Brexit impact on ski season workers

Philip Price, founder of jobs and review site workadvisor.co.uk, discusses the challenges facing ski companies amid the continued Brexit uncertainty.

Hotelplan UK chief executive Paul Carter summed it up nicely when he referred to the current political instability as like being a novice skier, being pushed off the top of a double black run, blindfolded. It’s an apt analogy, as his company operates the ski brands Esprit, Inghams, Ski Total and Santa’s Lapland.

They employ up to 1,000 seasonal workers in the UK in winter to work in European resorts as nannies, drivers, chalet hosts and much more. And they don’t just hire the sons and daughters of rich parents looking to give their offspring a bit of adventure, as is the common perception. They work with catering colleges in places like Bolton and Hull, giving work to young people who often haven’t had the opportunity to travel.

It’s the uncertainty that makes Carter feel like that novice skier. If there is a no-deal Brexit, then overnight these people may not be able to carry on working in resort. A deal with Europe to leave would at least give them two years to make plans and phase out UK workers, replacing them with European staff. Of course, Hotelplan UK are just one of many companies that would be affected.

Carter expressed his frustration over the issue last May on a video that was shown at The Barclays Travel Forum and called for clarity. Nine months later and with a month to go until the UK is due to leave the EU, the position seems no clearer. Barring a complete U-turn on Brexit, companies are set to have to employ more European staff sooner or later. Typically, seasonal workers may be employed up to nine months in advance of when they are needed, so it’s no surprise that they have been planning ahead.

At WorkAdvisor, we’ve been helping a number of companies to start recruiting UK workers to seasonal positions. It can be complex as different companies have different working regulations, regarding hours and minimum wage, and interviewing people can be a tricky process. You need to know where to find them, how to speak to them and also know what will attract them to a seasonal resort.

Staff need to be carefully chosen for childcare roles. UK-based nannies that work in resort need to have stringent qualifications and it is important to hire similarly qualified EU staff to give parents peace of mind when dropping off their children. All this extra work takes time and, inevitably, adds to costs.