It is estimated that approximately 2.5 million refugees have left Ukraine so far and therefore thousands of jobs are now potentially available in the UK for Ukrainian nationals fleeing the conflict with Russia.
Help employing Ukrainians
An increasing number of UK companies have pledged their help to find suitable jobs that will allow refugees to live independently in the UK. Here’s some information on the process, what to consider and how to go about supporting Ukrainians who have come to the UK, so you know what steps to take.
Are you an employer who can help?
As an employer, you can offer:
- full-time jobs
- part-time jobs
- voluntary work
What you need to do:
- Download and fill in the form to let the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and Refugee Employment Network (REN) know about work you can offer.
Email the completed form to offerwork@homeoffice.gov.uk.
- Employers must check a job applicant’s right to work.
To do this:
- check the applicant’s right to work online, if they’ve given you their ‘share code’
- check the applicant’s original documents e.g. their passport
More information on checking an applicant’s right to work
What happens next
After your offer is received, next, you’ll be contacted by someone from DWP or REN and they will ask you about your offer in more detail and explain what happens next. We don’t yet know the timescales around this, so it’s advised employers act quickly to get the ball rolling.
What else can you do:
A consortium of UK businesses has launched an initiative to make it easier to offer employment to Ukrainian refugees. This initiative is led by entrepreneur Emma Sinclair, MBE.
This scheme offers jobs and language support to refugees who have arrived in the UK.
If you’d like to know more about employing Ukrainians, this initiative or joining the -Business Consortium, you can contact Emma Sinclair, MBE via LinkedIn.
— Article by The HR Consultants