UK extends right-to-work checks to gig and zero-hours workers from October 1

From October 1, 2026, UK right-to-work rules cover businesses that engage people under worker's contracts, as individual subcontractors or through online matching platforms, including food delivery riders and other gig and zero-hours workers, under the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Act 2025. The Home Office said employers caught using workers without the right to work could face fines of up to £60,000 per worker, director disqualification or up to five years in prison; under the revised code of practice the penalty starting point is £45,000 per worker for a first breach and £60,000 for a repeat breach. Updated guidance also extends liability to businesses in subcontracting chains and to platforms whose workers send substitutes, and applies to engagements beginning on or after October 1.