In early spring, Faris, a Jordanian Computer Science student at the University of Brighton, was looking for a part‑time job close to his student housing.
After multiple unsuccessful applications submitted through various employment search engines, he decided to take a different approach to tackle the competitive job market. A face‑to‑face dialogue with a local pub on Lewes Road, in his own words, would end up seeing his past job experiences crumpled and disposed of.
Moments before the incident, the male manager Faris had spoken to, gave him false hope. “We have plenty of applicants right now, and if anything happens, we let you know,” was the response to a plea for a part-time role. As he headed for the exit, the student turned around to have a final glance. “He cumbers the paper and throws it in the bin,” Faris said, whilst also noting of a direct eye contact with the manager. In his view, his Arabic name was the reason for the rejection; the manager, a red‑haired female, offered an apology when informed of the incident but did not make any further inquiry.
Name bias in hiring practices continues to operate with impunity. Ethnic minorities remain the primary targets of ostracism for hiring managers, as research by Samsung revealed the most common misconceptions they face. Amongst them, place of birth, cultural heritage and misjudged English proficiency compel some to even alter their names on their CVs. And this also holds true for Faris’s friends from Jordan and Ukraine, who secured local jobs after anglicising their names.
Without mentioning his name, the student explained that nine months to a year of unemployability had driven his Jordanian friend to drastic measures. Acceptance followed once his name and experience were amended. Faris’s situation has also led him realise that lack of networks is a social barrier for international students. “Most of my friends here who have jobs – they all have networks. But myself, as an international student I come here with no relations or networks, making it difficult for me to find jobs,” he said.
The dreary part of establishing a new life in the UK is the hardship of re-establishing oneself all over again. Adaptability is the core principle of this, and immigrants have two choices: join their own communities or try to establish their social circles through work or volunteering.
For the majority, job hunting requires charisma, polished appearance, and eloquence. Apart from this, other factors are at play that some are taking for granted. In the name of research, if people try putting on an accent, using a foreign name, or including overseas qualifications on their CVs, they may well stumble upon rejection rooted in bias against their own indigenous identities. And this problem within public houses is far from new.
Whenever feel lost, the first point of contact is often a charity that provides support to immigrants. That is, if they answer your calls and emails, because at the time of writing this article, only two out of seventeen charities nationwide had agreed to an interview.
Stephen Silverwood, the manager of Refugee Radio that has been in operation for over 20 years, set up his charity to allow refugees to express their voices, share their own stories, or give their version of events. Going against the negative portrayal of the mass media and stereotypes about refugees, Silverwood also incorporated mental health and casework projects in support of these minorities. However, what Faris has been going through is not the unusual experience for an immigrant.
As Silverwood explains, overseas qualifications are irrelevant to owners of local businesses, as there is no way to verify them. “One of the issues is that you are often having people who have qualifications or experience from other countries that aren’t transferrable to the UK,” he added, further sharing the geographical hierarchy present within the pub sector. “Things like working in a pub is either for people who are from the UK or allowed set of countries that you might be able to come from. You might be from Australia, Poland or Spain, but other countries besides that – people struggle to get on finding pub work, or being accepted by the employers and by users of the pub.”
Although Brighton is not your typical British countryside, a report by The European Conservative confirms Silverwood’s claims that public houses have a long history of racism in England.
As for Shropshire, Stanislav Kudym, a project manager for Shropshire Supports Refugees, admitted that immigrants often feel overlooked and discouraged during a job search. He does, however, reassure readers about the commitment of numerous local businesses to creating inclusive opportunities.
Still, while charities play a crucial advisory role, politics dictate the outcome of vulnerability for anyone settling in the UK.
The upcoming general election in Brighton next year is inevitably set to feature controversial political parties. With Labour embroiled in criticism over its handling of UK arms exports to Israel, and Reform intensifying support from disgruntled constituents by capitalising on their radical promises, the Greens appear to be the only ones willing to take action in the face of discrimination.
Getting an answer from the current leader of the Labour Party in Brighton and Hove is a slog. Bella Sankey does not share the common remedy for Faris’ predicament, despite her noble mission to raise awareness around the systematic challenges faced by refugees and asylum seekers. Nor does she wish to speak to journalism students in any capacity, whether through a statement, quote, or interview. But Labour’s closest rival, Ollie Sykes of the Green Party, offered a reassuring promise.
To the Brunswick & Adelaide ward councillor, the discriminatory situation described by Faris is appalling. “If I had that reported to me in relation to an employer in my ward, what I am going to do is go and speak to that employer or make some enquires about how this has happened,” Sykes firmly stated over a phone call. A student union representative in the past, his professional experience includes supporting people through difficult employment situations.
However, guaranteed poltical support may not always be there should minorities’ interests collide with opposing ideologies. Although the recent anti‑fascist rally in Brighton gathered extensive numbers of liberal thinkers, protecting oneself from any form of discrimination often requires legal expertise.
Martin Searle Solicitors, a Brighton‑based local firm specialising in employment law, has handled numerous cases over the years supporting minorities. A face‑to‑face conversation about the incident between a student and the public house on Lewes Road revealed invaluable advice for any type of a job‑seeker.
Fiona Good, Solicitor, Director and Head of Employment Law at the firm, explained the caveats employers are able to get away with should a similar incident ever happen again. Commenting on the situation when Faris went in without an invitation for an interview, she said:
“The first thing that we should ask is whether there was actually a real job that was advertised. You have a lot more rights if there was an advert to say they wanted bar staff and that happened. If there wasn’t you couldn’t argue less favourable treatment, because there is no job for anybody.”
The specialist added that, had the advert remained up, the business could have potentially faced legal consequences. “You don’t even have to have an employment relationship to bring a discrimination case,” she stated, noting that if an ethnic minority believes they have been treated less favourably during a walk‑in interview, they can explore the possibility of filing a claim. Fiona also says that, to counteract deflection from the employer, having someone as a witness is good practice.
In fact, if the applicant applied for the job online, they can submit a subject access request to obtain the data held about their application. Martin Searle Solicitors provides a complimentary template on request, and the organisation being investigated is legally required to supply the records within 30 days.
Should the businesses in question refuse to comply with UK GDPR law, the applicant will then have to get in touch with the ICO or the Employment Tribunal to enforce legal action. Both services are free of charge, but unfamiliarity with British employment law may require extra fees for the services of a legal representative for success.
Fortunately for Faris, further escalation was unnecessary, as he is now working for a national retailer. During his application process, he did not alter his CV or change his name. For his current employer, honesty was the best policy, a lesson some public houses have yet to learn.
