Proposal

Plans to 'name and shame' employers of migrants is 'unfair and unhelpful'

06-Oct-2016 - Last updated on 07-Oct-2016 at 09:20 GMT

Plan criticised: 'naming and shaming' not helpful

Government plans to "effectively name and shame" employers of non-UK nationals has labelled as "unfair and uninformed".

Proposals laid out by Home Secretary Amber Rudd would force businesses to disclose what percentage of their workforce is non-British, in an aim to encourage businesses to employ more British people.

Rudd said the proposals would "flush out" businesses into "better behaviour".

The Association of Licensed Multiple Retailers (ALMR) claims the scheme would "effectively name and shame" businesses.

Lack of understanding

ALMR chief executive Kate Nicholls said: “Any plan to spotlight those businesses deemed not to be doing enough to support British workers would be hugely unhelpful and shows a lack of understanding of the way in which many operate.

“Pubs, bars and restaurants do not actively recruit abroad seeking foreign workers, they recruit locally and it is unfair to imply that businesses are failing to support the UK workforce or failing in their duty to provide opportunities or training."

Migrant workers make up 24% of the total hospitality workforce, and are therefore vital to its success.

“Pubs, bars and restaurants invest a significant amount of time and money in their employees whether they are UK or non-UK nationals. Any implication that UK businesses are failing the UK populace by hiring migrant workers is unfair and uninformed,” Nicholls said.

Chef shortage

Research by People 1^st shows that the hospitality industry will need to recruit 11,000 chefs by 2024.

“With colleges reporting a decline in interest for full-time chef programmes, hospitality businesses will have to work hard to fill these and other vacancies, and non-UK workers will make a vital contribution filling these gaps,” Nicholls continued.

“This is not a deliberate effort to undermine the British workforce, it is a sector responding to pressures and attempting to fill a very difficult skills shortage.

“The Government does not need to determine what is or isn’t an appropriate proportion of non-UK workers and measures to effectively name and shame such employers are unhelpful and misguided.”