Essex Bookkeepers on the New Immigration Act Rules Now in Force

RAINHAM, U.K. - Sept. 2, 2016 - PRLog -- Essex bookkeepers Office Assistants have been discussing how the Immigration Act 2016 will affect employers. If a worker is found to be in the UK illegally, the government no longer has to prove that the employer knew about it. If this were to happen in a business, it could be prosecuted if there was 'reasonable cause to believe that the employee is disqualified from employment' because of being in the country illegally.

The Act also gives Immigration Officers the power to search your premises, and seize any incriminating evidence of this kind of wrong doing. It doesn't matter whether the work is being performed under a written contract or just an oral one; the offence of employing an illegal immigrant is the same.

Penalties are more severe as well. Fines are heavy and you could go to prison for up to five years. Previously the maximum custodial sentence was two years. The workers themselves can now be prosecuted as well, and face imprisonment for up to six months.

The Act is also concerned about the conditions of legally employed workers. A new post of Director of Labour Market Enforcement has been created, whose role is to oversee the enforcement of the national minimum wage and other minimum standards for workers.

Lynn Watson says, "With all these new rules upon us, all employers need to be even more vigilant with their recruiting practices. If you are not 100% certain of their legal status, it's not worth taking them on."

Other aspects of the Act have yet to come into force, and have no projected date as yet, but are worth noting and looking out for. These include a power to close down premises for a maximum of 48 hours if illegal immigrants are found working there. There is also a new rule that public sector workers who deal directly with the public must be fluent in English. In Wales the rule also includes the Welsh language. An immigration skills charge will also be imposed on employers who sponsor Tier 2 skilled migrant workers i.e. if you want to offer a job to someone from overseas with skills you cannot find otherwise.

Office Assistants offers bookkeeping services and much more to clients throughout the south east of England from their base in Rainham, Essex. For more information visit http://www.officeassistants.org.