UK Announces Tough New Employment Rules Affecting Food Delivery and Construction Workers, Including Kenyans

The UK has announced tough new employment rules affecting workers mostly in the construction and food delivery sectors, including Kenyans.

Employers who hire people without the legal right to work will face fines of up to £60,000 (approximately Ksh10.6 million) per illegal worker or prison sentences of up to five years.

The new rules will take effect from October 1, 2026, and will extend mandatory Right to Work checks to businesses operating in the gig economy.

Companies hiring workers in sectors such as food delivery, construction, beauty services, courier operations and warehousing will be legally required to verify that workers have permission to work in the UK before engaging them.

UK Employment

Previously, these checks mainly applied to traditional employment arrangements.

Under the expanded framework, businesses using contractors, zero-hours workers and self-employed individuals providing services under their brand will also fall within the scope of the law.

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According to the UK Home Office, employers that fail to carry out the required checks could face civil penalties of up to £60,000 per illegal worker, temporary business closures, director disqualification and, in the most serious cases involving deliberate illegal employment, criminal prosecution with prison terms of up to five years.

The Home Office has stated that enforcement activity will continue to target businesses that knowingly employ individuals without permission to work in the UK.

Immigration Enforcement

The reforms are part of the UK government’s wider efforts to strengthen immigration enforcement and prevent the exploitation of undocumented workers, particularly in sectors that rely heavily on flexible labour arrangements.

Officials say the changes are intended to create a level playing field for compliant businesses while protecting vulnerable workers from exploitation.

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The UK government previously consulted employers on how the expanded Right to Work scheme should be implemented, with the measures now set to become mandatory from October 2026.

Businesses are being advised to review their recruitment and on boarding procedures to ensure compliance before the new requirements come into force.

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PHOTO/Reuters