Employers in the food industry face being fined up to £10,000 if they don’t comply with Government procedures when recruiting migrant workers.

 A high-profile seminar being hosted by law firm Freeth Cartwright in association with Staffline Recruitment, Boston Borough Council, Community Lincs, and Paragon Law, will help employers reduce the risk of being fined by taking a few simple steps when recruiting non-UK nationals.

The free seminar will also examine issues such as cultural differences, immigration policies and legislation, registration and vetting processes, permits, cohesive community strategies and compliance issues.

Being held at the White Hart Hotel, High Street, Boston, Lincolnshire between 12 noon and 3.30pm on Monday, March 10, the event has already attracted a huge amount of interest from employers within the food sector.

Joanne Kay, a partner at Freeth Cartwright who specialises in employment law, commented: "New Government policies have very recently come into force which put the burden of policing illegal migrant workers firmly on the shoulders of the employers, so it’s absolutely vital that employers know their responsibilities and what is required of them.

"The correct procedure is simple to implement and really just requires employers to take the time to seek proper advice and ensure correct recruitment processes are in place. A £10,000 fine per illegal migrant worker is a lot of money."

Joanne’s presentation will focus on culture clashes in the workplace, discrimination and vicarious liability, what foreign nationals expect from management and what happens when an employee’s work permit expires.

Andy Hogarth, managing director of Staffline Recruitment, will ask why foreign nationals come to work in the UK, what happens when workers are introduced to a business, factors to consider before recruiting a non-UK national on a permanent or temporary basis and the registration and vetting scheme.

Bev Smith, head of community development at Boston Borough Council, will give an overview of migration in Boston, challenges and opportunities, and the employer’s role in promoting a cohesive community.

Giving a migrant worker’s perspective of working in the UK will be Alona Tirzite, rural officer, Building Bridges project at Community Lincs, who will give a description of Building Bridges and explain how employers can help migrant workers settle in the community.

 Paragon Law director Thalej Vasishta will give a brief introduction to the current thinking on immigration policy and law, the new points-based system and the five tiers of employment in the UK, the sponsorship process under the points-based system and obligations of the employer under the new system. Thalej will also focus on the position of Bulgarian, Romanian and the A8 nationals in the context of Immigration Law.