Staff file and right-to-work audit

An internal audit, once a year, that every current staff member has a complete file — signed contract, right-to-work evidence, and training records (food hygiene, allergen, alcohol training where relevant) — and that leavers' files are archived correctly rather than just left in the active pile.

Individual checks (right-to-work, training refreshers) happen on their own schedules, but nothing catches the file that was never actually completed unless you look at the whole set together. A missing signed contract or an absent right-to-work check surfaces at the worst possible time — a dispute, an inspection, or a Home Office audit — rather than when it was still easy to fix.

Watch out for

• Auditing only the files for staff who joined that year, missing gaps in older files that were never caught the first time round.
• Treating the audit as a formality and not actually opening each file — a completed checklist with unopened files defeats the point.
• Not archiving leavers' files securely once the retention reason has passed, leaving personal data held longer than needed.

Sources

• GOV.UK — Written statement of employment particulars checked 2026-09-02
• GOV.UK — Check a job applicant's right to work checked 2026-09-02

See also

• Written statement of particulars, day one— this becomes part of getting open →
• Right-to-work checks before the first shift— this becomes part of getting open →