Migrant Workers

There are many ways in which the RLN can support your business when dealing with migrant workers.

When employing a migrant workforce you should be aware of the language and cultural barriers that may prevent your business from operating smoothly.

By addressing the skills needed to wholly integrate your multilingual, multicultural workforce you will ensure that barriers to communication and embarrassing situations are avoided.

Please click on the following links to see how the RLN can help you overcome these barriers:

Your migrant workforce

You will need to consider how your staff will welcome migrant workers and how you will help your migrant workers integrate into your company and the wider community.  They may require English training or you may find it helpful to train supervisory staff so that they have a basic knowledge of the mother tongue of your migrant workers and can help them to communicate more easily.  You will need to ensure that health and safety information is presented in a language that they can understand and that cultural trainers and interpreters are hired if and when necessary.

Legislation

At the end of 2008 new legislation affecting the employment of migrant workers came into force. It ensures that all employees present health and safety information and training in a language that can be easily understood by the migrant worker as well as ensuring that they are not working illegally. 

You can find out more by downloading the Working in the UK: rights for migrant workers leaflet.

Resources and links

These links to organisations providing further guidance for employers of migrant workers may be helpful to you:

Language Line - telephone interpreting service in over 150 languages - very useful for solving an immediate problem
Culture Smart Guides - providing information on the attitudes, behaviours and beliefs of people in over 60 countries
HSE Migrant Workers information - to help overseas workers and their employers understand their roles and responsibilities
HSE Telephone Interpreting Service - covering over 100 different languages
The Home Office - further support and advice for employers of migrant workers

ESOL

If you employ migrant workers you may have to consider English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) courses to help them integrate effectively into the workplace and the wider community.  You will need to consider the costs involved and where training should take place.

Some training organisations in the West Midlands offering ESOL courses include:

The Brasshouse Language Centre
Sandwell College
City College Coventry
Telford College of Arts and Technology
Kidderminster College

Alternatively you can search the hotcourses database for details of ESOL courses in your area.

Further help

Please contact us to find out more about the support and help available to you if you employ migrant workers.