Photo: Shutterstock
Not only must businesses grapple with the coronavirus pandemic but many will soon have to once again wrestle with the UKs decision to leave the EU, with difficult decisions having to be made over the sourcing of talent, write Gillian McKearney and Pip Hague.
In the midst of Covid-19 and business continuity planning, its important that employers and particularly HR teams do not lose sight of the other pressing issue Brexit and in particular the impact this will have on the workforce.
With fears of further waves of Covid-19, especially as winter draws near, many businesses are struggling to focus on anything else. But, with only four months to go until the UK departs from the EU, how many employers have dropped the ball?
Research released by the CBI has revealed that one in five businesses are less prepared for Brexit now than at the start of the year due to Covid-19. Half of businesses are no more prepared for our departure than they were at the start of the year. Lastly and perhaps causing the most cause for concern, 21% of respondents said that their Brexit preparations had actually derailed since the start of the year.
There are winners and losers when it comes to the impact of Brexit on businesses who need non-native workers. For those who are already sponsor license holders, there will be certain advantages when the UKs new points-based immigration system kicks in: a lower minimum salary level, increase in roles available to sponsor and no advertisement requirement. Industries dependent on a consistent influx of EU workers, such as hospitality, retail, manufacturing and construction etc are likely to be the most impacted.
The UKs departure could raise a lot of questions and doubts over the stability of their workforce. Now while Brexit is a multifaceted complex issue and although we officially Brexited on 31 January 2020, the UK still has no clarity on whether we will exit with or without a deal. The transition period is due to end on 31 December 2020. On the 1 January 2021, the UKs Australian-style points-based immigration system will kick in, marking the most significant developments in UK immigration law in 40 years. This is important as there are certain things that employers who rely on EU workers can and should get in place before this cut-off date.
With not long to go, lets look at the key actions HR can do now to make the transition easier.
The quickest way for employers to safeguard the future of their workforce and keep their trained workers is to direct their EU staff about the EU settlement scheme, the scheme introduced to allow EU, EEA and Swiss citizens to continue living and working in the UK after the cut off period of 30 June 2021. Its the responsibility of the individual to make their application to the scheme, which means employers cannot require them to apply and cannot check that they apply. This makes the jobs of HR teams harder, but they should continue to put a robust process in place to oversee who is and isnt applying and to analyse what roles and which areas of the business are likely to suffer.
The latest stats released from the government showed that at the end of June 2020, there were over 3.7 million applications to the scheme. While this is a positive figure and shows than many of our EU workers are likely to stay post-Brexit, the number of refused applications is increasing. Employees and employers have common goals here, which is to remain in the UK and keep working. Be risk averse and apply sooner rather than later.
Our clients are often surprised to hear about the various opportunities available regarding workplace planning. Now is the time to be alive to and take advantage of the cut off date. The key cut-off date is triggered at 11:59pm on 31 December 2020. Provided an EU citizen enters into the UK by the 31 December 2020, theyre permitted to stay and work and have up to 30 June 2021 to apply to the scheme. This period is a blessing in disguise for some businesses. Its the time to plan recruitment drives and resource work contracts. 1 January to 30 June 2021 is a grant of extra time to allow eligible EU nationals to apply to the scheme.
Businesses need to be particularly cautious about checking the Right to Work documents for those EU nationals recruited during this period. If they arrived after 1 January 2021, they will be subject to the new immigration system and require a visa to work.
We recognise that while the EU settlement scheme will be of great use to many, there will eventually come a time when worker shortages will be an issue again. Therefore, employers may wish to consider whether they should apply for a sponsor licence because recruiting in and outside of the EU will be the same, with some advantages as mentioned above.
There are different types of sponsor licences, requirements and responsibilities for employers. If there is uncertainty around whether a licence is best, employers need to ask themselves the following questions:
Once an employer decides whether a sponsor license would be of value to the business, its best to apply for a licence sooner rather than later to ensure its available to use at the end of the year, minimise delays or disruption to workforce planning.
