Govt Hiring Freeze Extended Through 2016/17

April 27, 2016

The Ministry of Finance announced today [April 27] that the Government will “continue cost containment measures to tackle the annual deficit” and the “Government-wide freeze on hiring will be extended through the 2016/17 fiscal year, after first announced for the 2015/16 year.”

Deputy Premier and Minister of Finance Bob Richards stated: “The Government must continue its long term goal of wiping out the annual deficit by pursuing comprehensive policies to increase revenues.

“But together with this, we must employ the most effective means possible to reduce spending as we seek to get our fiscal house in order.

“The glide path toward that goal means assessing every year, old and new methods to re-balance spending relative to revenue.

“Today, we need to find ways to hold the line on hiring as much as is possible and we are asking all departments to keep this in mind.”

The Ministry said, “In addition, the Government will revisit the opportunity for early retirement to civil servants 55 years and older.

“The Voluntary Early Retirement Incentive Program [VERIP] will be reinstituted to increase the number of employees who are eligible for retirement, by lowering the age and service requirements for retirement.

“The aim is to encourage voluntary retirements, helping Government to complete needed organizational change while at the same time causing a minimal disruption to the work force.

“By offering this short term opportunity, Government will make it possible for employees to receive an immediate retirement package years before they would otherwise be eligible. Positions of employees who retire early will be frozen for two years.”

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Comments (22)

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  1. ……and will the public school children’s education be a part of the FREEZE???
    Interesting heading.
    How will the country’s public schools’ education be jeaporadized by the oba/ubp???
    Will concerns for the public school system NOW be adequately and intelligently addressed in a speedy manner BEFORE that AMERICA’S CUP foolishness????
    WAKE UP oba/ubp!!!
    You have plunged the public school system INTO THE PITS.
    Speak to the educators and get a grip on the school system’s plight.
    NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    • Ann says:

      It’s been in the abyss for the past 15 year or more, what rock have you been living under? Why don’t you go ask for some of the money from the dump the PLP built on South Shore? How about the Golf course we didn’t need, maybe the 360 thing in Somerset that went bust, or my favorite Beyoncé, a concert we made 2 dollars on, the list or rather endless. The Americas cup is putting people to work and bringing business, something the PLP never quite understood or did.

      • Its me again says:

        Sooo for the past 15 years eh…

        So it began the year the PLP took office ?

        Not the year the OBA/UBP changed the education system to the middle school system we have had for 15 years or more?

        • Ann says:

          15 years or more, I acknowledge there are problems with the education system, trading teachers around mid year always seems like a bad mistake, but I will mot blame the teachers completely, as a parent you are responsible for making sure your child attends school, and actually does the work required. The problem children within the system need to be pulled and put in one school, so the children that want to learn can and aren’t bullied because they try. What is the drop out rate at present?
          I believe Government for years has not looked after the building infrastructure, shame on all of them, but they aren’t responsible for the horrible behavior, the families are.

      • High Road says:

        or never will understand

      • Johnny says:

        Well Ann, at least you have a list of things the PLP has tried to do for Bermuda and Bermudians. The OBA’s has not done or tried to do anything for Bermuda and Bermudians. Their only goal is the America’s cup and to make foreigners happy. They don’t care about Bermudians. Like Cannononier said – the brown water is good to drink.

    • Ferry says:

      Financial commitment is not the issue affecting our schools. Whether you want to believe it or not we spend far more per child in the public system than any of the private schools. What exactly is the problem? I don’t have the answer, but I do know that throwing money at a problem, without truthfully addressing a problem is not the answer either.

    • Seriously says:

      Seriously!! Do you know we are as overstaffed with teachers as we are with the police. The issue isn’t under-staffing it is under-performing.

  2. I heart 441 says:

    What Government Freeze!
    Works & Engineering have employed a few new recruits but yet they seem to be overstaffed already. 80% of that Department work at a steady pace, but the lackluster 20% need to be let go, then it will justify the department hiring the new recruits.

    For the record, many Government workers throughout the world work at a steady pace.

    • Toodle-oo says:

      There must be something in the wording that we’re missing .
      There’s currently approx 20 positions advertised on the Job Board and there has always been since the first announcement that govt’ hiring was frozen a long time ago .

      Maybe for a little ‘transparency’ they should clarify now and again why they are advertising instead of saying that hiring is frozen .

  3. Swing Voter says:

    I hate waiting in line for service. so can you move some people around to boost service in those departments that need additional staff?

  4. Onion Juice says:

    But they are allowing same sex couples who have a partner overseas to an open door policy to come here to work!!!!!!!!!!
    F!@#ing Bull S!@#

    • Expat says:

      Allowing them to come to work doesn’t mean they guarantee them a job with the government.

    • serengeti says:

      What crap you talk.

    • brain drain says:

      oh my … we should really worry about all 5 of them and conveniently forget about the thousands of foreign husbands/wives of bermudians that are here working.

      OJ’s scaremongering and fear campaign continues, why does this bother you so much?? hmmmmmm i wonder

      • Johnny says:

        So we had to go through all of that for 5 people? With all the issues this island has, how did that even get on the agenda?

    • Um Um Like says:

      OJ, time for you to come out of the closet.

  5. Kevin says:

    OJ what does that have to do with Government extending the hiring freeze in non essential positions ….i wish more villages would keep their ( lights on but nobody home folk) under wraps

  6. #butwhere says:

    What hiring freeze? Govt jobs are always in the paper. So much for do more with less…

    • Hope says:

      A hiring freeze doesn’t mean that they do not employ more people….it means a freeze on the total headcount number. If someone leaves, a role is advertised. The overall headcount does not increase.
      In theory, with early retirement also being offered, the general headcount should be decreasing…I wonder if it is though.

  7. Coffee says:

    Hiring friends n family as consultants in Govmint departments is a constant .. At least until positions in the private sector become available .
    Shame on the UBP/OBA for practicing such deceitful behavior !

  8. Rockfish#1 and#2 says:

    People have been collecting their mail from Flatts Post Office for a few weeks.
    The Postmaster General did not warn anyone beforehand, and has not given any explanation for this debacle, and the Postmistress there doesn’t seem to have any answers!

    Is the freeze the reason for this shambles?