Restaurant owner disqualified for employing illegal workers

A restaurant owner has been disqualified from acting as a director after employing two illegal workers. Home Office Immigration Enforcement Officers visited the restaurant and found he was employing two workers who were not eligible to work in the UK. The company went into liquidation, owing its creditors £33,802, of which £20,000 was the fine imposed by the Home Office Immigration Enforcement team for employing the two illegal workers.

The director signed a disqualification undertaking banning him from being a director of a company or from being involved in the promotion, formation, or management of a company for six years.

Employers are responsible for ensuring their companies do not employ workers who do not have the right to work within the UK. Employers are required to undertake (and prove they have undertaken) checks on workers to establish their entitlement to work prior to recruitment.

For expert employment law advice, contact Jon Dyson at our Halifax office on 01422 339600.