Homes sought for temporary construction workers

Monday 11 April 2022

Recent changes to employment rules allowing for construction staff from outside the UK to work in the island for nine months have been welcomed by the industry – and the hunt is now on for accommodation for the new temporary workers.

To address staffing pressures as a number of large construction projects get underway in Jersey, the Government this month introduced a new flexible work permit.

The update to the immigration system means that blue-collar recruitment agencies can directly employ people from outside the Common Travel Area (CTA) to work on projects where needed, rather than be tied into a single employer on a fixed-term permit.

GR8 – whose Managing Director, Lee Madden, has been working closely with Government to find solutions to staffing gaps in the hospitality and constructionsectors – welcomed the move.

While Mr Madden said the firm would be taking advantage of this new route, he noted that accommodation would be needed for the temporary workers.

The firm is now on the hunt for shared accommodation to house its employees, who will share the rental cost with the business who is using their services.

Pictured: Mr Madden said the rental cost would be shared between employer and employee.

“Brexit and covid have had a significant impact on Jersey’s ability to recruit and retain people to work in all sectors but as we move towards rebuilding the economy, the construction sector will need more people than are currently available in the island,” Mr Madden explained.

“There are already a number of large construction projects in progress and as more come online, we need to be in the position to meet the demand for skilled construction staff. We have a ready route to recruit people from outside the CTA and we are identifying premises for them to live in while accommodation remains an issue in Jersey. This accommodation will be affordable and will have no impact on local housing.”

He added: “We wanted to find a way that was flexible enough to guarantee 40 hours of work per week. This solution provides Jersey with another avenue to bring people in without putting a strain on the local infrastructure. The lifeblood of any business is its people, and we need to find ways to support those that come here and support our businesses and our economy.”