Senior Staff Meeting

Increased Immigration ControlsRemoval of the Default Retirement Age

February 16 2011

Types of Visa

• Tier 1: Highly skilled workers, meet the minimum number of Points, self sponsored and relates to the individual not the post;

• Tier 2: Skilled workers with an offer of a post from a UK employer, the recruitment to which meets the UKBA standards, requires the organisation to have a Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS);

• Tiers 3 to 5: less widely used in the School, include Student Visas, Post Study Work Visas, short term Researchers.

Increased Immigration Controls• From 5 April 2011, UKBA introduce significant reductions

in the national quota of overseas workers, and increased requirements to justify their employment

• The majority will now require a Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS): reduced for LSE last year from 13 to11 for July 10 – March 11

• Likely to be a monthly national quota: doesn’t sit with cycle of recruitment

• Further intervention anticipated on criteria and approval process for Tier 1; Indefinite Leave to Remain; treatment of Extensions vs new applications.

What has been done already

• LSE has an ‘A’ graded Sponsorship Licence, right to work in UK checks undertaken by HR, monitoring location of overseas staff, records and processes in line with UKBA requirements

• Guidance on web site and responses to consultation/lobbying input

• Pro-actively supported Tier 1, until that too restricted recently

• Carefully monitored Tier 2 and extensions to manage limited supply

What we now need to do differently

• HR to continue to promote Tier 1 when new criteria clear;

• HR to promote Indefinite Leave to Remain, when guidance clear;

• HR to continue to maintain current knowledge of changes and communicate to units/on web;

• Consider ways to ‘grow our own’.

Background to Removal of the Default Retirement Age (DRA)

• Government confirmed DRA to be abolished 1st October 2011

• Transitional arrangements from 6th April 2011• Existing School procedure to complete for those

reaching 65 in 2011 or those with extended retirement in 2011

Current Context• School experience to date

• Next 5 years– 125 staff across the School reaching ‘retirement age’ over the period

• Current sector view– Waiting for case law to develop– No plans to implement organisation / individual retirement date

• Guidance available focuses on what the School can not do - not what we can do

• General Staff awareness – very low

• Risks– Less high performing staff continuing indefinitely– Lack of career progression for junior / mid career staff

Current Cases• HR Partner to support HoD

– Review staffing plans– Review staff list containing coming retirements– Consider flexible approaches – Current process to apply this year– Panel to consider requests from staff– Statement from HoD

School Plans

• Action Plan – Working Party• Review polices / procedures / contracts of employment

– Raise staff awareness – update web site– Provide guidance notes for HoD – Career Planning Workshops– Guidelines in PDR

• Consultation with trade unions and SCC• Removal of assumption staff retire at 65 from financial

plans

Local Actions• Work with HR Partners / HR Specialists• Career Review

– Fair and consistent across all staff - not just those approaching 65

– Early conversations / intervention– Setting / managing expectations

• Career / workforce planning• Consider flexible options currently available• Manage resignations

– Staff ‘retire’ – obtain formal letter of resignation

Further Information

• Contact your HR Partner• HR and Employment Advice

– www.acas.org.uk/index.aspx?articleid=3203– www.cipd.co.uk/subjects/dvsequl/agedisc

• Extending working life and age diversity– www.ecu.ac.uk/– www.brookes.ac.uk/services/hr/cdprp/flexible_retirement

Questions?