Remember Brexit?

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, many businesses, and particularly HR professionals were pre-occupied with sorting Brexit and grappling with the new points–based system on immigration.  While there are rumours that Brexit deadline of January 2021 might be delayed, HR cannot rely on any further hold ups, and will need to prepare and act, even if for one hire from the EU or beyond next year.

On the positive side it gives organisations, and particularly HR, the opportunity to design agile and flexible work approaches around the needs of its employees.  The focus will need to be on workforce planning.

Under the proposed scheme overseas workers who want to come to the UK after free movement ends on 31 December 2020 will have to meet certain criteria (or 70 points).

Here are the two tests which are set out below:-

There will, of course, be some winners and losers in the economy.  For example, the IT industry is likely to be one of the ‘winners’ with their higher paid roles which require specific specialised skills.  Other sectors such as hospitality, social care, food production and agriculture may now face further problems with their lower paid workforce.

So what can you do to prepare?  If you haven’t done so already the first step will be to confirm who in your workforce will need settled status through the EU Settlement Scheme.  You might want to support them by contributing all, or some of the cost.

In the longer term ensuring you have a good pipeline of talented and engaged staff it will be of vital importance. Have you done any analysis to identify the skills you will need in the future?  Can you re-deploy some of your employees to other areas of your business?

If you would like to have a confidential chat or have any immediate questions please get in touch with Hafton by giving us a call or emailing us at info@haftonconsultancy.com.