The changes to the UKs immigration system will herald a new era for the UK and while no business can entirely be prepared for what will happen at the end of the transition period, its important that employers do as much forward planning as possible.
Browse more recruitment and resourcing jobs
Read the original post:
Immigration and EU workers: Brexit hasn't gone away - Personnel Today
- Government should stop grandstanding over Brexit | London Business News - London Loves Business - May 2nd, 2020 [May 2nd, 2020]
- Brexit: EU Trade Talks Could Collapse in June over Fishing, Regulations - Breitbart - May 2nd, 2020 [May 2nd, 2020]
- How Kronborg Castle helped to inspire Shakespeare | Latest Brexit news and top stories - The New European - May 2nd, 2020 [May 2nd, 2020]
- Extending the Brexit transition period - Third Force News - May 2nd, 2020 [May 2nd, 2020]
- Theres something common in reactions to Ranbir Kapoors jeans, Brexit and Khan Market gang - ThePrint - May 2nd, 2020 [May 2nd, 2020]
- Boris Johnson's perversity on the Brexit cliff edge reminds me of the Free State's rejection of all things British - Slugger O'Toole - May 2nd, 2020 [May 2nd, 2020]
- Who is on the BBC's Question Time tonight? | Latest Brexit news and top stories - The New European - May 2nd, 2020 [May 2nd, 2020]
- Priti Patel allies to 'demand apology' over bullying allegations | Latest Brexit news and top stories - The New European - May 2nd, 2020 [May 2nd, 2020]
- Post-Brexit carte system 'will be easy', France says - The Connexion - May 2nd, 2020 [May 2nd, 2020]
- Brexit does not belong to one party, and Labour must play its part - LabourList - May 2nd, 2020 [May 2nd, 2020]
- EU free trade deal with Mexico (started at same time as Brexit) is AGREED - Express.co.uk - May 2nd, 2020 [May 2nd, 2020]
- Boris Johnson must extend Brexit talks for another YEAR, major Tory Party donor demands - Express - May 2nd, 2020 [May 2nd, 2020]
- DAVID EDGERTON: Where Brexit and Covid-19 collide | Latest Brexit news and top stories - The New European - May 2nd, 2020 [May 2nd, 2020]
- SNP warn of 'chilling prospect' of no-deal Brexit as UK Gov won't extend talks - The Scotsman - May 2nd, 2020 [May 2nd, 2020]
- Campaigners file case that argues EU citizenship is permanent regardless of Brexit | Latest Brexit news and top stories - The New European - May 2nd, 2020 [May 2nd, 2020]
- Boris gives green light for Brexit Britain to start formal US trade talks NEXT WEEK - Express - May 2nd, 2020 [May 2nd, 2020]
- UK seeks access to EU health cooperation in light of coronavirus - The Guardian - May 2nd, 2020 [May 2nd, 2020]
- UK will need to extend Brexit transition, Merkel ally warns Britain - The Guardian - May 2nd, 2020 [May 2nd, 2020]
- Tory MP David Davis urges government capitalise on coronavirus outbreak to seal a Brexit deal | Latest Brexit news and top stories - The New European - May 2nd, 2020 [May 2nd, 2020]
- Brexit trade deal WILL be struck this year say UK negotiators - but only after EU tantrum - Express - May 2nd, 2020 [May 2nd, 2020]
- British lawyer sues EU over her removal from its court due to Brexit - The Guardian - May 2nd, 2020 [May 2nd, 2020]
- Coronavirus: We are all paying the price for the Tory government's preoccupation with Brexit | Latest Brexit news and top stories - The New European - May 2nd, 2020 [May 2nd, 2020]
- Row over EU office in Belfast threatens to derail Brexit talks - The Guardian - May 2nd, 2020 [May 2nd, 2020]
- WATCH: Gina Miller meets online troll who sent hateful, racist and threatening messages over Brexit - The New European - May 15th, 2020 [May 15th, 2020]
