Exclusive: Linklaters tackles Brexit risks by paying for UK residence certificates

Linklaters is responding to the Brexit vote and supporting its EU staff by paying for UK residency certificate applications for eligible employees.

EU nationals who have lived and worked in the UK for at least five years are eligible to apply for a UK residence certificate and the law firm wants to ensure its eligible employees are unaffected by any potential post-Brexit changes.

The law firm has also held special sessions put together by its immigration lawyers for those employees likely to be directly affected, in addition to wider town hall meetings and other communications for the whole workforce.

A Linklaters spokesman told HRD Connect that supporting applications for these workers was one of the ways the firm was acting to help ensure its people felt safe in their status following the vote to leave and to secure the firm’s workforce.

“We employ non-English qualified lawyers as well as English qualified lawyers,” he said.

“For those EU originating lawyers who are already eligible for UK residency, Linklaters has been paying for their residency applications to be made.

“We have been suggesting similar things to clients because it makes sense – if you’re an EU employee in the UK and offered a job in the EU you might be more likely to take it because of the uncertainty of your future in the UK.

“It’s a great commitment but it’s an important one for us to make or it may mean we lose quality people,” he added.

How does the UK’s vote to leave the EU affect employers?

Owain Thomas