Our stories
Supporting our people through Brexit
PwC UK employs 1,200 EU nationals. Find out how we helped provide reassurance to them when the UK voted to leave the EU.
Setting the scene
When the UK voted to leave the EU, there was a lot of uncertainty around what this would mean for EU nationals who live and work in this country.
For PwC, that was 1,200 people, who did not know exactly what their legal status would be beyond Brexit.
There had been discussions within and between the EU and UK about securing the legal status of nationals since 2016. In summer 2018, the UK Government announced plans to provide a settlement scheme for EU nationals working in the UK.
How we helped
We moved quickly to make sure we were able to put our affected people’s minds at rest, and by the time the settlement scheme opened in the spring of 2019, ahead of the expected 29 March Brexit day, we had our programme in place.
We rolled out the programme firmwide - not just to EU nationals - to ensure we reached everyone who might be impacted. In some cases, this meant that UK nationals with EU spouses who were affected were able to access the support.
There was an interactive Google site, and a helpline and access by appointment to a specialist adviser for those with complex situations.
The easiest way to apply was via the app on an Android phone, (as this had not yet been released on iOS devices). All our people are issued with iPhones, so we provided a number of Android devices which could be used for the sole purpose of completing and submitting applications.
To get these to our people, we toured the country, setting up drop-in support centres and talking in all 24 of our offices to make sure no one was missed.
Supporting our people through Brexit
“In PwC I found a great team that was very supportive. I can go back to business now, worry-free.”
Making a difference
The programme has now become business as usual with our human capital teams. They’ve retained the Android devices and are also overseeing the website.
The aftermath of the EU referendum has been an uncertain and unsettling time for many. With the new Brexit date of 31 October approaching, we know that whether the UK leaves with a deal or not, our people now have a better idea of what their future holds.