Ministry Announces Work Permit Policy Reforms
The Ministry of Home Affairs announced today [Feb 13] that it has released the final draft of the 2013 Work Permit Policies to the Work Permit Stakeholder Group for confirmation of amendments.
The Work Permit Stakeholder Group commenced the Work Permit Policy review under the former Minister Patrice Minors, and have since concluded their work under Home Affairs Minister Michael Fahy.
The Ministry said the goal of the 2013 Work Permit Policies is to “ensure a balance that does not disadvantage Bermudians, but instead provide support to ensure a beneficial, profitable, business sector in an effort to grow the economy – and as a consequence add new jobs.”
“Former Minister Minors invited a wide cross section of representatives to collaborate on the policy review and Minister Fahy supported their continued participation after assuming responsibility for Immigration upon taking office in December.”
Minister Fahy said the “proposed policy amendments seek to remove many of the barriers, real and perceived, associated with Bermuda being open for business. As a result the proposals are broad and aggressive.”
The Work Permit Stakeholder Group includes:
- Chris Furbert representing the Bermuda Trade Union Congress
- Anthony Wolffe representing the Bermuda Trade Union Congress
- Kellianne Gibbons representing the Bermuda Hotel Association
- Charles Dunstan representing the Construction Association of Bermuda
- Joanne MacPhee representing the Chamber of Commerce
- Keith Jensen representing the Bermuda Employers Council
- Doug Soares representing the Bermuda Human Resources Association
- Richard Winchell representing the Association of Bermuda International Companies
- Leila Maderios representing the Association of Bermuda Insurers and Reinsurers
- Dr Danette Ming, Chief Immigration Officer
- Cherie Whitter, Permanent Secretary Ministry of Home Affairs
Today Minister Fahy said, “In an effort to update, clarify, and modernize Bermuda’s work permit policies and further extend our open for business message, the former Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry commenced the process of re-drafting the Work Permit Policies with a view to crafting a new policy.
“Work to craft a completely new policy however did not materialize but rather resulted in a policy revision with the addition of a few significant policy initiatives including ‘Special Category Work Permits.’
The Minister explained that Special Category Work Permits provide for the Global Work Permit, designed to assist global companies move employees throughout their organization, including Bermuda; and the New Business Work Permit which allows an exempt company that is new to Bermuda to receive up to five work permits for overseas recruits for senior executive positions in an expedited fashion.
The Minister added, “Procedural changes expected to complement the implementation of the revised Work Permit Polices will include a Recruitment Declaration Form to be incorporated into the work permit application process.
“Employers will be required to disclose all contacts made as a part of the recruitment process and declare that their recruitment statement is truthful. In the coming months, the Recruitment Declaration will be supported by legislative amendments designed to penalize employers who falsify or fail to disclose the details of the recruitment process wherein a work permit application is sought.
“The Recruitment Declaration Form will serve to strengthen the work permit application process and ensure that Bermudians are treated fairly. My aim is to challenge my colleagues to agree to legislate a hefty penalty for violators.”
Additional amendments include, but are not limited to, the following:
OPEN, CLOSED AND RESTRICTED JOB CATEGORIES – the following additions have been made to – Closed Category: Technician; Grocery Packer; Cashier; Courier and additions to the Restricted Category: Carpenter, Administrative Assistant; Room Attendants; Kitchen Porter; Landscape Gardener; Mason.
ADVERTISING AND RECRUITMENT CRITERIA – advertising requirements have been amended requiring advertising a post a minimum of three times over an eight day period and there is a listing under sub-section Exceptions to Advertising Requirements; Automatic Waivers which identifies posts where a waiver of advertising is already applied.
WORK PERMIT PROCESSES – the sub-section Changing Employers has been amended to reflect that a work permit holder may change jobs after 2 years of employment with his/her first employer. Sub-section Non-Bermudian Part Owners of Businesses has been expanded upon for clarity.
JOB CATEGORIES WITH SPECIAL CONDITIONS – Senior Care Worker, Photographer, Seasonal Work Permit, and Locum Pharmacist Permit have been added as new sub-sections.
RESTRICTIONS ON NON-BERMUDIANS SEEKING OR OBTAINING EMPLOYMENT – a defined salary structure has been added for single parents and/or married couples with dependent children.
DEPENDENT CHILDREN OF NON-BERMUDIANS – new addition that allows children under 19 years of age to work during the summer without the requirement for a work permit.
COMPETENCY WITH THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE – newly added section which has been in practice in past but has now been clarified and officially incorporated into the Work Permit Policies.
