Full Document: Term Limits Impact Assessment
“In the medium to long-term, it is expected a rebounding economy in conjunction with no term limits will help shift public opinion,” the Impact Assessment on the Elimination of Term Limits document said.
The document — which has been leaked to the media — said that “perception may be held negatively however among community stakeholders who don’t clearly understand the details of the policy. Communication and staying ahead of the message on policy change is critical.”
“Clear and consistent communications strategy must be orchestrated to inform the general public on the merits and expected benefits of the policy reversal,” the document said.
“This must be substantiated using various forms and put in terms which speak to Bermudian grassroots. An important part of that campaign must be about the protection and promotion of Bermudian employment.
“Work permits may be tied to advanced training opportunities and sponsorship of policies which articulate ‘Bermuda first.”
Last week Home Affairs Minister Michael Fahy said Government will eliminate the Term Limit Policy, which restricted work permit holders for working on the island for longer than 6 years without a waiver.
The Opposition PLP expressed their disagreement with the way it was handled, the Chamber of Commerce and Bermuda Employers’ Council welcomed the move, while the Cayman Islands Deputy Premier noted the move, saying they “would not want any of our competition getting ahead of us.”
In response to complaints by the Unions they were not consulted before the decision, the Ministry pointed out they did consult with the unions via the Bermuda Trade Union Congress [BTUC], and sent them a copy of the Term Limit policy review document and requesting feedback.
BIU President Chris Furbert responded saying that Minister Fahy is “misleading the public by insinuating” that he participated in a more recent discussion on the Term Limit document.
On Tuesday afternoon [Feb 5] the police attended a ‘sit in’ by former Independent candidate and local blogger Jonathan Starling at the Home Affairs Ministry headquarters, which he launched in his quest to get the Ministry to release the policy review document to the public.
Explaining the background the document said, “As work permit holders leave, they may be difficult to replace, often as a result of a challenging labour market conditions, post qualifications, recruitment costs and delays in processing new work permit applications.
“In sum, Bermuda will not be able to attract or retain the employees it needs and may prompt international companies to consider choosing an alternative domicile in other jurisdictions.
“Consequently, there is no evidence to suggest that jobs, once vacated by guest workers, are then filled by Bermudians. This defies the notion that term limits protect Bermudian employment. Irrespective of the term limit policy, work permit applications require qualified Bermudians to always be considered first.”
Talking numbers, the document said, “In March 2011, of the 6,817 work permits subject to term limits: 2,394 [35%] had been granted waivers, 2,386 [35%] had been granted extensions; and 2037 [30%] were subject to the term limit of 6 years.”
“In 2010, Bermudians accounted for 74% of the workforce, non-Bermudian spouses and permanent residents numbered 8%, and other non-Bermudians totaled a 17% share of the workforce.”
The ‘Impact Assessment’ said the removal of term limits was expected to increase certainty for employers, boost consumer confidence, indirect revenue generation to industries such as truckers/recreational/retail and and overall increase in Bermudian employment, sustained business continuity, reduction in Government administration work and an overall reflection of the “red carpet” approach that Bermuda is open for business.
The document noted that on an island 21 square miles, the “risk of overpopulation and congestion remains a concern and requires a delicate balance.”
Speaking on work permits, the document recommended getting “tough on enforcement”. Saying it was for the “protection of Bermudian workers and the prevention of exploitation from employers to guest workers, effective rules marked by progressive disciplinary measures must be advanced.”
It also suggested establishing “new synergy” between the Department of Labour and Training and the Department of Immigration to provide “ongoing assessment of Bermuda’s labour market needs and the funneling of qualified Bermudians into prospective labour market opportunities.”
The full document is below [PDF here] & all our coverage of the elimination of Term Limits is here:
“Opposition PLP expressed their disagreement with the way it was handled”
Note to PLP: You are no longer in charge – get over it and get over yourselves.
You are embarrassing yourselves by complaining about the OBA correcting one of your biggest mistakes.
This is making you look even more pathetic than you already looked by losing the election.
