Five barber shops and one car wash were inspected by police on April 16.
The initiative was headed by Colchester’s Community Policing Team with support from Special Constables.
They were joined for the initiative by representatives of HMRC and Colchester Borough Council.
Police officers spoke to 35 workers throughout the day and did not identify any victims of human trafficking.
Pc Nathan Suley of Colchester Community Policing Team said: “The aim of operations like this is to ensure the safety of workers across Colchester.
“We want to make sure that they’re being looked after by businesses, and also that they’re working legally.
“We’ll continue to make regular checks in workplaces across Colchester to certify the status and safety of employees in the town.”
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