HBHR, an AI-powered workforce management platform, and Rightcheck, a registered digital verification service provider and background screening specialist, have announced a new partnership to help employers manage compliance as new Right to Work rules come into force.
From 1st October 2026, the UK’s illegal working compliance obligations will extend well beyond traditional employees. Section 48 of the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Act 2025 broadens the scope of Right to Work duties to include individuals engaged under a worker’s contract, individual subcontractors and certain workers sourced through online matching services. Organisations engaging workers in these ways will need to prepare for the change as extended liability rules may also apply.
In certain defined arrangements where a business is not the direct employer, it could face civil penalties of up to £60,000 per worker for breaches further down the subcontracting chain. The impact is likely to be felt the greatest across organisations operating high-volume, fragmented or fast-changing workforces. Failing to meet even one prescribed requirement may leave employers exposed and without a defence.
“Manual processes are difficult to scale when employers have to check a much wider and varied worker population” said Callum Pennington, CEO and co-founder of HBHR. “Our partnership with Rightcheck means that checks can be triggered, tracked and recorded within the systems hiring managers already use. This reduces reliance on separate tools, supporting a seamless audit trail.”
“Changes at this scale can create vast amounts of additional work for organisations. This integration is designed to take that administrative burden away, so HR and operations teams can focus on the wider people priorities their organisations depend on.”
Rightcheck’s identity checking service is independently certified and listed on the UK government register of digital verification services, with supplementary certification for Right to Work checks.
Within HBHR, each individual has a single consolidated record where completed and approved checks are stored. The integration sits across HBHR’s hiring and onboarding modules, helping organisations ensure all appropriate checks have been completed before employment or engagement begins. As HBHR is built to scale across multiple sites and teams, compliance can be maintained consistently across complex company structures – whether an organisation employs a handful of staff or hundreds across multiple locations.
“This is exactly the kind of integration that organisations with complex and constantly changing workforces have been asking for” said Matthew Clarke, Head of Partnerships & Innovation at Rightcheck.
“Education providers, logistics and warehousing businesses, care organisations and construction companies can be engaging permanent employees, part-time workers, freelancers and subcontractors at the same time. Building identity verification and Right to Work checks directly into the hiring workflow makes compliance easier to manage, easier to evidence and more scalable.”
With the deadline fast-approaching, HBHR and Rightcheck are encouraging all organisations to review their existing checking processes and contractual arrangements and ensure they are ready to meet the upcoming changes from day one.
About HBHR
HBHR is the AI‑powered, all‑in‑one workforce management platform that unites HR, time and attendance, and payroll in a single secure system. Built to replace multiple tools and spreadsheets, HBHR cuts admin, tightens compliance and gives HR and finance leaders real‑time insight from hire to pay. Developed in‑house, the platform automates routine tasks while keeping HR and payroll teams firmly in control.
HBHR is fully HMRC‑approved for UK and Irish payroll and independently certified to leading security and data protection standards, with open APIs and 50+ integrations across finance, HR, scheduling and benefits stacks. With a world‑class customer satisfaction score (average NPS 9/10), award‑winning onboarding and consistently strong customer reviews, HBHR supports organisations across diverse range of sectors including healthcare, education, charities and non‑profits, retail, and manufacturing to manage their workforce, control costs and protect culture as they scale.
About Rightcheck
Rightcheck provides identity verification, Right to Work and background screening technology through one connected, app-based platform. Its services help organisations verify identity, conduct compliant Right to Work checks, manage criminal record screening, complete employment and qualification checks, and monitor ongoing workforce compliance.
Rightcheck’s identity checking service is independently certified and registered under the UK digital verification services framework, including the supplementary codes for Right to Work, Right to Rent and Disclosure and Barring Service checks. Trusted by more than 800 organisations, Rightcheck supports employers throughout the worker lifecycle – from initial identity verification and screening to follow-up checks, ongoing monitoring and offboarding.
