Despite Brexit looming ahead like a malevolent presence invisible to the human eye, nobody truly knows what’s going on but the thoughts of UK entrepreneurs and politicians certainly aren’t in short supply nonetheless.
To offer a different perspective on the development, Crown World Mobility, the global talent consultancy, has surveyed workers at companies that offer international duties. Picking the brains of 2,500 professionals in Germany, the Republic of Ireland and the Netherlands as well as 1,000 in the UK, results showed that 55% of respondents believe Brexit will be bad for overseas business.
The report goes on to show the gloom doesn’t stop there as 54% of those outside the UK think Brexit is bad for the EU in general, suggesting it’s not just Brits that stand to get bitten. Additionally, 38% of respondents have more negative emotions towards the UK now, ahead of the 28% who feel more positive about the nation.
Given this palpable negativity, it’s perhaps unsurprising that the most common description for Brexit was “foolish” with 18% in the UK and Germany and 17% in the Netherlands while spiking to 28% in Ireland. Deluded was another description used by workers in all countries, while small-minded was also a term used by all except the Netherlands, where the move was deemed brave.
Commenting on the research, Phil Smith, global director of financial and compensation services, Crown World Mobility, said: “It would be easy to think that Brexit is an isolationist issue relevant only in the UK but this survey paints a very different picture – one that businesses all over the world will want to take notice of.
“More than half of respondents in every country felt Brexit was bad for the EU and almost as many agreed it was bad news for international businesses; and opinions like that are unlikely to come without repercussions. Whilst there is some understanding as to why Britain voted to leave, Brexit has also generated some negative feeling towards working and even travelling to the UK.”
Further results revealed that anxious, insecure, trapped and uncertain are the feelings European workers are experiencing. Seemingly, in the same way that business leaders expect insights from politicians, they too must provide insights to their employees. 