RIP PLP
You’re making yourself look stupid, you acting like OBA won by a landslide…smh
OBA will only be in power for one term. The OBA are nuttin but a bunch of 14 year old complainers with a lil power…smh
When the PLP initiated this work permit term limit it directly affected the International Business on the Island and consequently companies jumped ship, can you blame them, No. Remember these limits applied to senior management, people who have spent years in their profession and were vital for the company. Saying that there are Bermudians holding top post within the International Sector. When you grumble about Bermudians not having these positions, firstly they have to get the education and work experience to get the position, and that doesn’t come easy and not always can be taught in a matter of a couple of years. Now lets get to all the different nationalities I see in the restaurants, landscaping etc, etc, who let them all in, your infamous PLP, what ahppened to Bermudians for those jobs. I personally know a young man, 19 years old who has been looking for a job for about 8 months. Wonder why he can’t get one, maybe you have the answer and I’m loooking forward to seeing it.
Fed Up..?!?….Companies left and new ones started…are you that Fed Up to not even pay attention..smh
@ Independant – Are you seriously saying that the new companies started are equal in size and man/woman power to those that left? If so can you please explain why we have such a huge surge in unemployement, why we have a substantial drop in housing values, and people renting properties, and why the Cayman Islands is now seriously talking about needing to follow Bermuda’s example in order to stay ahead of the game. Is it just possible that our last Government failed to hear the voices of international businesses who politely but firmly warned us that Term Limits were limiting their options.
Strikes me that the OBA have made a bold move and it remains to see if it will be successful.
GET OVER IT….You lost the election.
Try to firure out why….oh, forgot, you can’t!!
Not completely true. There are a lot more factors and major reasons why a couple of these companies jumped ship and relocated their headquarters to another country. I can assure you that Term Limits was not the major reason why the sudden disspersal.
Speaking of looking stupid, when did they change the spelling of independent to independant? I’m guessing 12/17/2012…
bahahaha…..!!
Squids are good for catching red Squirrelfish and white grunts…hahahaha
Um Um Like…this is not the Um Um show stewpeed….I take it you’ve never spilled your milk on a saturday while day- dreamin of another OBA term limit…cause their Term is Limited..hahahahaahah
Probably got mixed up after listening to one of the many BIU press conferences that continue to drive us away from video and audio news media.
Term limits.
What say you when they have been here for 20 and 30 years and want citizenship and voting rights.
who is fighting for Bermudians. Nobody
If nobody is fighting let people stay here for 20 and 30 years and their children will demand some rights.
What will you say then?
Give it to them.
When the PLP gave PRCs, the long term residents blamed the Govt for continuing to renew their contracts. Over and over they stated:” We stayed because YOU…the UBP Govt kept on renewing our permits. Not once did they humbly say….we liked your island and we kept on applying to have our work permits renewed. Thanks for renewing them.”No way. they blamed the Govt for renewing them year after year.
In actualy fact this policy seemed to have very little to do with Bermudain jobs and everthing to do with reminding guest workers that they weren’t welcome. It did a great job of doing exactly that even down to it’s name “Measures to Inhibit”..
If it was as the previous Goverment proported desiged to protect Bermudian jobs, it should have been called “Measures to Protect”
Since the Minister has always had the authority to limit the length of work permits what was the need for this policy anyway?
EB’s plans to bring Bermuda down – it did more harm to Bermudians all round but he could care less. He is still pulling the cords and when all hell closes in let’s see where he will be. Time some of the PLP’s docs were leaked, secret meetings and everything.
For the love of Bermuda–can we please just get on with it—if we spent half as much time trying to collectively come up with solutions to solve our Island’s problem as we do bickering, backstabbing and pontificating on wobbly little soap boxes—we would have a winner country.
We all have work to do–let’s grow up and get to it.
@ please–lets get on with it
Agreed
http://caymannewsservice.com/politics/2013/02/04/rollover-back-agenda
Independant (by the way I love that you even spelled your name wrong): It will take a lot to get PLP re-elected because Bermuda won’t fall for their stupid antics again. PLP proved again and again that they cannot run our country. They suckered a load of uneducated people into voting by lying to them. They ran a campaign based upon the hatred of white people at every moment. So last century – they are so finished.
