The Pensions Regulator (TPR) will carry out spot checks on UK employers to ensure that workplace pension duties are being met.
As part of its ongoing enforcement activity, TPR will conduct inspections at organisations believed to be at risk of failing to comply with workplace pension regulations. Employers will be given a short notice period before the inspection.
The spot checks are designed to serve as a warning to organisations that deliberate non-compliance will not be tolerated.
The spot checks will also enable TPR to gather insight into employer behaviour, investigate any non-compliance, help employers get back on track or to inform any required enforcement action.
The inspections will be conducted across a range of business sectors, including those thought to be most at risk of non-compliance, such as the hospitality and retail sectors.
Charles Counsell, executive director of automatic enrolment at TPR, said: “Automatic enrolment has been a great success so far with more than seven million people now saving into a workplace pension. It is important employers continue to make contributions into their staff’s pensions and these spot checks make sure ongoing compliance is being maintained.
"It is not fair to staff if they do not get the pensions contributions they are entitled to by law. We take non-compliance seriously and will take enforcement action when we need to.
“As well as investigating any non-compliance, these inspections will also help shine a light on employer behaviour so we can see why different types of employers fail and also identify good practice that others can learn from.”
