The Managing Director of the UK’s oldest estate agent recruitment consultancy has called for the Government to give more information about what will happen to European Union employees after Brexit.

His comments follow a recent survey by the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC), which found that two fifths of UK businesses employing staff from the EU say their EU employees have expressed concern about their future residency status following the referendum. Research also found that five per cent of businesses have seen EU employees resign following the Brexit vote, while ten per cent said their EU employees have stated their intention to leave the UK.

Property Personnel Managing Director Anthony Hesse said: “It’s all very well the Government wanting to keep its negotiating cards close to its chest, but the lack of information about Brexit is creating a vacuum of vulnerability. Decisions still need to be made out there, so both employers and employees need to have some idea about what is going to happen in the future, in order that they can plan accordingly. But at the moment, the radio silence is deafening.”

The British government has repeatedly attempted to reassure the three million EU nationals currently living in the UK, but it has not ruled out the possibility of deportations in the future. Anthony Hesse said that the issues around the status of existing EU nationals, the nature of new appointments from the 27 other EU countries during the transition period, and future immigration policy all need to be addressed.

He explained: “We need rapid clarity on three issues - confirmation about the status of EU nationals currently living here who have been left in limbo, clarification on how new EU hires will be treated, and an indication about future immigration policy.

“We still have a significant skills gap in the UK. So we need an immigration policy that allows businesses to plug skills shortages with employees from the EU, with as little bureaucracy or cost, and as few barriers as possible.

“This is more than a simple matter of individuals not knowing where they stand. This is about long-term policy making for businesses, including estate agents up and down the country, who are unable to make important decisions because the information required is simply not there.

“The economy may have appeared to have bounced-back faster than expected after the referendum result – but as the uncertainty drags on, companies and individuals are increasingly at risk.”

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