What digital ID means in practice, and how HR can stay compliant without losing its human edge
This isn’t a new idea, just the sequel. The last serious attempt at ID cards came in the mid-2000’s under Tony Blair, before the plan collapsed under the weight of privacy fears and politics. Two decades on, with AI verification and biometric systems now part of everyday life, what once felt intrusive now feels inevitable.
The government has confirmed a national rollout by the end of this Parliament, expected in 2029, making digital ID mandatory for anyone who wants to work in the UK. The legislation is already in motion through the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025, which lays the groundwork for digital identity verification. Once it lands, it will be HR’s job to turn that framework into something that actually works – in real organisations, with real people, and all the messy nuance that comes with both.
On paper, digital ID promises speed, cleaner checks, and an end to the ‘do you have a scanner at home’ conversations. Lovely. But beneath the convenience, it also sits within a bigger shift: the steady automation of HR technology, where more decisions are handed to algorithms and systems. And that’s the real point: this isn’t just about technology. It’s about people and trust, and how carefully both need handling when everything else is changing.
What the digital ID rollout means for HR teams
The idea is relatively simple. Instead of juggling grainy PDFs of passports and visas, people will verify their identity through a secure app approved by the government. It should save hours of HR time and make employee onboarding slicker.
If you’ve spent too much of your career squinting at late-night iPhone photos of an ID wedged between a mug and a laptop, it sounds pretty good. But HR knows progress isn’t always tidy, and (successful) change doesn’t happen overnight.
Five things HR leaders should prepare for in the digital ID rollout
1. Right-To-Work checks will change
The process will move through certified digital identity providers, not photocopiers or mobiles. You’ll still be verifying identity, but with new technology, new training, and inevitably explaining the new system to someone who ‘doesn’t do apps’.
2. Inclusion and accessibility will matter
Those ‘don’t do apps’ moments are exactly the point - not everyone owns a smartphone or trusts digital systems. According to Ofcom, around 9% of UK households struggle to afford a mobile phone. Build in options before you’re forced to. There will always be someone who can’t log in. The real test is whether your process still works for them. It’s hard to call it ‘inclusive’ if you only remember to include people afterwards.
3. You’ll need to plan for privacy and cybersecurity
Even if the framework sits with the government, HR is still part of the data chain and therefore holds part of the risk. UK government guidance states that the digital ID system will be designed with security at its core, but in today’s cybersecurity landscape, there’s no such thing as watertight - only ready and resilient. Decide how long records live, who can see them, and what your response looks like if something goes wrong.
4. Communicate early, and expect resistance
How you introduce digital ID will shape how employees experience it. If it feels like surveillance, you’ll lose trust before the system even goes live. The goal isn’t to sell it, it’s to explain it honestly, in plain language, and with empathy to those adapting to yet another change. Because not everyone will see this as progress. Some employers will see cost before benefit, and some employees will see control slipping away. Resistance isn’t always rebellion - sometimes it’s exhaustion from being told that the next system will fix everything. Anticipate it early, talk about it openly and build space for questions before scepticism fills the gap.
5. Recognise the wider impact
There’s a bigger picture here. A secure, standardised ID system could make it harder for traffickers, exploitative employers and identity fraud to slip through the cracks, potentially bringing long-overdue protection to people who have historically been invisible in the system. But there’s a fine balance to strike - the same data that helps keep people safe can also make them feel watched. HR will be the one keeping that balance in check.
HR’s role in implementing digital ID successfully
The sceptics will say that digital ID is out of HR’s hands. They’ll be right about the system, but wrong about the impact. The framework will be designed and enforced by government; HR won’t be rewriting the code or setting the rules. But their influence lies in how it’s introduced and lived day to day.
And that’s where the real work begins.
As technology automates and accelerates, people crave proof that humans are still in charge. That’s HR’s real value here: translating policy into practice and keeping confidence steady when the HR technology moves faster than trust.
So, the real questions become practical ones:
- How do we make sure the rollout feels consistent and credible?
- Where could gaps in training or communication create avoidable risk?
- When something goes wrong, who steps in? Are they prepared to handle it?
The framework may be national, but the accountability isn’t. HR certainly doesn’t need to be the government’s spokesperson and sell it as a revolution, but you do need to make the change work for your people, in your context, without losing sight of fairness or practicality.
Turning digital ID compliance into credibility
Handled well, digital ID could make HR more human, not less. It’s an opportunity to strip out unnecessary admin and focus on what actually builds confidence – in the process and the people behind it.
The organisations that treat this as a tick-box exercise will stay compliant. The ones that strategically approach it as part of how they manage risk, HR compliance, culture and reputation will move faster and earn more trust.
How NFP can help
At NFP, we support organisations handle change with clarity and care, from cultural shifts and restructures to compliance updates like digital ID cards. Get in touch and to see how we can support your business.