News and analysis Leader
Editor’s letter
Most break-ups are
messy. There are
tears, tantrums and
heartache. Not to
mention disagreements,
distrust and bitterness on
both sides. The inevitable
truth is that when two
forces decide to go in
opposite directions a
little bit of chaos is
bound to ensue.
Britain voted to leave
the European Union
back in June 2016. No,
three light-years ago. In that time there has
been volatility in the marketplace, instability
in politics and fear for workers’ rights. The
only constant has been the failure to agree on
anything at all.
Regardless of where you put your cross back
in 2016, the issue over whether we should
leave the EU is finally coming to an end. And
the country has finally got what anyone going
through a break-up longs for – closure.
I know Brexit is far from being completely
over, and we are just at the start of a tricky
divorce period where we decide who gets to
keep what CD (or login
details for the family
Spotify account).
But at least, finally, we
can start to put more
resources into the urgent
issues facing our country,
many of which directly
relate to the workplace.
Issues such as the decline
of the high street and
their absence in the
towns that truly need
them, or the effect of zerohours
contracts.
With conversations set to continue for
many months, it’s imperative that HR offers
extra support wherever needed. It is bound to
be a confusing time for us all, but spare a
thought for employees from mainland Europe
working in the UK who are currently still in
limbo when it comes to job security and their
rights. The least the HR community can do is
offer them some straightforward answers.
Finally, we may have some. HR
Jo Gallacher
Editor
HR magazine
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