Guides
Right to work check software UK: employer guide to tools and process
Campsite · 25 June 2026
UK employers must conduct right-to-work checks correctly. This guide explains RTW software requirements, compares approaches including Campsite, and lists common mistakes.
Who this guide is for
You employ people in the UK and must conduct right to work (RTW) checks before work starts and follow up when permission is time-limited. Checks may live in folders, spreadsheets, or HR software. You search right to work check software because:
- A visa expiry nearly slipped through
- An audit asked for checks you could not find quickly
- Hiring volume makes manual tracking fragile
- Site managers need visibility without HR bottlenecks
This guide explains process, software categories, and honest comparison including Campsite as a people operations workspace with RTW on employee profiles.
Start with First employee legal requirements UK business owner if you are new to hiring.
UK right to work basics (employer duty)
Employers must:
- Conduct RTW checks before employment begins
- Check acceptable documents per Home Office lists
- Repeat checks when permission is time-limited
- Keep records securely
- Avoid discrimination: consistent process for all hires
Penalties for illegal working include fines and potential criminal liability for knowing failures. Software does not replace legal duty; it reduces execution risk.
Manual vs software-assisted checks
| Approach | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|
| Paper files | Simple micro teams | Lost docs, no expiry alerts |
| Spreadsheet tracker | Cheap | No doc linkage, error prone |
| Identity service (IDSP route) | Digital verification path | Process design still required |
| HRIS document storage | Central files | Expiry workflows vary |
| People ops platform (Campsite) | RTW on profile + hiring + rotas | Not standalone IDSP only tool |
Software value appears at scale, time-limited permissions, and multi-site hiring.
What RTW software should do
Minimum evaluation criteria:
| Capability | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Store check evidence | Audit retrieval |
| Link to employee profile | No orphan folders |
| Expiry dates + alerts | Time-limited visas |
| Repeat check workflow | Scheduled follow-ups |
| Role permissions | Site hires without HR admin for all |
| Audit trail | Who checked what when |
| Onboarding integration | Check before rota publish |
| Secure access | GDPR and confidentiality |
Optional: integration with Identity Service Provider digital checks where your policy uses them.
Campsite in RTW context (honest)
Campsite is a UK people operations workspace: HR records, hiring, rotas, leave, payroll exports, employment law monitoring, white-label subdomain. RTW sits on employee profiles with expiry visibility, connected to hiring onboarding and site operations.
Strong fit when:
- RTW is one part of broader people ops chaos (hiring inbox, rota WhatsApp, folder sprawl)
- Multi-site managers hire and need check status visible
- You want RTW linked to same profile as contract and rota
Look elsewhere when:
- You only need standalone digital ID verification volume
- Global immigration across non-UK entities dominates
- Enterprise immigration vendor already mandated
Campsite is not claiming to replace specialised immigration case management for complex sponsor licence administration alone. It supports operational RTW discipline for typical UK employers.
Comparison table: RTW tool types
| Type | RTW depth | Hiring | Rotas | Typical buyer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Folder + calendar | Low | Manual | Manual | Micro employer |
| HRIS (Breathe, etc.) | Medium | Basic | Weak | SME HR-led |
| IDSP-focused | High verify | Optional | No | Compliance-led |
| People ops (Campsite) | Strong ops | Pipeline | Native | Frontline multi-site |
| Enterprise immigration | Deep sponsor | Integrated | Varies | Large sponsor employers |
Pick category matching your hiring pattern and time-limited worker count.
When to look elsewhere
| Situation | Better fit |
|---|---|
| Only digital ID checks, no HRIS | IDSP specialist |
| Tier 2 sponsor compliance complex | Immigration platform + legal counsel |
| 4 employees, no visas | Disciplined manual may suffice |
| Global mobility programme | Enterprise vendor |
Campsite when RTW must connect to daily people operations, not sit in compliance silo.
Evaluation checklist
Workforce profile
- Count time-limited permissions today
- Hiring locations and who conducts checks
- Repeat check calendar requirements
Process audit
- Sample 10 employees: check on file? correct type?
- Last near-miss if any
- Consistency across sites
Software trial
- Upload sample docs; verify permissions
- Set expiry; confirm alert recipients
- Run mock hire from offer to RTW complete before rota
- Export audit pack for sample employee
Legal alignment
- Home Office guidance current in your handbook
- Identity verification route documented if used
- HR compliance checklist UK business owners
Integration
- Payroll and rota blocked until RTW complete? (policy choice)
Implementation checklist
Week 1
- Define RTW owner (people team vs site manager rules)
- Import active employees
- Priority upload: all time-limited cases
Week 2
- Configure expiry alerts (who receives)
- Train hiring managers on check-before-start
- Document repeat check schedule
Week 3
- Migrate historical checks per retention policy
- Retire spreadsheet tracker
- Test audit retrieval time (target minutes not days)
Ongoing
- Monthly sample audit
- Employment law monitor review for RTW rule changes
See Onboarding compliance checklist for UK employers.
