Restaurant slapped with £180k fine for employing illegal workers

A restaurant has been issued with a hefty fine for employing illegal workers, government figures show. HCK Fast Food And Golden Bowl, located in Hawkins Lane, Burton-on-Trent, and owned by Burton Express Noodles Ltd, received the joint highest penalty notice of £180,000 for the offences.

This is according to the recently published Home Office ‘name and shame’ list covering the period between April 1 and June 30 this year. The only other business in the UK to receive such a large fine was a car wash in Suffolk.

The large sanction reflects a hike in the amount businesses can be fined for employing illegal workers introduced by the government in February, when fines rose from £15,000 to £45,000 per illegal worker for a first offence and from £20,000 to £60,000 per worker for repeat violations.

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Across the UK fines for businesses employing illegal workers rose 165 per cent, from £8,120,000 issued in the first quarter of the year to 21,485,000. Businesses do have the right to dispute and appeal against penalties.

Immigration employment experts say the significant rises in fines and activity illustrate how diligent employers need to be when employing overseas workers. Yash Dubal, director of visa and immigration law firm A Y & J Solicitors, said: "These figures show the cost to businesses when they do get it wrong.

"An employer has a responsibility to make sure workers are legally allowed to work. Ignorance is not a defence, and if you cannot show you have made the necessary checks, you could be facing a significant fine.

"Labour shows no signs of softening the stance against undocumented workers and the higher fines now being issued will put some companies out of business."

According to Companies House records, the owners of HCK Fast Food And Golden Bowl applied to have the business struck off in August, thereby dissolving the company. However, this action has been suspended because a creditor objected to the company's dissolution.