A leading Belfast solicitor has said that a range of Ulster businesses are seeking legal support and guidance on employing Ukrainian nationals in a bid to aid the humanitarian crisis and avail of the broad skillset of refugees.
However, Seamus McGranaghan, director of employment law at O’Reilly Stewart, has warned local businesses that while the opportunity represents a win-win, companies must be careful to conduct due diligence and adhere to fair and just employment practices.
New concessions for Ukrainian refugees’ means that in addition to visa applications and the visa scheme for family members, refugees have been granted leave to live and work in the UK for up to three years.
This ‘local sponsorship scheme’ presents a real opportunity for businesses in Northern Ireland to expand and strengthen their workforce with skilled refugee workers, at time when job vacancies across a range of sectors remain high.
According to Mr McGranaghan particular sectors that are seeking to benefit include IT, hospitality and retail with many foreign nationals having left Northern Ireland in the wake of the Brexit arrangements widening the gap in the job market.
“The local economy is hungry for skilled workers, in areas such as IT and hospitality in particular,” said Mr McGranaghan.
“Hospitality is struggling to provide a steady flow of skilled labour into an industry that employed 34,000 people pre covid and the IT sector continues to grow, providing 15% of all employment vacancies with...
MUNCIE, Ind.–A Muncie man faces eight federal charges accusing him of filing more than $1 million in false COVID-19 tax credit claims. Gregory Vernon Dupree, 38, was charged in a federal indictmen...