“OPTIONS” for addressing the challenges faced by employers and employees when searching for accommodation within the “registered” sector are being explored, according to the Chief Minister – who recently proposed changes to Jersey’s housing and work regulations.
Deputy Lyndon Farnham said the Draft Control of Housing and Work (Residential and Employment Status) (Jersey) Regulations lodged earlier this month would help to create more “flexible” legislation.
The proposed changes include changing the definition of an “eligible partner” to include a person in an “enduring relationship”, as well as a marriage or civil partnership, and introducing an “Entitled For Work Only status on hardship grounds” which could make it easier to help those “in exceptional situations”.
Someone with “Entitled For Work Only” status would also be able to occupy qualified accommodation when they lived with an “eligible partner” who held licensed or entitled status.
The JEP had also asked the government to clarify one of the proposed regulations, that would make “standard status” the new name for “registered status” to prevent “confusion between a registered person and registered accommodation”, but would not introduce any policy change in this area.
In response, the government said that: “As well as supporting the move to more flexible policies for the future, these regulations allow the name of statuses to be changed more readily.
The term ‘registered status’, for example, has often been misunderstood. They also allow long-term partners of entitled people to access the full labour market.”
Deputy Farnham said: “These regulations deliver on our commitments in the recently published Common Population Policy Annual Report to create more flexible legislation.
“The other work proposed in the Common Population Policy Annual Report continues as planned, in particular, exploring options to address the difficulties that employers and employees can experience when looking for accommodation in the registered sector. Ministers will report on this later in the year.”
