From 1 October 2026, enhanced right to work requirements are expected to affect more UK employers, including families employing nannies, housekeepers, carers and other domestic staff. Here is what domestic employers need to know — and how Zest can help with nanny payroll, employment contracts and right to work advice.

What are the October 2026 right to work changes?

From 1 October 2026, the UK’s right to work regime is expected to expand beyond traditional employment relationships. The updated draft Home Office guidance confirms that employers must continue to check that someone has the right to work before they start work, and that a correctly completed check can provide a statutory excuse against a civil penalty if a problem is later identified. GOV.UK right to work guidance

The main shift is that right to work responsibilities are becoming more relevant to a wider range of working arrangements, including workers, individual subcontractors and some labour supply situations. Although much of the public discussion focuses on businesses, the underlying message is just as important for private households: if you are employing someone in your home, you need to be confident that the correct checks have been completed and recorded before work begins.

How will right to work checks affect nanny and domestic employers?

Many families do not think of themselves as “employers” in the same way as a company. However, if you hire a nanny, housekeeper, gardener, chauffeur, personal assistant, care worker or another domestic employee, you still take on employment responsibilities. That includes payroll, tax, pensions, employment contracts, holiday pay, sick pay and right to work checks.

For nanny and domestic employers, right to work checks are especially important because employment often begins quickly, recommendations may come through informal networks, and paperwork can be left until after the start date. Under the right to work regime, that is risky. The correct check should be completed before the person starts work, not after.

What are the risks if domestic employers get right to work checks wrong?

If a right to work check is missed, completed incorrectly, or not stored properly, an employer may struggle to show that they acted correctly. Civil penalties for illegal working can be significant, and guidance from immigration specialists notes that fines can rise to as much as £60,000 per illegal worker for repeat breaches.

Beyond financial penalties, there can be practical disruption too. If a nanny or domestic employee is unable to continue working, families may suddenly need alternative childcare or household support. There can also be stress, uncertainty and additional administration at exactly the wrong time.

Right to work checklist for nanny and domestic employers

• Make right to work checks part of your hiring process before any nanny or domestic worker starts.
• Use the correct checking route for the individual’s circumstances, such as a manual document check, Home Office online check or approved digital identity check where appropriate.
• Keep clear records of the check, including the date it was completed.
• Review employment contracts to make sure they reflect the role, hours, pay, holiday, duties and legal responsibilities accurately.
• Take advice if the working arrangement is informal, part-time, temporary, shared with another family, or involves someone introduced through an agency or online platform.

How Zest Payroll can help nanny and domestic employers

At Zest, we understand that most nanny and domestic employers are busy families, not employment law specialists. Our role is to make employment administration clearer, simpler and less stressful.

Zest can support domestic employers with nanny payroll, HMRC registration, payslips, pension administration and ongoing payroll compliance. We can also help with domestic employment contracts and practical right to work advice, so that families understand what needs to be checked, when it should be checked and what evidence should be retained.

Whether you are hiring your first nanny, replacing a long-standing employee, or reviewing your current arrangements ahead of the October 2026 changes, Zest can help you put the right foundations in place.

A simple compliance check today could prevent problems tomorrow

The right to work changes due from October 2026 are a useful prompt for all domestic employers to review their processes. If you employ someone in your home, now is the time to check that your payroll, contract and right to work records are up to date.

Right to work FAQs for nanny employers

Do nanny employers need to complete right to work checks?

Yes. If you employ a nanny or domestic worker in the UK, you should complete the correct right to work check before they start work and keep a record of the check.

Can Zest help with nanny payroll and employment contracts?

Yes. Zest can help domestic employers with nanny payroll, HMRC registration, payslips, pension administration, employment contracts and practical right to work guidance.

Need help with nanny payroll or right to work checks? Contact Zest for friendly, practical support with nanny payroll, domestic employment contracts and right to work guidance for UK domestic employers.