporary or voluntary staff, you can be shown 17 different types of document, potentially issued in hundreds of different countries, that may need to be checked in a variety of combinations to demonstrate eligibility to work in the UK.  And the Employers guide to Right to Work checks on the Government website stretches to 40 pages! So how confident are you that you and your staff all understand the rules and are all compliant when making identity document checks? We’ve put together a quick quiz based on some of…read more >
How will Brexit impact Right to Work checks?

How will Brexit impact Right to Work checks?

As you’re no doubt aware, all UK employers are currently required to conduct Right to Work checks on every prospective employee to comply with illegal working legislation and avoid unlawful discrimination But with huge uncertainty among UK businesses about Brexit, we are often asked how Right to Work legislation and processes may change when we leave the European Union. Of course, the answer is that none of us know for sure. However, we can be sure that there are already a significant number of illegal workers in the UK and that the attraction to try and gain illegal employment in…read more >
Making Right to Work checks: what happens when they go wrong?

Making Right to Work checks: what happens when they go wrong?

During a webinar with our partners CIPHR - 'Building a case for electronic Right to Work checks' - I gave an overview of current Right to Work legislation and the risks associated with employing illegal workers and shared how our solutions help to speed up Right to Work checks. As part of the webinar, I asked participants how they were currently making checks and what they thought were the biggest risks of getting checks wrong. Read on for a summary of the presentation...1. What are Right to Work checks?As you probably know, if you’re employing staff in the UK, you…read more >
Why do we need to do pre-employment immigration checks on UK or EU recruits?

Why do we need to do pre-employment immigration checks on UK or EU recruits?

As you probably know, every employer has a legal duty to prevent illegal working and is required to undertake pre-employment immigration checks on all staff to ensure that they have the right to work in the UK. But if your recruits claim to be British or EU nations, do you really need to make Right to Work checks?Employers could face prosecution if they deliberately ignore the law and employ someone who does not have the right to work in the UK or if they have ‘reasonable cause to believe’ that they are working illegally. Penalties can include fines of up…read more >
Why introduce electronic identity document checks if you don’t have to?

Why introduce electronic identity document checks if you don’t have to?

We work with two main types of business: those that have to introduce some form of identity validation technology - due to enforced compliance requirements - and those who choose to introduce it – perhaps because they are worried about making checks in the face of high staff turnover or fall into a ‘high-risk’ sector. No matter which pool your organisation falls into, you can benefit from electronic identity scanning, not just to drive compliance and find fraudulent documents, but in ways that you may not expect…Must doWe have implemented identity validation technology at over 100 locum agencies recruiting medical staff into the NHS.…read more >
Putting the trust back into business with ID verification

Putting the trust back into business with ID verification

Trust is the foundation on which the personal and business relationships that underpin success are built. It helps to create strong, open relationships within organisations, with customers, with suppliers, and within the wider business ecosystem. Consistent identity checks can help to build and maintain that trusting relationship. Making the right judgement If you’re an HR professional with responsibility for making Right to Work checks and ensuring that you bring the right personnel into your business, you will probably have a well developed instinct as to the trustworthiness of people. And the good news is that most of the time your…read more >