Across Guernsey, businesses are facing an ongoing challenge; recruiting and retaining talent in a market where affordable housing has become increasingly difficult to secure. Recent surveys such as the Voice of Guernsey Business show the magnitude of this problem, with 80% of respondents stating that housing impacts their ability to attract and/or retain talent. Some businesses find that over 25% of new hires fall through from being unable to secure housing.

However, there is a practical solution within the shared Bailiwick economy that can ease part of this pressure – offering staff the option to be based in Alderney. As part of the Bailiwick, Guernsey businesses and their employees can relocate or hire into Alderney if it is advantageous and cost-beneficial, and the Open Alderney initiative has been launched to support this.

Benefits for staff:

Alderney can offer a compelling alternative for many people, especially those seeking more affordable housing. There are typically 40-50 properties for sale at any time, with an average price around £275,000. These include two-bedroom flats and smaller properties, but larger family homes and houses with land are also available.

For British nationals and Channel Islanders, there are no restrictions on property purchases or indeed any local/open market system – so all advertised properties are available to newcomers and locals alike. Alderney also offers a relaxed pace of life, within a tight knit community. More information about the lifestyle and other benefits can be found in the Locate brochure.

Benefits for employers:

Beyond recruitment benefits and managing cost pressures, the notable advantage for a Guernsey-based business employing Alderney residents is administrative simplicity. Both islands operate within the same social security, pension and tax system of the Bailiwick of Guernsey. This avoids the cross-jurisdictional complications around remote working in other areas of the world including the UK. For employers, this means that payroll methods, such as using Returns Creator, stay the same. Social security contributions and tax are also unaffected.

There are three ways employers can take advantage of Alderney as a base for their staff:

  • Allowing individual staff members to request to relocate on an ad-hoc basis
  • Promoting the opportunity to existing staff, and offering new hires the option to base in Alderney
  • Considering the benefits of a permanent or flexible Alderney branch office to host multiple staff

A number of Guernsey employers and businesses are already managing an Alderney-based workforce, and case studies of their positive experiences (both employers and employees) are available here.

How can you find out more?

If you would like to discuss the benefits and practicalities of staff working from Alderney, just get in touch with the Open Alderney team at info@openalderney.com. We can offer all kinds of support to individual relocators and their employers, from running relocator presentations to advising on remote working policies.