APSCo welcomes delay to physical right to work checks but wants permanent digital checks

The Association of Professional Staffing Companies (APSCo) has said that following pressure from business groups including APSCo, it is pleased that the return to physical right to work checks has been delayed until 21 June but is disappointed that there has been no confirmation of a permanent move to digital checks.

Speaking about the Government’s announcement. Tania Bowers, Legal Counsel and Head of Public Policy at APSCo said:

“We wrote to the Home Secretary in April highlighting our concerns over both the timing of the proposed return to physical checks, which at least has now been addressed, but also the fact that a return to physical checks will disproportionately disadvantage UK workers. This is because there is already an online checking service via a share code for EU nationals which can be remote and for non-EU workers through the Government Employer Checking Service. However, the Passport Office has no online service for UK nationals.

Additionally, physical checking does not mean safer. People are not as good as technology is at spotting fraudulent documents. We had hoped that the Home Office would prioritise the expansion of digital checks – a process much more suitable for the modern world of flexible work – it also flies in the face of the Home Office’s ‘digital by design’ concept and we will continue to lobby Government for a permanent digital check which have worked so well over the last year.”



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