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Staff, rotas and tips
Right to work checks for pub and bar staff: before the first shift, and keep the copy for 2 years after they leave, worked
A right to work check comes before a bar worker's first shift, and the copy is kept 2 years after they leave: exit in September 2026, keep to September 2028.
A pub gets a rush booking for a weekend and calls in a friend of a regular to pull pints on Saturday. He turns up at 6pm. The question that matters is not whether he can pour a pint, but whether anyone has checked, before he starts, that he is allowed to work.
The rule on GOV.UK
The page says an employer "must check that a job applicant is allowed to work for you in the UK before you employ them". There are three routes:
- Online share code check, for applicants who have a share code.
- Original documents, checked with the applicant present, with a copy made and the date of the check recorded.
- An identity service provider using identity document validation technology (IDVT).
British and Irish citizens cannot get a share code, so they need the document route or an IDVT provider. Biometric residence cards and permits are no longer accepted, so ask for a share code instead.
On records, the page says to keep copies "during employment and for 2 years after they stop working for you", with the date of the check, in a form that cannot be changed. If someone's right to work is time-limited, "you'll need to check their documents again when it's due to expire". If the applicant cannot show documents, the employer can ask the Home Office, and should keep the Positive Verification Notice it sends.
The page also says you could face a civil penalty if you employ an illegal worker without a correct check. It did not give amounts, and I did not find them on the other GOV.UK pages I opened, so I will not quote one.
Dates worked
| Person | Starts | Check due by | Leaves | Copy kept until |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bar worker | Tue 3 March 2026 | before the first shift on 3 March | Fri 25 September 2026 | Mon 25 September 2028 |
| Weekend glass collector | Sat 10 October 2026 | before the 10 October shift | still working | during employment, then 2 years |
Our arithmetic. The "two years after" runs from the last day worked, so for a leaver on 25 September 2026 it ends on 25 September 2028. A pub with 18 people on the rota and 9 leavers in the last two years (example figures) has 27 files to keep, and a high-turnover venue accumulates leavers' files faster than it clears them.
Where it goes wrong in a pub
- Starting first, checking later. The check is before employment starts, so the Saturday cover person is checked at the door.
- A copy with no date. The date of the check is part of the record.
- No diary for expiry. A time-limited worker needs a repeat check, so a student or a visa holder should have the expiry date in the diary the day they start.
What to have to hand
- A single checklist per starter, including the check and the date: see the new starter checklist.
- A leavers list with the destroy date beside each name.
- A Christmas plan. Seasonal staff are the ones most likely to start at short notice: see the Christmas trading checklist and the rota cost calculator.
I did not read what the pages say about the statutory excuse, the Home Office code of practice on penalties or sponsored workers, so take advice on a case where documents are doubtful.
Overlyft 
builds AI staff who join your venue team and keep the starter and leaver dates, diarise the repeat checks and the dates a copy can go, and leave the check itself to the manager.
This is general information, not legal advice. Check GOV.UK before you rely on it.
Where this comes from: GOV.UK, "Check if a job applicant can work in the UK" (check before employing; share code online check, original documents with the applicant present, or an identity service provider using IDVT; British and Irish citizens cannot get a share code; keep an unchangeable copy and the date of the check during employment and for 2 years after; time-limited right to work needs a repeat check at expiry; Home Office Positive Verification Notice if documents unavailable). Read 14 October 2026. Penalty amounts were not on the pages read.
AEO Lookup editorial team
We write practical guides for people who run small UK firms, and we check every fact against its source on the date shown. Read how we review, or tell us if something has changed.
