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Brexit, Mobility and Employment Law: A Work in Progress

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Flags of the European Union and United Kingdom alongside each other

Given the United Kingdom’s status as a major trading nation, not to mention the country’s tradition of close adherence to international law, its business and citizens have always been attuned to the rights of European nationals living and working in Britain.

Prime Minister Theresa May has consistently affirmed that post-Brexit, securing the status of European Union nationals in the UK, and of UK nationals in the EU, will remain a Government priority. For now, information is limited on the proposals the Government will put forward, which ultimately will need to be negotiated with the EU member states.

No doubt Brexit will change the status quo regarding EU and UK labor laws. Companies that wish to plan ahead and continue to succeed are looking for clues and inclinations, if not outright answers, from the experts on these issues, including public officials. That is precisely the focus of the insideMOBILITY® Brexit Consortium in London on May 15th.

Gareth Johnson MP, Parliamentary Private Secretary to David Davis of the Department for Exiting the European Union will host this meeting with opening remarks from Lord Callanan, Minister of State for the DfEEU which is partnered by DLA Piper, Graebel, BAL and PwC. In addition to employment law, the experts from these firms will also weigh in on Brexit’s impact on Mobility, Immigration and Tax. The two hour program includes time for peer-to-peer discussions and sharing best practices in these areas.

Global companies are continually challenged to monitor and conform with employment requirements across multiple jurisdictions. Brexit, now less than one year out, will take this challenge to an entirely new level. Companies need to know now about potential and likely employment law scenarios and how they could impact supply of labor and mobility throughout the region.

Forward-thinking companies also see a post-Brexit employment law structure in a positive light – an opportunity to optimize their performance within a new regulatory structure, compete for the best talent…and outperform their competitors in this area. After all, every industry challenge is an opportunity to differentiate.

While the ultimate UK policies are far from final, here’s what we DO know about post-Brexit UK employment laws:

  1. EU citizens who legally reside in the UK before March 29, 2019 will be able to stay in the UK. Close family members such as spouses, unmarried partners, children, grandchildren, dependent parents and grandparents will be able to join them after the UK exits the EU.
  2. Individuals already holding a permanent residence document on March 29, 2019 will have that document converted into a new document free of charge, dependent only on validation of identity, a criminality and security check and corroboration of residence.
  3. EU citizens with settled status and temporary permission to stay will continue to have the same access as they have presently to pensions, healthcare and other benefits.

To register for the Brexit Consortium, held in the House of Commons, Terrace Pavilion on Tuesday, May 15, 2018 between 08:30 and 10:30, please contact Jane Olsen. NB: This event is open to leaders and managers of Global Mobility, HR and Reward and requires a hard copy invitation for entry.

 

 

The Brexit Consortium

The Brexit Consortium aims to drive discussion amongst Senior Global Mobility and HR teams when considering the impact of Brexit on all areas of your mobility program planning, including Tax, Immigration, Employment Law and Relocation. Be sure to read related articles and join the conversation on social media with #IMBrexit.

 

About insideMOBILITY®

insideMOBILITY is an entity presented by Graebel that hosts events that are designed to help professionals from Global Mobility, HR, C&B and Reward become better at their jobs. In these forums, key people in the industry from around the region meet with their peers, share ideas and connect with industry experts.