RIP PLP
Thank you Time Passages, at least you see the humor in spelling errors.
Mark Bean will return PLP back into power. New faces, new attitude and new direction. Unlike the OBA that’s still running on IBM but using a MAC tower.
I am amazed that all you can think about is the PLP getting back into power and that is it. You have offered nothing constructive at all. If the PLP were so great they would still be in. If the OBA do poorly then that will help them get in, but the new direction of the country has barely begun and all you want is the PLP back in. Well it’s going to be a while.
Hey independant – hope you are a young person cos it will take a long time for PLP to get back in. The old guard like Betty/LV will never live to see the day unfortunately. They had their time and it is gone forever. Mark of course is a young guy so if he stays with it perhaps you are correct – he might get the PLP back in in 10 or 15 years maybe. Maybe 20.
But If he gets them in in that time, the PLP will be completely unlike the PLP of the past. That was my point – they won’t get in again by moaning about white people. They didn’t really do much else – and simply put that just won’t work again.
The PLP are like 8 tracks, cassettes, LPs, reel to reels. Old, from the past , and they never really worked that well.
I like your enthusiasm though. Hey, they were enthusiastic about the Titanic too!
@Time Passages: how can you say he spelled his name wrong? Is it not HIS name and does he not have the right to SPELL HIS name the way he wants? Um just sayn.. I Do think also that it will be a long time b4 (oh is this spelling allowed??) PLP regain any credibility for re-election.
No it’s not, it’s before, not b4, this is the English language not bingo…lol sorry.
Yeah you are right – spell it any way you want! HAHA
Interestingly, the concept of term limits and specifically so called six year ones came from the top of the PLP and not the grass roots – it was Paula Cox’s proposal during her time as Home Affairs Minister (or whatever that portfolio got renamed as)- and this speaks volumes as to where the PLP government went seriously off course:
An incredibly arrogant assumption that people are just dying to come and live in Bermuda and sending this message out to the world at large, especially their own supporters who took it hook, line and sinker – Absolute Rubbish
A belief the IB would kowtow to whatever Government dictated – Total Nonsense.
Worst of all, a complete and utter failure to recognize what the economic consequences of exporting established residents would be – a serious drop in spending which has impacted every segment of economic activity and contribute mightily to Bermuda’s worst economic crisis in living memory not to mention tearing apart the social fabric of the country in the most sectarian way possible – Sheer Ignorance.
Minister Fahy, getting rid of term limits is the tip of the iceberg – we should be paying people to come and live here so that we can truly “Make It Happen.”
Amen!
Vulpes – pay people to come here! Where they going to rest their heads; at your house! Because the rate we going, half of us will be living on the “rocks”!
No shortage of empty apts, condos and houses my friend…Look around you.
The hard decisions have to be made in the first year. You then move on and hope people forget. THey were NEVER going to wait two years to decide. Don’t be so foolish and naive. It is as simple as that. More tough decisions will be made shortly then they will go to the polls in 18 months.
I m sorry you must be really stupid, and you must not be bermudian.
Lets us disect some of this double speak shall we…here we go.
“As work permit holders leave, they may be difficult to replace, often as a result of a challenging labour market conditions, post qualifications, recruitment costs and delays in processing new work permit applications.
Operative words – “They MAY Be” dufficult to replace. It is only difficult to replace them with a BERMUDIAN and no you MYOPIC FOOLS I AM NOT TALKING ABOUT BLACK BERMUDIANS I am talking about BERMUDIANS- more on this later…Hmmm I wonder why…could it be the tailoring of requirements for new applicants that have alredy been indentified and or selected by their respective employer before the jod opportunity is tendered – the latest example of the cleaning company ad – one where they are looking for someone with 5.75 years experience and “must speak Portugese” is a case in point – didn’t realize that i had to speak portugese to CLEAN A DAMNED WINDOW…oh maybe it is so I can communicate with all of the other AZORIANS CLEANING DAMNED WINDOWS – certainly in these times there are no BERMUDIANS TO FILL THESE POSTS – definately the PLP’s fault here (and as you will discover I do not like ANY “Government” entity – they are men repleate with faults and misgivings like you and I so I’ll diffuse your attack before you begin. – you know who you are…
Example two of the double speak – “In sum, Bermuda will not be able to attract or retain the employees it needs and may prompt international companies to consider choosing an alternative domicile in other jurisdictions.
