The proposed new regulation requiring agencies and employment businesses to advertise UK jobs in the UK, if they are to be advertised abroad, is one step closer following the government’s announcement that it intends to press ahead with new regulations by the end of this year.
The requirement is that job adverts must be placed in English in Great Britain either for 28 days before being placed in an EEA country or at the same time as the EEA advertisement. There is a defence to not placing a GB advert if the agency believes no-one locally would apply.
Adrian Marlowe, Chairman of the Association of Recruitment Consultancies (ARC), commented “The proposed regulation is to be welcomed. Once the regulation is in force UK workers will be able to view jobs that are offered abroad, even if end user hirers tell the agency that they only want to hire foreign workers. Other sanctions already exist under the Equality Act if foreign workers are given preference over local workers. As a result this new provision addresses an unhelpful perception about the recruitment industry and will enable it to demonstrate that it is not adding fuel to the fire over why some UK jobs are going to foreign workers.”
