The CIPD welcomes the publication of a new toolkit by the Home Office to help employers support and inform their EU staff on how to acquire ‘settled’ status in the UK after Brexit.

The move comes as a survey of HR practitioners by the CIPD reveals nearly 9-in-10 say securing settled status — which gives EU citizens the same rights to live and work in the UK as they currently enjoy — would help their EU staff commit to staying. 

The CIPD and its members have played a key part in shaping the overall registration process through the institute’s role on the Home Office’s employers forum on post-Brexit immigration as well as focus group participation by its members.

The EU Settlement Scheme Employer Toolkit and Briefing Pack provides guidance for employers with non-UK, EU citizens in their workforce. The resource contains information for explaining the EU Settlement Scheme to employees and outlines the steps for them to apply for settled status.

Gerwyn Davies, Senior Labour Market Analyst at the CIPD, says the toolkit is clear, succinct and simple to use, and would likely ‘override the need for employers and EU citizens to seek expensive professional advice’ about the status of EU citizens post-Brexit. 

The resource also offers a timely prompt to employers to ensure they are communicating with their staff and that their leadership teams, HR, line managers of EU citizen employees and the employees themselves, have what they need to understand the EU Settlement Scheme.

‘The arrangements are very generous, and includes being able to bring family members such as grandparents, to settle in the UK with the same rights as they have under EU free movement,’ Davies said.

From a practical point of view, Davies added, employers should take the opportunity ‘to consider how they can help support EU citizens with the registration process, for example, by allowing use of facilities onsite or even offering financial assistance for acquiring the new settled status document.’

The CIPD encourages its members and HR professionals to make use of the toolkit and submit any feedback. This will help inform the CIPD as it continues work with the Home Office on a Brexit immigration policy that works for both employers and employees.

The toolkit is available from the UK Government website.