Extend Maternity Leave, Provide Paternity Leave

October 7, 2019

A Bill that will provide for vacation leave after the first six months of continuous employment, extend the maternity leave time, and provide for paternity leave recently passed in the House of Assembly.

The Bill’s explanatory memorandum said it “provides that an employee who has completed the first six months of continuous employment shall be entitled to one week’s vacation leave but that such leave [or any part thereof], if taken prior to the completion of the first 12 months of continuous employment, shall be deducted from the period of annual vacation leave to which the employee is entitled.”

It also extends the “period of maternity leave, in relation to employees having at least one year of continuous employment by the expected date of delivery, from a period of eight weeks paid leave and four weeks unpaid leave, to a period of 13 weeks paid leave and in any other case maternity leave is extended from 8 weeks unpaid leave to 13 weeks unpaid leave.”

The Bill also provides for paternity leave, noting that “where the employee has at least one year of continuous employment by the expected date of birth, he is entitled to five consecutive days paid leave or, in any other case, five consecutive days unpaid leave.”

Video via the Government media of Minister Lovitta Foggo discussing the bill

The Employment [Maternity Leave Extension & Paternity Leave] Amendment Act 2019 [PDF here]

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Comments (31)

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  1. Joe Bloggs says:

    “A Bill that will provide for vacation leave after the first six months of continuous employment, extend the maternity leave time, and provide for paternity leave recently passed in the House of Assembly.”

    At what cost to Bermuda businesses? Where is the estimate of the cost to an average local business? All of these things cost money!

    • Onion Juice says:

      Well how about us whose Anscestors worked 400 years FREE, then another 100 years after that to get a livable wage and workers rights, but those who benefitted and still benefitting from the misfortune of others didnt have the heart to amend the wrongs of the past.
      Get over it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

      • Toodle-oo says:

        Aren’t you sooo happy that it was your ancestors and not you ?
        We all had ancestors who suffered , they could only dream of the position your are in TODAY .

        • Onion Juice says:

          Ya,but not all anscestors worked free for 400 years and treated like $#!+ for generations and still racially discriminated agsinst today.

          • Toodle-oo says:

            Give me some hard examples of this racial discrimination that you still face today . It’s been illegal for quite some time now , so it ought to be easy for you to take your case(s) to court . Especially with this current lot in they’d support you to the hilt. Why hasn’t anyone done it already ? Go for it .

      • Anbu says:

        So when the boss says, sorry gotta downsize, dont bitch when you are first out the door. Or “sorry” we aint hiring”. Think u will be able to get over that? Lmao. Oh whats the point lol. U will never get it. Your ancestors would slap u if they were around today for letting this government burn u as hard as they are.

        • Onion Juice says:

          Ya like de last Government, tried to milk furlough days (to fund Americas Cup) and didnt give workers and seniors an increase de whole term they were in.
          Thats why their @$$€$ got voted out.

        • Onion Juice says:

          Do you feel de same when some employers make big profits and pay their workers peanuts and little benefits.

        • CHRIS says:

          you win the internet today!

      • Question says:

        Get over it a hole.

      • CHRIS says:

        Firstly, the first slaves were brought to Bermuda in 1620 and slavery was abolished in 1833 so 200 years. you should also be reminded that it wasn’t just black Bermudians who fought for workers’ rights. that had already been happening with the labour movement in the UK and many brought those ideas back home. finally, do you own a business? i mean a viable business that actually employs people? because the way you talke, i don’t think you understand what the Bermuda biz owner is facing with this ‘new’ PLP? it’s the same trash the economy as the last PLP….

      • Joe Bloggs says:

        OJ, your maths don’t work. According to you, you worked 400 years for free and then another 100 years to get a livable wage. That is 500 years you have worked. You are clearly the oldest person on earth.

        Bermuda has been continuously inhabited since 1609 and was formally established in 1612. 1612 is only 407 years ago. Bermudians cannot be guilty of anything 500 years ago. Go harass the Spanish or the Portuguese and leave us alone please.

    • PBanks says:

      It would be wise if businesses collectively lobbied Govt for some kind of tax break or the like based off of this legislation.

      Parental leave should be something to encourage, not sneer at.

  2. Ringmaster says:

    Another form of stealth tax. Makes employees feel good but the cost will add to the coming financial storm that will engulf everyone. The public sector will be especially hard hit as their numbers have not decreased in line with the economic realty, but worse as they have increased. The current debt level is unsustainable and tax revenues will almost certainly be down in the 2019-2020 Tax year. No more money to borrow. Payment into the sinking fund has stopped, so the next will be payments into the Government pension scheme.

    • Joe Bloggs says:

      The Government pension scheme has been underfunded for decades, going back to UBP days. That underfunding is greater than our current account debt. This should not be news to anyone. We are not $2.5 billion in debt. The number is closer to $6 billion. Government will not tell us the true level of our indebtedness

  3. Harold Thunderbolt says:

    Just keep flogging the dead horse and sooner or later we’ll all be either on extended vacation or reduced to a third world existence cow towing to the cruise ship mafia and their cronies sharking the end of the pier in Dockyard… the new West Bank.

  4. hair says:

    Great sink the small businesses!!! Will have to close its doors and a Bermudian doesn’t have a job. SMH to government choices.

  5. Bermudian says:

    The mindset is crazy. You honestly have to sit back and go WHAT?!?! Wake up Bermuda at the next election. We CANNOT go on much longer with these lot.

    • Onion Juice says:

      We woke up 25-11

    • PBanks says:

      Of all the things to use as ammo against a sitting government, this is NOT it. Good luck getting voters to be against this particular legislation.

      • Correct says:

        That’s correct! Getting a certain segment of our community who are lazy sheep waiting for continuous handouts to go against this Government is not in the cards unless someone in the PLP crosses over with a vote of conscience and highlights all the internal agendas and wrong doings against people less compensated than them! It would take a political disclosure to unseat these dollar store giveaway idiots in Government!!

        • PBanks says:

          The branding of lazy sheep and talking about handouts is an even worse way to go about it.

          Lobby against the PLP for sugar tax or the FCPT or the decline in retail sales or inaction against ‘gaming’ or the weirdness at DCFS or the many issues about Education or the tipping fees hike, and so on.

  6. sage says:

    This will probably make it hard for a woman during child-bearing age to get hired.

  7. Pipa says:

    I know as an employer with a small team, I have to really think hard about employing women who may decide to start a family. I just cannot afford to pay them and another while they are on leave. No matter how nice it would be. Simple economics.

    • Onion Juice says:

      Well I hope you are not one of de employers who are not paying their employees pension and insurance.

      • STFU says:

        I pay my and their way but it’s PLP supporters like you who are eating our lunch and not contributing to anything other than elections! Hope you lose your job and end up asking for handouts! Dumb a$$!

        • PBanks says:

          In this day and age it’s especially not cool to wish for someone to get fired because they’re on a different political side. It’s already hard enough for many people to make a living in this country.

    • Mike Hind says:

      If your company can’t be run without taking care of your employees, there’s something wrong with your company.