Foreign-born workers bring vital skills to the UK labour market, boosting growth and supporting critical public services like health and social care. But a substantial minority face barriers to stable employment. Foreign-born workers are more likely to be on flexible contracts that can bring financial insecurity, be in forms of work that mean they don’t benefit from rights such as Statutory Sick Pay and protection from unfair dismissal, and are more likely to experience some forms of unlawful treatment at work. These vulnerabilities reflect broader inequalities in the UK labour market, and a failure to protect foreign-born workers risks driving down standards across the labour market as a whole. What are the labour market experiences of foreign-born workers? How do systemic issues allow poor practices to persist? What are the wider implications for the UK labour market? And how can policy – including the measures in the upcoming Employment Rights Bill – better protect workers? The Resolution Foundation is hosting an in-person and interactive webinar to debate and answer these questions. Following a presentation of the key highlights from new RF research, we will hear from leading experts about precarious work among foreign-born workers, and how labour market policy can better protect foreign-born workers to avoid a ‘race to the bottom’ in labour standards. The event will be open for people to physically attend, alongside being broadcast via YouTube and the Resolution Foundation website. Viewers will be able to submit questions to the panel before and during the event via Slido.
