Logistics companies not prepared for Brexit

More than half of companies in transport and logistics think they are not prepared for Brexit, according to a survey by Blacks Solicitors.

Some 52 per cent revealed they feel underprepared, and a further 48 per cent are worried about leaving the EU. In addition, 39 per cent said they have limited understanding of how the Brexit process will affect their business and the implications for workers’ rights, under new upcoming immigration laws.

According to Blacks, 57 per cent of businesses in the industry currently employ staff from the EU, but 39 per cent of business leaders say they would be put off employing someone from the EU after immigration laws change.

The study also revealed it’s not only employees from the EU that will be affected, with 26 per cent of businesses saying the recruitment process will become more costly. Capacity and resource could also become problematic, with over 43 per cent unconfident they would be able to replace EU workers with suitable British workers after Brexit.

Louis MacWilliam, immigration expert at Blacks, said: “With less than seven months to go until Britain leaves the EU, it is worrying that such large numbers of employers still feel in the dark about their ability to retain and recruit EU nationals. This is in spite of the Home Office publishing concrete details about the new mandatory registration scheme for EU nationals, due to open later this year.”