There has been a sharp increase in the number of employers who use repayment clauses to demand significant sums from nurses if they try to leave.
The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) says that migrant workers in the care sector are being exploited by employers, who are using repayment clauses to demand tens of thousands of pounds if they try to leave, leaving many trapped in appalling conditions.
Analysis of calls made to the RCN advice team shows a dramatic rise in enquiries from nursing staff who fear they’re victims of exploitation within the social care sector – up from 12 in 2020, to 110 last year.
In a letter to the home secretary Yvette Cooper, RCN general secretary and chief executive Nicola Ranger urged officials in the Home Office and across government departments to launch the promised investigation now to ensure that victims are not let down by lengthy processes.
Repayment clauses
Employers have been using repayment clauses to demand thousands of pounds from migrant care workers, leaving staff unable to leave their jobs despite unacceptable conditions.
One nurse told the RCN she was subject to a repayment fee of £25,000.
In the NHS, employers’ guidance establishes a maximum repayment figure of £3,000, which itself can only be claimed if the recruit leaves employment within 12 months. After 12 months, the maximum that can be reclaimed is reduced to £1,500, and after 24 months this falls again to a maximum of £750.
“We say greater protections are needed to allow staff to leave exploitative work situations. We’re also calling on the UK government to evaluate alternatives to the current sponsorship visa model which ties internationally recruited staff to their employer. The 60-day limit placed on staff to find new employment if they leave their role should also be extended,” said Ranger.