Minister Fahy said, “It is anticipated that the revised Work Permit Polices will be become effective 1st April, 2013. In the interim the Department of Immigration will commence internal and external stakeholder training, revise the Work Permit Application Forms and documents and ensure that the Department and stakeholders are in a state of readiness on implementation day.”
The Minister also pointed out that training was a “fundamental part of the Ministry’s overall goal to ensure that Bermudians are afforded opportunities in the work place,” and said it has been agreed that the stakeholder group will continue its work in a bid to totally reform and modernize work permit policies and procedures.
Read More About
Comments (97)
Trackback URL | Comments RSS Feed
Articles that link to this one:
- PLP: ‘Policy Will Disadvantage Bermudian Youth’ | Bernews.com | February 14, 2013
- Permit Change For Non-Bermudian Kids ‘Not Likely’ | Bernews.com | February 18, 2013
““Employers will be required to disclose all contacts made as a part of the recruitment process and declare that their recruitment statement is truthful. In the coming months, the Recruitment Declaration will be supported by legislative amendments designed to penalize employers who falsify or fail to disclose the details of the recruitment process wherein a work permit application is sought”
Can’t disagree with that, as long as it is enshrined in legislation, and not policy…
Enshrined in legislation?
Michael Fahy is in LA LA LAND.
People are already required to disclose all overseas purchases they have made to customs when arriving at L.F. Wade. Still customs “random” search because they know not all will comply but our new naive minister thinks all will comply to all contacts made. Will we have employment officers go search business owners trash for all the local’s resumes they chuck out?
@Tommy Chong. Just so that everyone else does not become dumber on account of your comment, something needs to be enshrined in Legislation so that fines can be levied for violations of the legislation, random checks are used to uncover violations.
Employment officers may not go through trash, but they may ask Bermudians seeking work to submit a list of interviews they have had, or places where they sent their resume. These officers can then check the disclosure made by the employers (as required under the legislation) against what the job seeker has submitted. If there is a discrepancy someone is lying. If the employer has not disclosed an interview they can be fined under the legislation, if the job seeker is lying then bye-bye financial assistance.
My comment is dumb? Why? Because all humans have developed extrasensory perception so I should know without explanation what the posters ambiguous comment means? I guess your sixth sense is more in tune so you know exactly what the other poster means.
Along the lines of dumb, “random checks are used to uncover violations” The police do random checks for guns in Bermuda & look how successful that has been.
How is a person supposed to get as far as an interview if they don’t even get a callback on a resume? If an employer gets called out on disregarding a resume how is the person applying supposed to prove they put it in in the first place? It will be the employers word against theirs which happens already & in any case I’ve known about the employer gets the upper hand because they are immigrations bread & butter not the joeblow applying for the job.
The other trick employers use is to set the job criteria so high that there is no in the world one who can fit the full requirements but amazingly they find a foreigner who has had umpteen amount of years of experience, knows how to work in all the computer applications & has a degree that would normally take an American University student 5 years to complete but their third world University has done it in 2.
I don’t totally disagree with your idea but it needs tweaking. I would much rather all applicants first deliver a copy of their resume to the employment officers with a list of companies they would like to apply to that are looking for staff. They get some sort of receipt for the resume & it gets sent to all the jobs they chose to apply to & a date & time for an interview is set up with the employer & relayed to the employment office who then lets the applicant know. This would ensure no one on either side is lying. As for the under qualified & overqualified excuse there should be no overqualified excuse used at all because thats just blatant BS. The under qualified can be remedied by having every single business that states that they could not find a qualified Bermudian to provide proof that the person they want to bring in under permit has those qualifications & that the officer checks through calls to the place the work permit applicant has received experience at for confirmation & also a check into the education the person claims to have. This is just the tip of the ice burg & there are many more ways some expats cheat locals out of jobs & these need enforcement also like more communication between border control 7 immigration to insure the work permit applicant hasn’t already been in Bermuda as a tourist or worked for another company & now switching jobs.
This is all idealistic but at the end of the day this was not measures said to be put in place by the minister so there’s nothing concrete.
Wow, no crazy comments yet? I’m impressed and and annoyed at the same time. I’m bored and need some entertainment.
I would like to know what research and statistics were used to do this policy Working Group, specifically the Dependent Children of non Bermudian section. Those youth of legal age to work (16-19) are amongst the highest unemployment age group. Adding non Bermudians to this group may be favorable to some but possibly detrimental to many. In 2012 those under 25 had a 36% unemployment rate while the rest of the country is at 8%. If government stats report this figures, what other stats support allowing under 19 nonBermudians to work. Seems to me we are appeasing the economic drivers to the detriment of the social ills of country.
