After many years of debate & agreements, the Brexit transition period is rapidly approaching.

As of the 1^st January 2021 the United Kingdom will have left the European Union. At the time of writing & at the eleventh hour; negotiations to avoid a no deal Brexit were still going on, with Boris Johnson heading for Brussels to try & break a deadlock.

For many Brexit has been side lined by the impact of the Covid19 pandemic. With so many businesses & employees becoming reactive in the face of the pandemic; the impact of Brexit has been the last of their worries, with unemployment rates continuing to increase under the weight of the pandemic.

The most recent unemployment figures for July to September 2020 was 4.8%, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

That is an increase of 0.7% over the previous three months & meant that 1.62 million people were unemployed. (1)

With the UK employment market already having taken a downward turn & figures predicting that unemployment could reach 2.6 million by the summer of 2021 as a direct result of the impact of Covid19.

Therefore, how could Brexit change the face of the UK employment market & how does this affect UK & EU workers alike?

Currently, EU nationals are able to move freely throughout the EU & have the natural right to live in the UK. Equally, UK nationals in other European countries have the right to work in the EU & this will continue under the current legislation until the 31^st December 2020. However, changes are coming which will impact how UK & EU nationals apply for settlement in either country.

For EU nationals living & working in the UK, the EU Settlement Scheme will continue to operate, enabling EU citizens already living in the UK to apply for indefinite settlement. The deadline for applications is 30 June 2021. In the event of a no-deal Brexit – the application deadline for the scheme is 31 December 2020. (2)

With figures showing that at the end of 2019 3.7 million EU nationals were living in the UK & that 994,000 UK nationals were living in EU countries; there is a considerable logistical consideration to be met with regards to permanent settlement in the UK or the EU. (3)

People living & working in the UK & EU will need to ensure they have the relevant documents to continue living & working freely in their country of choice.

The rules regarding EU nationals applying for & securing employment in the UK will change from the 1^st January 2021. People arriving in the UK from another country & EU citizens moving to the UK to work, will need to get a visa in advance to do so.

EU citizens applying for a skilled worker visa will need to show they have a job offer from an approved employer sponsor to be able to apply. Employers planning on sponsoring skilled migrants in 2021 will need to be approved by the UK Government to do so, before the 1^st January 2021. (4)

Employers in the UK are already sharing concerns about how they might easily employ EU nationals.

The hospitality industry having already seen a considerable impact from Covid & who would rely on seasonal workers to bolster their seasonal needs; may find that visa applications become a logistical challenge going forward. Furthermore, Farmers who rely on EU nationals for harvest support, may also be met by the same challenges.

UK &EU employers & employees will need to meet the challenges of the Brexit agreement to ensure that the workforce continues to support across the UK & into the EU; with skilled workers sharing their expertise where it is most needed.

Written by Katy-Jane for & on behalf of Virtually Smart Ltd.