More Fear Mongering – Give us ONE – JUST ONE – example of an international company that has left because of the term limit policy – that has left because Thier CFO had a limit of six years here? Crickets I hear crickest..they have all either failed as business entities or moved on for FINANCIAL reasons…i.e. the troubled global economy.
Example three of the crap Fahy and co. actually believe – they are such well behaved puppets arent they? – “Consequently, there is no evidence to suggest that jobs, once vacated by guest workers, are then filled by Bermudians. This defies the notion that term limits protect Bermudian employment. Irrespective of the term limit policy, work permit applications require qualified Bermudians to always be considered first.”
How sir are Bermudians expected to gain the qualification and experience needed when now a worker (GUEST WORKER – keep in mind) can stay indefinately? I do not see other countries allowing indefinate stays (without seeking citizenship or some like requirement?) – lets say I work in insurance and I am a Bermudian. Am I allowed to work in London, New York, San Fransico, Colorodo INDEFINATELY – I am sure if I could I wouldn’t have a problem gaining the “experience” that management (usually EXPAT) have gained. The College Degree part is easy isn’t it? Trust me I have a few – shoot you don’t even need one to be the current minister of education – but no…in the US, after graduation you get a working visa and guess what Virginia – it has a TERM LIMIT – bad bastards those yanks…
Suppose insurance is not my thing and I want to become an executive chef -HOW am I going to gain that experience? Spain, France, Japan, Italy – try working there indefinately – not going to happen Jack – SO HOW DO I GET THE “experience” required as a BERMUDIAN to fill these spots? Especially now that my superiors do not have to go home?
More junk – “Talking numbers, the document said, “In March 2011, of the 6,817 work permits subject to term limits: 2,394 [35%] had been granted waivers, 2,386 [35%] had been granted extensions; and 2037 [30%] were subject to the term limit of 6 years.””
Last time I checked 35+35+30 = 100 so it would seem even with term limits all who had issues with this were either granted to stay, had had an extension granted – or – were given a 6 year cap (where they could no doubt at the end of the term apply for an extension or waiver – and according to the above statistic, have a 70% chance of renewal anyway) – Brilliant. This helps Bermudians out greatly…
It just keeps getting better! – “The ‘Impact Assessment’ said the removal of term limits was expected to increase certainty for employers, boost consumer confidence, indirect revenue generation to industries such as truckers/recreational/retail and and overall increase in Bermudian employment, sustained business continuity, reduction in Government administration work and an overall reflection of the “red carpet” approach that Bermuda is open for business.”
It seems the only certainty in this above statement is that if you are a Bermudian you will be driving a truck, working in recreation – read hotel – or selling clothes down at Coopers, or chicken down at KFC. The only thing I am confident of is that the OBA is a tool – designed to implement the endgame plans of their “in the shadows” puppet masters – hell bent on – by means of ECONOMIC DISPLACEMENT – destroying the Bermuda by which we have known and transforming it into a global WHORE for all (who have the money) to pillage and plunder. Casino’s, Strip Clubs,Water Parks – all that is plastic and fake and putrid – Welcome to the “New Bermuda” – Sin City at Sea!! Oh Yea, Oh Yea!! Replace the Term Red Carpet with “Red Light” – that Fool Branco would label me a Zenophobe – is that spelled correctly? I SAY I AM A PATRIOT – and want the best for my people – and guess what guy – MONEY (what you greedly little trolls grovel for) is not the answer.
Almost done…”Speaking on work permits, the document recommended getting “tough on enforcement”. Saying it was for the “protection of Bermudian workers and the prevention of exploitation from employers to guest workers, effective rules marked by progressive disciplinary measures must be advanced.”
