Guide • Compliance • 14 min read
Right-to-work checks in Ireland and the UK
Come verificare il diritto di un candidato a lavorare in Irlanda e nel Regno Unito, evitare sanzioni per lavoro irregolare e mantenere registri conformi.
Why right-to-work checks matter
Employers in Ireland and the UK have a legal duty to ensure that everyone they employ is permitted to work. Getting this wrong exposes the business to civil penalties and, in serious cases, criminal liability. It is the local equivalent of the US I-9 process, but the rules, documents and record-keeping requirements are different and must not be conflated.
The right approach is to check consistently for every new hire, not selectively, because inconsistent checking risks discrimination claims. Build the check into your standard onboarding workflow so it happens the same way every time.
La situazione in Irlanda
Irish and EEA/Swiss nationals have an automatic right to work in Ireland. Non-EEA nationals generally require an employment permit (such as a Critical Skills Employment Permit or a General Employment Permit) or another permission that allows employment, such as certain immigration stamps. The Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment administers the employment-permit system.
I datori di lavoro dovrebbero verificare la nazionalità della persona e, ove pertinente, visionare e registrare il permesso appropriato o l'autorizzazione all'immigrazione prima dell'inizio del rapporto di lavoro. Assumere un cittadino non SEE senza il permesso richiesto è un reato, quindi conservate la prova del controllo e annotate in agenda eventuali date di scadenza così che le autorizzazioni siano rinnovate in tempo.
La situazione nel Regno Unito
In the UK, employers must carry out a prescribed right-to-work check to establish a statutory excuse against a civil penalty for illegal working. Since Brexit, EU nationals no longer have an automatic right to work and must evidence their status, most commonly through the online share-code service or under the EU Settlement Scheme.
Esistono tre modalità: un controllo manuale dei documenti, il servizio online di verifica dell'Home Office (utilizzando un share code) oppure l'uso di un Identity Service Provider certificato per determinati titolari di documenti. Seguite con precisione le indicazioni correnti dell'Home Office, perché gli elenchi di documenti accettati e le procedure vengono aggiornati periodicamente.
Registri, tempistiche e controlli ripetuti
Carry out the check before employment starts, retain a clear dated copy of the evidence for the duration of employment and for a defined period afterwards, and store it securely in line with the GDPR. For people with time-limited permission, schedule a follow-up check before their permission expires.
An HRIS helps by storing right-to-work evidence against each employee record with restricted access, and by triggering reminders ahead of expiry dates. This turns a compliance risk into a routine, automated step rather than something that depends on an individual remembering to act.
