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Deputy Beatriz Porée
Chair, Work Permit Holder Welfare Review Panel Scrutiny Office
States Greffe
Morier House
St Helier
Jersey JE1 1DD
17 February 2023
Dear Deputy Porée
Work Permit Holder Welfare Review Panel
Thank you for your letter of 14 February, inviting the Employment Forum to consider questions relating to your review of work permit holder welfare in Jersey.
I think there is very little that the Forum can contribute to this particular consultation exercise. You will be aware that one of the Forum's responsibilities is to consider issues referred to it by the Minister for Social Security in the field of employment legislation. The issue of the welfare of work permit holders in Jersey is not one that falls particularly within the brief of the Forum.
The Forum is currently conducting a review of the operation of Zero Hours' Contracts in Jersey. As part of that review, we have spoken to a range of stakeholders in the employment law field, including Friends of Africa. They have raised with us some issues relating to the treatment of employees who are recruited to work in Jersey on work permits.
As you may be aware, those employees recruited on work permits are not allowed to be employed under a Zero Hours' Contract in Jersey. To that extent, the experience of the Forum in terms of the welfare of employees on work permits is extremely limited. What I am able to say is that, anecdotally, the Forum has been told that some employees on work permits have been and are being employed on a Zero Hours' Contract, in contravention of the rules.
I would suggest that the Panel would benefit in its enquiries from contact with Friends of Africa, as well as the Honorary Consuls, the Jersey Advisory and Conciliation Service, the Jersey Customs and Immigration Service (whose responsibility the issue of work permits is) and Citizens Advice Jersey.
I am sorry not to be able to be more helpful to you, but I wish the Panel well in its review.
Yours sincerely,
Carla Benest
Chair, Jersey Employment Forum