The construction sector is on the cusp of significant legislative change. The Government’s Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill 2025 proposes extended right-to-work checks that will now cover gig-economy and zero-hours workers – a major shift for an industry that relies heavily on flexible labour. Coupled with an open consultation on new guidance and statutory codes of practice, these changes mark a significant tightening of the compliance landscape and present an opportunity for the industry to shape how these reforms take effect.
The introduction of these measures has renewed a discussion that has long been avoided. Robert Brent, CEO at workforce management solutions provider MSite, highlights the reality that addressing illegal working in construction requires more than right-to-work reforms currently proposed.
Strengthening policy is essential, but it will not remedy the deep-set operational gaps that have enabled illegal labour, unsafe practices and exploitation to persist in the shadows of our sector for far too long.
Illegal working has left an indelible mark on construction. It compromises health and safety by allowing unqualified or unverified individuals to access some of the most hazardous environments in the UK. It undermines productivity, fuels inconsistent labour practices, and leaves contractors exposed to reputational and regulatory risks.
Beyond the operational impact, it exposes vulnerable workers to exploitation. Research from King’s College London has again highlighted these dangers, urging policymakers and industry leaders to make better use of existing data to identify and address modern slavery risks, particularly in housebuilding. These concerns are familiar; what remains missing is meaningful, industry-wide operational reform to address them.
For too long, construction has tolerated fragmented processes, inconsistent standards, and outdated manual methods that simply do not reflect the realities of today’s labour market. If we are serious about eradicating illegal work, we must go much further. The answer lies in transforming how the workforce is onboarded, verified, managed and monitored before they reach site, on site, and throughout the supply chain.
Pre-site controls
A credible and compliant approach begins long before a worker reaches the site gate. Right-to-work checks remain essential, but they must be delivered with rigour and consistency. Far too often, verification is reduced to last-minute exchanges of paper documents, which leaves
ample room for oversight and falsification. A modern approach requires digital, Home Office-aligned workflows that enable identity documents, right-to-work evidence, and qualification records to be uploaded, authenticated and assessed well ahead of employment progressing. Thorough vetting is not an administrative burden; it is a foundational element of safe and compliant operations. When contractors adopt digital pre-registration and onboarding processes early, ambiguity disappears, and the reliance on unreliable manual checks diminishes, strengthening accountability and workforce planning.
On-site enforcement
Robust pre-site controls must be matched by equally robust enforcement on site. This is where technology needs to play a decisive role. Biometric access control, linked to verified digital profiles, establishes a clear and enforceable standard: if a worker does not have a validated profile, they do not enter the site. This eliminates opportunities for identity sharing, unauthorised labour, double-shifting, and the persistent issue of ghost workers appearing on payroll without ever attending. When combined with live time-and-attendance data, contractors gain complete transparency over workforce activity in real time. Many organisations already recognise the power of this technology, yet adoption across the sector remains patchy and enforcement inconsistent. To reduce illegal working meaningfully, we must apply the same high standards universally, across every project, every contractor and every tier of the supply chain.
Listening to workers is equally critical. The call from King’s College London to amplify the voices of those experiencing or witnessing exploitation is one that the industry must take seriously. When workers feel safe to speak up, incidents surface earlier, investigations become more thorough, and the resulting data becomes far more actionable. This strengthens site culture and provides contractors with the audit-ready evidence required to demonstrate due diligence when challenged by clients, regulators or frameworks. Internal transparency is always preferable to public exposure.
Ultimately, eliminating illegal working demands a holistic operational change. The industry needs a connected, end-to-end “golden thread” that integrates identity verification, right-to-work status, qualification records, time-and-attendance data and incident reporting. When these elements operate as a unified system rather than isolated processes, the loopholes historically exploited by illegal or hidden labour close dramatically. Supply-chain transparency increases, compliance strengthens and the conditions in which forced or hidden labour can take hold rapidly diminish. This shift is not simply meeting regulatory requirements; it is fundamental to the sector’s ability to meet rising expectations around safety, productivity, and national infrastructure delivery.
Right-to-work reforms may help sharpen focus, but they are not the solution on their own. The real transformation lies in the decisions our industry makes now. If we cling to inconsistent standards and outdated methods, illegal working will continue unchecked, and the sector will carry risks it can no longer justify. But if we embrace full operational modernisation - linking identity, compliance, site access and worker welfare into a single, robust system, we have the power to eliminate illegal labour at its source.
This is not a question of technology; the tools exist, the systems are proven, and the processes are clear. It is a question of leadership and accountability. The construction sector, tasked with building safely and transparently, cannot afford to let hidden labour practices undermine its integrity. Now it is time for the industry to step forward, raise its standards, and commit to operational change that finally makes illegal working impossible, not inevitable.