“Reccomended Getting Tough on Enforcement” This is Grand – like we are on Crime, Drugs, Speeding, Sexual Abuse – caretakers killing babies, illegal pitbulls being bred, brought and sold – yeah…we are real tough…as tough as that turkey necked geek Fahy and his wine sipping bretheren in their Masonic Lodge? – real “tough” guys.
Listen Up Bermuda – fight this if you care about your identity – because this entity – the OBA the -PLP even- care not for you – like all wickedness they are serving their own means first – you will at best get scraps from the table – and my fellow white bermudians – especially the males – yes the ones with the LEAST amount of college degrees – by number – YES IT IS TRUE!! how long do you think you will be insulated from this? Your Harvard degree – or wherever you graduated from is not going to trump John P. Dowe’s Harvard degree and 20 years experience on Wall Street is it – now that he can stay indefinately? You will be feeling the squuze too.
These are interesting times. We are certainly about to see who is “Tough”
First of all it’s AZOREAN, get it right. Secondly, the average Bermudian doesn’t want to clean windows because for some reason they think that they should jump right to VP status and they don’t want to be seen cleaning windows. I’m not assuming this, I have experienced this attitude first hand.
It”s Acores – and there are no Azoreans – we are PORTUGUESE.
dinosaurmedia – companies have nothing to gain by publicizing moving jobs to other jurisdictions, they do it quietly and unfortunately for Bermuda, the majority have realized that it is easy to do, makes good economic sense and also manages their business risk re term limits.
Once the jobs leave, its unlikely they are coming back.
I am an ex-pat who works in NA for a BDA HQ company and don’t have a dog in this nauseating political fight, but from a purely objective point of view, the term limit policy was a disaster for Bermuda and most Bermudians. How is the rental market doing right now?
The rental market is doing a little better now that prices are slowly going down to a level
That most Bermudians can afford. Although all the greedy landlords trying to rent out their overpriced apartments might disagree.
Can someone please list the reasons that a segment of Bermuda will try to march on cabinet please. We know no new PRC’s can be issued due to a retro-active date being set, we know that it has nothing to do with safe guarding Bermudan jobs as work permits deal with that. What I want to know is what is being done to up grade and enforce the “work permit” regulations in this country so that as I stated before that a fair wages at market standards are being offered across the board as the excuse is that no Bermudian wants to do the job. My question is what are the working conditions including the compensation for the job offered and is that why Bermudians’ are not taking these blue collar jobs?
As far as white collar jobs are concerned how does Immigration stop jobs from tailoring qualifications to a persons (often per selected) resume? These are the questions that need to be asked.
LOL
Sorr to add I think people are not choosing their battles wisely here.
ahhhhhhhh ment Sorry
This thread is totally unbelievable. I sure hope some of you are joking around–our country has serious problems that need modern, creative and constructive thinking.
Things will need to be tried and if they fail calibrated and re-tried—sitting around moaning and venting and being negative–will not solve problems.
Clear thinking and the courage to try new things to get this country and its people back on track is what needed.
Let’s get to work folks and save the moaning for a toothache!!!
Seriously….
the work permit policy is as effective as the no third Lane allowed…
I hope all you people whom has commented on this article have safe jobs and you cannot be repalce by an expat. There is no protection for Bermudians and mark my words its going to get worst for us all black and white.
It may not affect you dicertly, but when you have spent thousands of dollars on your child for school education and they can not get a job in their own country, I wonder how would you feel.
You would have a different outlook of the situation.
Minister Fahy and his arrogant self just don’t care about us.
If he did he would have ask the community for their input.
Its going to be consequences and they are not going to be good ones.
GOD BLESS BERMUDA.
The “protection” is actually in the “Immigration and Protection Act!! (note the name!) Term Limits have nothing to do with that…please try and get the facts and understand them before you worry yourself with the nonsense the PLP spin machine vomits out!
The Government is attempting to lift us out of the big hole we find ourselves in today.
The definition of insanity is trying the same thing over and over and expecting a different result.
