Business leaders will be put off employing EU workers post-Brexit, study says

By Alan Jones, Press Association Industrial Correspondent

Half of business leaders will be put off employing workers from the European Union as a result of Brexit, a new study shows.

Two out of five admit they have limited or no understanding of how the Brexit process will affect their business or workers' rights.

A survey of 400 businesses by Blacks Solicitors found that most were worried about leaving the EU and one in four said they were underprepared.

Louis MacWilliam of Blacks Solicitors 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.

"Businesses rely heavily on EU labour and employers can play an important role in securing the rights of their EU employees."