Employment News

Mark Higgins on Iain Duncan Smith's pleas
Fri 1st Jul 11 - 9:30

Work and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith, is about to issue a plea to businesses to take on jobless British youths - rather than migrant workers.

Mark Higgins, Head of Employment Law says<  'A blunt request for UK Employers to give preference to British workers flies in the face of EU and UK legislation designed to protect job applicants from adverse discrimination. Under the Equality Act 2010, race and nationality are protected characteristics, meaning that employers are prevented from treating job applicants less favourably on those grounds. The promotion of “British jobs for British workers”, however well-intentioned would thus seem to undermine these principles.
 
If it really is the case that mass immigration is causing or prolonging UK joblessness, then surely the answer lies in tighter immigration control of non-EU citizens by immigration officers, rather than expecting employers to do that job for them.'