Collection

Employers: illegal working penalties

Quarterly reports showing the total number of fines (also known as civil penalties) for illegal working issued to non-compliant employers in each region of the UK.

These quarterly reports show:

  • the number of illegal workers found
  • the value of penalties issued (£)

Read the employer guidance on how to check whether an employee or prospective employee has the right to work in the UK.

Read the codes of practice to help you prevent illegal working and understand how the civil penalties for employing illegal workers are calculated.

Penalties are issued by the region they were reported in, which may be different to the address stated.

Penalties

Published 22 January 2014
Last updated 31 August 2023 + show all updates
  1. Data for 1 January to 31 March 2023 published.

  2. Updated to show data for 1 April 2022 to 30 June 2022.

  3. Quarterly update for 1 January 2022 to 31 March 2022.

  4. Added data for the period 1 October 2019 to 31 December 2020.

  5. New data for 1 July to 30 September 2019.

  6. Updated the page with quarterly reports for April to June 2019.

  7. New data for all regions for 1 January 2018 to 31 March 2018.

  8. The collection has been revised. New collections have been created on 'illegal working penalties: codes of practice for employers' and 'right to work checks: employer guidance'.

  9. Updated illegal working penalties: totals for 1 October to 31 December 2017.

  10. Added a link to new guidance for employers conducting right to work checks on undocumented Commonwealth citizens.

  11. Updated illegal working penalties guidance.

  12. Updated illegal working penalties guidance.

  13. Updated guidance

  14. added link to new online employer checking service form

  15. New guidance added to collection

  16. Added Statutory Excuse Checksheet

  17. First published.