Common RTW software mistakes
Buying software without process owner. Alerts go unread.
Checking only at hire. Miss repeat checks on limited leave.
Inconsistent sites. Area manager improvises.
Storing photos insecurely. WhatsApp images are not records.
Confusing RTW with right to rent. Different regimes.
Assuming software equals legal compliance. Training and audits still required.
Blocking checks on nationality. Unlawful discrimination risk.
No link to rota publish. Person scheduled before check complete.
RTW and related compliance links
RTW connects to:
- Onboarding (contract + policies)
- Scheduling (do not roster unchecked workers)
- Payroll (legal work eligibility)
- Sponsor duties if applicable (separate depth)
Read Employment law compliance software UK for broader compliance architecture.
Manual check types vs digital verification (UK routes)
Employers may use manual document checks or Identity Service Provider (IDSP) routes where eligible. Software should support your documented process, not dictate it:
| Route | Evidence stored | Repeat check trigger |
|---|---|---|
| Manual List A/B/C | Copies per guidance | Visa expiry dates |
| IDSP digital | Verification record | Provider workflow |
| Follow-up time-limited | New check before expiry | Calendar + alert |
Campsite stores evidence on employee profiles with expiry regardless of route. Confirm IDSP integration needs separately if digital volume is high.
RTW audit simulation (do before buying software)
Pick ten random active employees:
- Retrieve RTW evidence (target under 5 minutes each)
- Confirm check type matches permission
- Confirm repeat check scheduled if time-limited
- Confirm person not on rota before check complete (policy)
Failed simulation means process or software gap before regulators ask.
Sponsor licence employers (scope boundary)
Sponsor licence duties extend beyond standard RTW storage: reporting duties, record-keeping, SMS migrations. Complex sponsor operations may need immigration specialists plus software. Campsite supports operational RTW for typical hires; do not assume full sponsor casework without evaluation.
Connecting RTW to onboarding and rota publish
Recommended policy sequence:
- Offer accepted
- Contract issued
- RTW check completed and stored
- Profile marked ready for rota
- First shift published
Software enables gates; leadership must enforce gates culturally.
Penalty risk framing (why software ROI exists)
Home Office illegal working penalties scale with circumstances. One preventable failure can exceed years of software subscription. RTW software ROI is risk reduction + audit speed, not only admin hours.
Home Office audit readiness pack (employer checklist)
Prepare pack before software purchase; software accelerates retrieval:
- Sample of manual or digital RTW checks
- Repeat check log for time-limited cases
- Named RTW responsible person
- Policy on checks before work starts
- Training record for hiring managers
Campsite stores pack contents on profiles; policy still yours.
Discrimination avoidance in RTW process
Apply consistent stages to all hires regardless of nationality appearance. Software checklist helps consistency; people team audits random sample of checks monthly for bias patterns.
Remote and hybrid RTW document upload
Post-pandemic hires post documents digitally. Email attachments leak; profile upload with permissions beats shared drive links. Train candidates on secure upload path in offer letter.
Right to work software purchases should include annual audit simulation in calendar: people team retrieves random sample across sites. Failed simulation triggers process fix before external audit.
Share code schemes and settled status categories change; employment law monitor supplements but does not replace Home Office list checks at hire time.
Reference links for RTW evaluators
- Onboarding compliance checklist UK employers
- First employee legal requirements UK business owner
- Employment law compliance software UK
FAQ
Does Campsite perform digital IDSP checks?
Evaluate current Campsite verification features in trial against your chosen check route. Process discipline matters regardless.
Can site managers conduct checks?
Policy decision. Software can permit role-scoped upload with HR review if desired.
How long retain RTW records?
Follow Home Office guidance on retention after employment ends; configure archive policy.
Student visas and term-time hours?
Track expiry and hour restrictions in policy; software alerts on expiry dates, not visa condition logic automatically unless configured.
Remote hires posting documents?
Secure upload to profile beats email attachments.
What if check expires mid-rota?
Alerts should fire before expiry; repeat check workflow before continued work.
Next steps
- Automatic HR compliance software UK
- How to stay HR compliant UK small business
- UK HR system multi-site frontline teams
- Start a 14-day Campsite trial
Right to work failures are preventable operational errors at most UK employers. Software helps when checks live on employee profiles, expiries alert responsible people, and hiring connects to the same system managers use weekly.