Overseas social care nurses forced to pay thousands in hidden fees
Posted 11 July 2023 - 12:05
Unreasonable fees, withheld pay, poor housing and mistreatment are ‘systemic’ problems for overseas staff, with some cases described as modern-day slavery
Overseas nurses working in social care in the UK are being forced to pay back thousands of pounds in fees, with one nurse telling a union she was chased for £14,000 after she resigned.
Unscrupulous employers are charging unreasonable relocation fees
Internationally educated staff have also reported being housed in sub-standard accommodation by unscrupulous employers and, in some instances, being forced to share beds with colleagues in what another nurse described as modern-day slavery.
Unison said social care employers often demand overseas workers pay large fees of up to £15,000 up front for finding them a job and housing in the UK – but many end up in poor accommodation and have rent deducted from their wages.
In a letter to care minister Helen Whately warning of a significant rise in reports of unacceptable treatment of overseas workers by employers, the union said the ‘shocking abuse’ faced by these staff can include having to pay back huge relocation costs if they want to change jobs.
‘Just a commodity’: overseas staff report working without pay
The letter highlighted a case of a care home employer that chased an international nurse for £14,000 after she quit. The nurse had raised concerns over exploitative treatment and questioned standards of care in the workplace, Unison said.
Another nurse recalled: ‘I was just a commodity to my employer. I knew there might be costs to pay back but not such a high amount.’
Some staff reported being paid for a fraction of the hours they worked or being subject to racist remarks, harassment and intimidation. Others said they had worked for several months without being paid by their employers, according to the union.
Unison calls for government intervention to end systemic abuse of overseas recruits
One told of how her employer had not paid her for her last few months at work to recoup the costs they claimed she owed them.
‘The contract I signed was deceiving; it didn’t specify how much I’d have to pay back,’ she added. ‘They’d call on my day off to ask if what I was doing was important. The whole experience was devastating.’
The problem is ‘systemic’ and the government has ‘a responsibility to intervene’, Unison said in the letter.
Unison general secretary Christina McAnea said: ‘These practices have no place in a modern society. Overseas staff deserve nothing but respect and dignity for coming to look after those who need care the most.’
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