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Checks employers can make on job applicants

As an employer, you’ll need to make sure new employees are allowed to work in the UK.

Right to work in the UK

You must check that job applicants are allowed to work in the UK before you hire them.

You can be fined up to £20,000 if you cannot show evidence that you checked an employee’s right to work in the UK.

EU citizens and their non-EU family members

EU citizens and their families will need to apply for settled status to prove they can work in the UK after 2020. Documentation proving they can currently work in the UK will be valid until 31 December 2020.

Criminal record checks

You can request a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check for someone applying for a role. Certain roles are eligible for a more detailed check, for example in healthcare or childcare.

Find out what type of DBS check you can request.

Unless you’re eligible to check someone’s spent criminal record for a job, it’s against the law to refuse to employ them because of spent convictions.

Health checks

You can only ask successful candidates for a health check before hiring them if:

  • it’s a legal requirement, for example eye tests for commercial vehicle drivers

  • the job requires it, for example because your insurers need health checks on cycle couriers

You should include information about any checks in your offer letter, and get written consent before asking for a report from a candidate’s doctor. Candidates can demand to see the report, and ask for it to be changed or withheld from you.

You must make sure checks do not discriminate (for example by targeting them at certain age groups only) or discourage people from applying for the job.

You can be prosecuted if you discriminate against a candidate because of a disability that does not stop them from doing the job.

Data protection

You must follow data protection rules when handling information on job applicants.

This page is Part of Start a new job: step by step

  1. Step 1 Get your National Insurance number

    You'll usually need your National Insurance number when you start your new job.

    1. Find your National Insurance number
    1. Apply for a National Insurance number if you do not already have one

  2. Step 2 Accept the job offer

    The offer might be ‘conditional’ or ‘provisional’, which means you may need to give further details to your new employer or pass pre-employment checks.

    1. Find out about your rights when accepting a job offer

  3. Step 3 Share your details for any employer checks

    Give your new employer what they need to complete any pre-employment checks.

    1. You are currently viewing: Find out what checks your employer can make
    1. Find out how to prove your right to work
    1. Find out about criminal record checks

  4. Step 4 Review your employment contract

    Your new employer should give you an employment contract. Check the terms before you agree to it.

    1. Find out about employment contracts

  5. and If you're leaving a job, hand in your notice

    Tell your current employer that you’re going to leave and when your last day will be. This is known as handing in your notice.

    1. Find out how to hand in your notice

    When you hand in your notice, ask your employer when you’ll get your P45.

    1. Find out about the P45

  6. Step 5 Prepare your personal information for your first day

    To get paid, you’ll need to give your new employer:

  7. Step 6 Give your P45 to your new employer

    Your new employer will use your P45 to work out how much tax to take from your pay.

    1. Find out about the P45

  8. or If you do not have a P45, fill in the starter checklist

    Use the starter checklist to give your employer details they need to work out your pay and tax.

    1. Fill in the starter checklist

  9. Step 7 Check your first payslip

    Your employer must give you a payslip on or before payday.

    1. Find out what should be on your payslip

    It’s your responsibility to make sure you’re paying the right amount of tax.

    1. Check if the tax on your payslip is correct

    If you think the tax is wrong, your tax code may be incorrect.

    1. Find out what to do if you think your tax code is wrong