The fines for employing illegal workers were increased on 29 February 2008 - to £10,000 for each illegal worker who is negligently hired. The penalties for knowingly hiring an illegal worker remain an unlimited fine and a prison sentence of up to two years. See our page on checking the right to work in the UK which has just been updated with the two new lists of documents to be produced.

The Home Office has announced that ID cards will be introduced this year for foreign nationals and then for British citizens in 2009.

If a probationary employee is not performing satisfactorily, do check that you properly address his/her shortcomings and retain evidence of this in case it is required. An 18 year old administrator was recently awarded £16,000 when the tribunal found that the employer had relied on a "stereotypical" assumption that capability equals experience and experience equals older age. See our page on age discrimination.