"Returnerships Programme” as Part of the Spring 2023 Budget

Following the government’s announcement of a “returnerships programme” as part of the Spring 2023 Budget, it has published employer guidance on helping individuals return to work. It is intended to help those returning to work after a career break. The guidance focuses on returner programmes involving paid work, on a temporary or permanent basis, that give a supported route back to permanent employment. These programmes can be for individuals or groups of returners, who are returning from time out of work for childcare or other caring responsibilities, or for health, relocation or other reasons. It applies to organisations in all sectors and of all sizes.

Among other things, the guidance addresses:

• Why returners should be supported. It highlights the benefits associated with the implementation of a returners programme.

• Who returners may be. It notes that a returner can be a person of any gender returning from any type of career break.

• Designing and setting up a returner programme. This includes bringing returners directly into permanent roles, offering fixed-term contracts with competitive pay and the same additional support (such as training, coaching and access to peer support networks) that would apply to any permanent roles open to returners, providing fellowships and establishing “return to practice” placements for individuals returning to regulated professions.

• Adapting recruitment practices. This includes enhancing and promoting flexible working policies, avoiding unnecessary requirements that might discourage returners and advertising vacancies as being suitable for returners.

• Engaging and onboarding returners. This includes how to run effective recruitment campaigns and assess returner candidates fairly, and how to design an effective induction programme.

In principle, this is a good idea, but of course the challenge will be the implementation of it by employers. It will require employers to be pro-active and staff-focused. Even with the best of intentions, many employers may find this difficult. However, the Government’s proposals are positive and show a commitment to those employee groups who may in the past have found returning to work to be a challenge.

The contents of this post do not constitute legal advice and are provided for general information purposes only.