What to show an inspector: right-to-work evidence for cleaning companies
The records that protect you from a right-to-work fine, how to keep them, and how to have them ready if Immigration Enforcement asks.
Updated 25 September 2026 · Written by RotaProof
Why the paperwork matters more than the check
If someone working for you turns out not to have the right to work, you can avoid a fine of up to £45,000 per person (£60,000 for a repeat breach). To do that, you need a statutory excuse: proof that you did the correct check, the correct way, before they started.
Doing the check isn't enough on its own. If you can't show the evidence when asked, it's treated much like a check that never happened.
How it usually comes up
Home Office Immigration Enforcement can visit a site or your office, or write asking for right-to-work evidence for named people. Cleaning is often done early in the morning or late at night across several sites, so the question is often about everyone working at one site on a particular shift.
You'll want to answer quickly and completely, for every person, whether they're an employee, self-employed or supplied by an agency.
What to have for each person
| Type of check | What to keep |
|---|---|
| Home Office online check (share code) | The result page from the online service, saved or printed, showing their photo and the date of the check. |
| Manual document check | A clear copy of each relevant page of the original document, made in a way that can't be changed later, plus a record of the date you checked it. |
| Digital verification service (IDSP) | The report from the provider, and a record that you checked the photo matched the person. |
For every person, also record:
- the date of the check, which must be before their first day of work
- who did the check
- when their permission ends, if it's time-limited, and the follow-up check done before that date
- any conditions, such as a student's limit on working hours
For cleaners you don't engage directly
From 1 October 2026, if agency, app-booked or subcontracted cleaners work on your contracts, be ready to show:
- the contract with each supplier, including the right-to-work terms and the date it was signed
- the evidence or confirmation each supplier gave you about their checks
- notes of any audits or spot-checks you did
- how you confirm that the person on site is the person who was checked, especially where stand-ins are allowed
Our guide to agency and app-booked cleaners explains the contract terms.
Keep it organised by site and by person
A folder of scanned passports won't help much if you need to show who worked at one site last Tuesday. Evidence is quickest to produce when:
- each person has one record holding every check, the dates and the documents
- you can see who's assigned to each site
- you can pull everything for a site, or for the whole company, in one go
- records are kept for the whole engagement and for two years after it ends, then deleted
Things not to do
- Don't create or change records after the event. A check dated after someone started doesn't give you a statutory excuse, and backdating records can be a criminal offence.
- Don't only check some people. Check everyone the same way, whatever their nationality or background. Checking selectively can be unlawful discrimination.
- Don't keep documents where anyone can see them. They're sensitive personal data under UK GDPR. Keep them secure and only share them with people who need them.
A quick self-test
Pick your busiest site and ask: could we produce the right-to-work evidence for everyone who worked there this week, within an hour? If the answer is no, that's the gap to close before 1 October.
How RotaProof helps
RotaProof is right-to-work software made for cleaning contractors. You record each check once, including for self-employed and agency cleaners. It reminds you before anyone's permission runs out, stops unchecked people going on the rota, and gives you an inspection pack in one download. You can try it free for 30 days.
Try the demo, no sign-up needed Start free trial
Sources
- Home Office: illegal working penalties, codes of practice for employers
- Home Office: an employer's guide to right to work checks
- GOV.UK: check if someone can work in the UK
- Home Office: an employer's guide to right to work checks (how to keep copies)
- Home Office: avoiding discrimination while preventing illegal working (code of practice)
This guide explains the rules as we understand them on the date above. It isn't legal advice. The Home Office's guidance and code of practice are the final word, and if your arrangements are complicated, get advice from an immigration or employment lawyer.