RTW Penalty Exposure Calculator

Since February 2024, the civil penalty for employing an illegal worker is up to £45,000 per worker for a first offence and £60,000 per worker for a repeat offence. These tripled from the previous rates of £15,000 and £20,000. The penalty is per worker, so the total exposure scales linearly with the number of employees you can't prove you verified.

A repeat offence applies if your business has received a civil penalty for employing an illegal worker within the three years preceding the new breach. This applies to the employing entity — if you operate multiple companies, a penalty against one does not automatically make the others repeat offenders.

Yes. Conducting a compliant Right to Work check — whether manual or digital — before the employee starts work gives you a 'statutory excuse'. This means that even if the worker later turns out to have no right to work, you have a defence against a civil penalty. Digital Identity Document Verification Technology (IDVT) checks conducted through a certified provider like Certifyd provide the strongest form of statutory excuse.

The Home Office uses intelligence-led targeting. Common triggers include: tip-offs or complaints (from former employees, competitors, or the public), data sharing between government departments (HMRC, DWP), sector-wide enforcement campaigns, sponsor licence compliance checks, and previous enforcement history. The Fair Work Agency, launched in April 2026, further consolidates these intelligence sources.

No. This calculator shows your maximum theoretical penalty exposure based on published government penalty rates. Actual penalties may be reduced through mitigating factors such as cooperation, remedial action, or partial compliance. The figures do not constitute legal advice — consult a specialist immigration solicitor for guidance specific to your circumstances.