Firms face new ‘right to work’ red tape as gig economy checks loom

gig economy Uber Eats (photo by Mike Kemp/In Pictures via Getty Images)

The UK government is moving to extend mandatory ‘right to work’ checks to cover individuals hired under a ‘worker’s contract’, in a move to address gaps in the law in the gig economy.

The Home Office launched a consultation last week as it seeks to clamp down on illegal working.

As a result, for the first time, the right-to-work checks will be extended to cover businesses hiring gig economy and zero-hours workers in sectors such as construction, food delivery, beauty salons, courier services, and warehousing.

It was noted that the rise of ‘workers’ or ‘self-employed’ individuals used by businesses through agencies or casual contract arrangements, known as the gig economy, has resulted in risks associated with illeg