APSCo welcomes extension on adjusted Right to Work checks

Following the announcement today that the end date for the temporary adjusted Right to Work (RTW) checks has now been deferred until 1st October, Tania Bowers, Global Public Policy Director at the Association of Professional Staffing Companies (APSCo) commented:

“We’re pleased to see that the feedback from APSCo and other industry leaders has been taken on board and has resulted in a delay to the ending of the temporary adjusted checks that have been beneficial throughout the pandemic. We initially raised our concerns with the Home Office and the Minister for Justice and Tackling Illegal Immigration in January, explaining that the short turn-around time wouldn’t allow employers to run an appropriate preferred supplier selection process to establish new relationships with Identification Document Validation Technology (IDVT) certified providers.

“Without this extension, there was the chance for a problematic transition period where recruitment firms and employers could no longer use the Covid checking processes but also wouldn’t be ready to use a permanent digital solution, which would have only led to an increase in time to hire and exclusion from the marketplace for candidates who aren’t able to complete a face-to-face RTW check. This extension of the temporary adjusted checks will allow for a smoother transition process into the new permanent RTW processes and we will be working with our members to ensure they are ahead of the new deadline.

“We will continue to monitor the pricing and commercial offerings of the certified providers over the coming months, raising issues with the Home Office and other stakeholders if necessary, to ensure that recruiters are not faced with unreasonable additional costs, unfair contract terms and extra administrative burdens when using the new digital process.”