Brexit is probably at the forefront of your mind these days and it certainly is on ours. Whatever media you prefer, you will receive daily push messages about the high profile separation of the UK and Europe.
Within the BSN we follow the Brexit negotiations with great interest. Around 400 colleagues in our organisation have a British passport and they form around 55% of our total staff. Brexit has an impact on all of us.
Preparing for an unknown change is incredibly difficult. As an HR team, we know how important it is to be there to listen, to share information when we receive it, to explain to staff what to expect, to support with specific enquiries, and to refer to the right authorities where necessary. We support our staff with regular newsletters to keep them informed, and in addition to that our Communications Team has set up an FAQ for our community.
We feel incredibly supported by the IND – the Dutch immigration and naturalisation service. Almost a year ago they set up a
dedicated Brexit website for the 50,000 British passport holders in over here and their employers. Special times require special measures; quite uniquely the Brexit website is in English while normally the NL government communicates only in Dutch.
The BSN also hosted an IND Brexit event on 11 March. The IND sent some 20 colleagues to find out how they could best communicate with British passport holders in and around The Hague. They discussed a range of topics; from the tone of voice used in communication to specific concerns from the international community. The fact that the Dutch Government reached out to British citizens in the area was widely welcomed.
Like everyone else, we’re not sure what will happen over the next few weeks, but whatever it is, we will continue to ensure that we support all of our staff, and recruit the best candidates!
