Hiring Ukrainian refugees - what you need to know

The government has now announced measures that will allow Ukrainian refugees to live and work in the UK for up to three years. A number of large businesses (including Marks & Spencer, PwC and Lush) have formed a coalition to offer 10,000 jobs to Ukrainians who enter the UK on the Homes for Ukrainians scheme.

The Homes for Ukrainians scheme will enable individuals to work in the UK for three years without needing to obtain a visa or a sponsor unlike other non-British or Irish nationals looking to move to the UK and work. Employers will still need to check and copy Ukrainian nationals right to work and set reminders for the end of the three period to ensure the right to work is renewed.

Adaptations for Ukrainian workers

Employers will need to review their recruitment practices if they wish to offer Ukrainian refugees a role. Adaptations will include:

• Revising their qualifications and experience required for a role to match those gained outside the UK. For example, an honours degrees grade 2:1 from a British university is the equivalent of a Dyplom Magistra grade 7 awarded in Ukraine.
• Revising induction programmes and assigning a buddy.
• Offering flexible working to ease the new starter into their new work environment.
• Increase the welfare options to support the needs of newly arrived refugees.
• Provide access to English language tuition.
• Showing care and empathy at all levels to assist refugees facing barriers such as low confidence and past trauma.
• Revising employee assistance programmes to cover trauma (if not already covered).
• Provide access to trained counsellors – it is important managers do not try to be the counsellors themselves.

Please see the government’s Homes for Ukrainians website for further details by clicking here.

Source: Gavin Parrott