- It's 10 years since the Lib Dem-Tory austerity coalition birthed Brexit and our brutal tribalism - Nation.Cymru - May 15th, 2020 [May 15th, 2020]
- It's crazy for UK to go ahead with Brexit given pandemic crisis - Yorkshire Post - May 15th, 2020 [May 15th, 2020]
- Paul Routledge: Tories want us to forget Brexit and crash out - Mirror Online - May 15th, 2020 [May 15th, 2020]
- Theresa May humiliation: Ex-PM's grovelling plea to union bosses amid Brexit vote exposed - Express - May 15th, 2020 [May 15th, 2020]
- Brexit: don't extend the transition period - TheArticle - May 15th, 2020 [May 15th, 2020]
- Brexit Blog: Crucial Times Ahead - Will the Gap Narrow Between the Sides as Negotiations Continue - Government, Public Sector - Ireland - Mondaq News... - May 15th, 2020 [May 15th, 2020]
- Northern Ireland facing 'challenge of a generation' as it confronts Brexit and Covid-19, says accountants society's new boss - Belfast Telegraph - June 9th, 2020 [June 9th, 2020]
- Nissan chief says firm is monitoring Brexit negotiations and warns on tariffs - Chronicle Live - June 9th, 2020 [June 9th, 2020]
- Ireland as a seat for International Arbitration Bost-Brexit - Lexology - June 9th, 2020 [June 9th, 2020]
- Boris Johnson told to 'stop playing political games' with millions of citizens - The Parliament Magazine - June 9th, 2020 [June 9th, 2020]
- Brexit Party took almost 2 million in donations in first quarter of 2020 - The New European - June 9th, 2020 [June 9th, 2020]
- The Brexit Crisis Led to Totally Incompetent Leadership at a Time of Unprecedented Calamity. Now We are Paying for It - CounterPunch - June 9th, 2020 [June 9th, 2020]
- North-east skipper Jimmy Buchan warns no-deal Brexit 'will hurt' Scottish fishing industry - Press and Journal - June 9th, 2020 [June 9th, 2020]
- Boris Johnson wants to 'fix' Brexit deal he once claimed was 'oven-ready' - The New European - June 9th, 2020 [June 9th, 2020]
- Claim that extending the Brexit transition period could cost 380 billion is not credible - Full Fact - June 9th, 2020 [June 9th, 2020]
- Brexit: NI Assembly votes to extend transition period - BBC News - June 9th, 2020 [June 9th, 2020]
- Brexit shock: How tensions between USA and China may affect UK's trade options - Express - June 9th, 2020 [June 9th, 2020]
- The car industry now: will Brexit's impact now be even greater? - Autocar - June 9th, 2020 [June 9th, 2020]
- EU crisis: Brexit risks bloc's 'economic threat' crumbling - 'We should leave too!' - Express.co.uk - June 9th, 2020 [June 9th, 2020]
- Brexiteer called out for claiming Brexit Party was 'most diverse' in European Parliament - The New European - June 9th, 2020 [June 9th, 2020]
- Nissan comes out of lockdown and braces for Brexit - The Guardian - June 9th, 2020 [June 9th, 2020]
- The pandemic is being used as cover for a no-deal Brexit - The Guardian - June 9th, 2020 [June 9th, 2020]
- Brexit Britain has a much better alternative than the EU: Canzuk - Telegraph.co.uk - June 9th, 2020 [June 9th, 2020]
- Brexit deal now unlikely without extension, and time is running out - Verdict - June 9th, 2020 [June 9th, 2020]
- Britain wants to reinvent UK-China relations in the Brexit age - Quartz - June 9th, 2020 [June 9th, 2020]
- Brexit has reopened a divide within the Tories that cannot be bridged - Telegraph.co.uk - June 9th, 2020 [June 9th, 2020]
- TCW's Brexit Watch: Will Johnson cave in a second time? - The Conservative Woman - June 21st, 2020 [June 21st, 2020]
- Britain, EU need Brexit agreement in the autumn - Merkel - Reuters UK - June 21st, 2020 [June 21st, 2020]
- Westminster's actions mean devolved governments have had 'no meaningful input' in Brexit trade talks - Press and Journal - June 21st, 2020 [June 21st, 2020]
