Brexit – Latest Government Help, All You Need to know for Your EU Employees
With Brexit looming, many employers are concerned about the status of their EU employees. The Home Office has helpfully issued an Employer Toolkit which can be found here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/eu-settlement-scheme-employer-toolkit
This provides key information for employers including information that can be passed directly to their employees.
Employers are, however, reminded that they should not generally be providing immigration advice to their employees and the toolkit simply contains information for employers to pass on to their employees and to help them support employees. Employers should also note that there will be no change to the rights and status of EU citizens living in the UK until 2021 and they should not discriminate against EU citizens in light of Brexit.
The apparent relative ease of the process may reassure employers, particularly those that employ large numbers of EU workers, and will hopefully also go some way to reassuring the vast number of EU workers who are employed in the UK.
The scheme will be phased in later this year and is planned to be fully open by the end of March 2019. EU employees who are resident here by 31 December 2020 will have until 30 June 2021 to make an application.
This toolkit includes a briefing pack for you as an employer
Leaflets containing important information if you are an EU citizen in the UK that you can download and print for your employees
A leaflet explaining how to apply for settled status
There are even posters you can put up in the workplace, find them here.
Information on the process of applying for settled status and pre-settled status is provided. Helpfully, a guide to the relevant terminology is also provided https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/728678/Leaflet_3_-_EU_Settlement_Scheme_Glossary.PDF).
The Government is also encouraging both employers and EU employees to sign up to https://eucitizensrights.campaign.gov.uk/ to obtain email update alerts. This webpage also provides further detail and case studies which may assist employees.
If you require any legal assistance with the process, compliance or indeed you have any other employment queries please give me a call on 01702 238529.
