From 1 October 2026, the UK Right to Work regime is being extended to cover a wider range of working arrangements, including certain workers, individual subcontractors and platform based arrangements.

For employers, this means reviewing more than the mechanics of carrying out a Right to Work check.

Recruitment teams should also consider whether their processes are applied consistently and fairly across candidates.

Home Office guidance makes clear that employers should avoid discriminatory treatment when checking Right to Work. Decisions should not be influenced by assumptions based on nationality, race, ethnic origin, name or the type of evidence a candidate can provide.

This makes the October change relevant not only to immigration compliance, but also to recruitment governance.

Employers should review which working arrangements fall within the expanded rules, when checks take place, how they are documented and whether the same process is followed consistently across applicants.

For organisations focused on inclusive recruitment, this is also an opportunity to examine the wider candidate journey.

Right to Work checks establish whether someone can legally work in the UK.

Good recruitment governance also helps demonstrate that candidates were attracted, assessed and processed through a fair, consistent and properly documented recruitment process.