So as it stands now the previous approach has not worked out as planned which can be evidenced around the island today. And if you think that this policy did not contribute to the economic malaise, that BDA and her people are in, then you are simply fooling yourself. People ask for evidence that a business shipped out partly or entirely, well how about you just ask the people who make those decisions. The former administration knew full well the repercussions and hence the very high number of waivers granted during their reign. If you don’t know any executives then ask a member of the former administration or Ms. Cox herself as she was employed in the IB sector along with several other members of the previous regime. Those individuals would be able to confirm what the sector was asking for all this time. But politics is a funny game and sometimes you will go against your best instinct simply for the political angle of the decision. Crazy, but true.
The increase of IB results in more people paying for local services and products. We are too small to sustain ourselves and the current unemployment statistics only strengthen that fact. However, I do understand the fear mongering and rhetoric that has been out there for a over a decade now has actually become the truth in many people’s minds. But unfortunately the people that think this way and vehemently object to this move are ultimately fighting against the economic improvement of the island. And that is an industry which not only provides stimulus to the private sector, but also provides something like 85 cents of every Government revenue. That same revenue which pays for all the pretty capital projects and social programs that so many benefit from. While you guys fight about it and from what I understand will make some sort of demonstration (shame you didn’t do it while our economy was slowly crumbling) to show your outrage, I hope you remember the definition if insanity.
So sad. Good luck Bermuda.
Will Fayhe be around to assuage the new batch of potential long term residents that he has wittingly created by removing term limits , every country has some sort of domicile deterrent.
Term limits was a “policy”…and an unlawful one…”domicile deterrents” as you call them are contained in the Bermuda Immigration and Protection Act (note the name!!!)…a little knowledge for some of you wailing PLP die hards may make your heads explode but try and get it before you spout off the ignorance…tiresome!
4,000 unemployed and 7,000 Bermudians underemployed! Somethings wrong with this picture! People are hurting and need to work to pay bills and eat! Too much bickering about nonsense but the real issue is the plight of the unemployed ! All Bermudians have the right to be employed in their own country! Wake up and realise yes contract workers are needed but how can a born Bermudian survive in their own country unemployed? Leave to work somewhere else! Please spare the rude replies!
dude, you guys need expat money to grow the economy. The local economy is simply not strong enough to spur any growth. How is tourism doing now?
There is nothing more unpredictable than nervous money and if foreign capital does not feel comfortable for whatever reason (re crime, term limits, taxes) they will leave and go somewhere else. that is reality, Bermuda is far from the center of the universe.
I completely agree that it is unfair if qualified locals cannot get jobs (and would infuriate me if I was a parent) and this is where immigration policy needs to kick in—contrary to many people’s belief, most companies comply fully with the policies and want to do the right thing, but the previous administration simply caused many firms to move jobs away because of their arrogance. This has to stop and the OBA are at least trying—your only hope is to give them a chance.
Bermuda is in a deep hole (debt, crime, education, infrastructure crumbling, air transporation shrinking) and people have to realize that desperate times need different solutions—the good old days are gone for quite awhile.
The killer of this all is that the PLP were killing this Term Limit policy anyway the figures in the report support that also was it now basically a ten year term with the “key” employee clause. Supporters of term limits I’m sorry you’re fighting the wrong fight here. You need to be looking at revamping the work permit policy and the enforcement of it. Look at it yourself bermudalaws.bm. I have put forward an idea for blue collar workers and no one touched it. Guess instead of talking about solutions some people just want to retain power at the cost of the country. Job creators not creating jobs = no jobs for anyone. If jobs aren’t created then no money to pay us.
Still hoping someone can come up with a way to stop white collar work from personalizing job requirements to people’s resumes.
LOL cut the political crap and let’s work to get us back in action. Unless it’s the PLP’s goal to try to steal the government in a few months. I have head it all, talks of demos, riots all of it. Garbage the PLP lost because they lost the government not that the OBA won it. So the PLP need to re-evaluate it self some thing they have defiantly not had the time to do as they still using Betty/Special mentality that does not allow self reflection to take place doesn’t help either.