- Brexit Britain is forced to confront its inglorious past - The Star Online - June 21st, 2020 [June 21st, 2020]
- EU 'terrified' of successful UK 'on its doorstep' says Widdecombe in brutal Brexit warning - Express.co.uk - June 21st, 2020 [June 21st, 2020]
- Letter: Brexit extension would be a leap in the dark - East London and West Essex Guardian Series - June 21st, 2020 [June 21st, 2020]
- Macron to discuss Brexit with Johnson on London visit - RTE.ie - June 21st, 2020 [June 21st, 2020]
- EU FURY: Macron unleashes new Brexit threat in bid to force through 750billion bailout - Express.co.uk - June 21st, 2020 [June 21st, 2020]
- Brexit news: What would ending the transition period with no deal really mean? - Express.co.uk - June 21st, 2020 [June 21st, 2020]
- Covid-19 and Brexit: Contrasting sectoral impacts on the UK | VOX, CEPR Policy Portal - voxeu.org - June 21st, 2020 [June 21st, 2020]
- Brexit and coronavirus are stoking the fires of Welsh nationalism - The New European - June 21st, 2020 [June 21st, 2020]
- After Brexit: Will the U.S.-UK Deal Get Tariffs Down to Zero? - Yahoo News - June 21st, 2020 [June 21st, 2020]
- Brexit victory: Macron WILL cave to UK fishing stance by autumn - but there is a catch - Express - June 21st, 2020 [June 21st, 2020]
- Its official: U.K. wont require an extension of Brexit talks, even as negotiations with EU hit gridlock - MarketWatch - June 21st, 2020 [June 21st, 2020]
- With Brexit Trade Talks at an Impasse, Boris Johnson Finally Engages - The New York Times - June 21st, 2020 [June 21st, 2020]
- Johnson & Brexit Patronising Etonian Alienates the World Byline Times - Byline Times - June 22nd, 2020 [June 22nd, 2020]
- Unions Warn Trump and Brexit May Smash the Scottish Whisky Industry - Gizmodo UK - June 22nd, 2020 [June 22nd, 2020]
- Brexit risk to waste and resources increasing, says Greener UK - Resource Magazine - June 22nd, 2020 [June 22nd, 2020]
- Covid and Brexit the challenges that face new FCA boss Nikhil Rathi - Belfast Telegraph - June 22nd, 2020 [June 22nd, 2020]
- Northern Irish firms to be reimbursed for tariffs if Brexit talks fail - Tina Massey - June 22nd, 2020 [June 22nd, 2020]
- Unpopular fund sector trumps UK funds four years on from Brexit vote - Money Observer - June 22nd, 2020 [June 22nd, 2020]
- Post-Brexit and what it means for your intellectual property rights - Intellectual Property - UK - Mondaq News Alerts - June 22nd, 2020 [June 22nd, 2020]
- Brexit revives unionist and nationalist divide in Northern Ireland - The Guardian - June 22nd, 2020 [June 22nd, 2020]
- Boris to take on EU's Galileo with BETTER system US could join 'we have an opportunity' - Express - June 22nd, 2020 [June 22nd, 2020]
- France does not rule out a post Brexit no deal with UK, but those who need it most are the British - MercoPress - June 22nd, 2020 [June 22nd, 2020]
- Boris Johnson news live: PM given fresh no-deal Brexit warnings, as No 10 puts full confidence in under-pressure minister - The Independent - June 22nd, 2020 [June 22nd, 2020]
- Brexit victory: Richard Tice reveals the 'huge opportunity' ahead for fishing and farming - Express - June 22nd, 2020 [June 22nd, 2020]
- Brexit: Why hopes are rising that EU and UK could find compromise - Financial Times - June 22nd, 2020 [June 22nd, 2020]
- A new CEO, Brexit and supply-side exposure may leave Wipros Q1 earnings more dented than others - Business Insider India - July 13th, 2020 [July 13th, 2020]
- UK Government 'planning to withhold power from Scotland after Brexit transition' - HeraldScotland - July 13th, 2020 [July 13th, 2020]