Remember the good old days when there was NO unemployment?
Technician? Is a very wide category … Are we talking Nail Technician, Airconditioning Technician or Aerospace Technician?
Dependent children of non-Bermudians can work during the summer without a work permit – now their kids will be taking jobs from Bermudian kids!
I grew up in bermuda as a son of an expat, I could never work here and my parents wouldn’t let me go back to England to work as I had no family back there and I was too young! Nowhere to live etc. I sat at home for 12 weeks whilst my mates worked in made up IB summer jobs earning at least 3000 dollars, where they did bugger all and just was on msn messenger and Internet all day! Or earning at least 20 dollars an hour working as a beach boy why drinking on the job! Bitter, yes of course I am, anyone would!
Maybe this would be a kick up the ass to those Bermudian students who will find out that they really earned their summer job on merit alone and not feel entitled to the job just because they have a stamp in their passport declaring status.
Anyway what’s wrong?? Surely Bermudian students are far superior to expat kids and ill get the job anyway??. Or…….
Spot on. At 18 you shouldn’t get special attention, you should be working your backside off trying to prove you are better than the next guy. That could be extended well into your 20s actually.
Your bitterness is so sad. You were obviously not connected because many expat kids did/do volunteer work and get paid on the side and others are traveling the world vacationing. So you are disgruntled because your parents couldn’t find something worthwhile for you to do. You should have volunteered your time and gave back to the community and placed on your resume for future employment opportunities. So….what do your parents do? Passing jugdgement on an entire group is wrong. Not all Bermudian young people have poor work ethics like not all expat kids have good ones. Don’t be so bitter, maybe you should try volunteering your time now or buying a cat like George to help bring about positive energy!
I volunteered every summer down Aquarium at the Aqua camp’ and did shadowing down KEMH, but any kid would want to be paid 3000 grand though right? Especially when it got to the point my mates went travelling around the world at 16 with the money thy earned, and my parents wouldn’t let me go as I had no money!
Yeah I knew other expat kids who worked Summer jobs and got paid illegally! My dad wouldn’t let me do these jobs as he didn’t want immigration finding out and losing his work permit!
SO, blame your parents then!
Yeah I blame my parents for respecting the LAW
Good. Now that’s settled
Sarcasm I’m afraid, I don’t actually blame my parents, I respect them for not allowing me to break the law
Same here, I wasnt allowed to work until I was 18 unless I got a work permit and you know what the price and process was like for that! Ridiculous!
BOOOOH!!!! HOOOOO!!!! Let me break out the mini violin!
I would hazard a guess that most expat worker’s children in IB will not get a summer job based on their merit, so cut the garbage. It’s about who you know and your old man will surely know someone who will simply give you a job just because. And you will be sitting on your backside just the same while Daddy goes and plays golf with your boss. So if you want to be ‘real’ and talk about entitlement, lets keep it real. That’s the way the world works, so stop your crying…
Yeah, cause buddy, like all Bermudians are lazy, weed smoking, entitlement fixated with a dumb accent…..
What so you mean your children won’t have anyone to sit on the wall with… Get a life
Good luck Minister Fahy.
You and your able team have to make hard decisions,to try to get the economy moving,and Bermudians back to work.You may get criticism from those that want you to fail.Do not be deterred,all the best!
young minister Fahy needs to be removed and removed now the boy does not know what he is doing it is a sad day when a bermudian can’t get a job in their own country and you have a government that is more conserned about money for their mates.it was just like it was said before the election ubp/oba secret plan,graig you need to stand up and be a real leader or are you who is in charge you or the milkman.and for all you who voted for oba now you see what they are all about.yes taking you all back to the plantation.
Frank you must be joking to say this Government is more concerned about money for their mates……I guess you forgot about Zane and Dennis and whoever was involved with TCD and Bermuda Cement and on and on and on for 14 years…no real hope for Bermuda with permanently ingrained resentment like yours…who do you replace Fahy with Patrice?
WHAT the F@#* is this FAHY!!!!!!!!
DEPENDENT CHILDREN OF NON-BERMUDIANS – new addition that allows children under 19 years of age to work during the summer without the requirement for a work permit.
SO WHAT ABOUT THE BERMUDA CHILDREN, BECAUSE WE ALL KNOW WHO THE COMPANY IS GOING TO EMPLOY FIRST.
WHY CAN’T THEY GO BACK TO THEIR OWN COUNTRY AND WORK DURING THE SUMMER?
WHO THE FLOCK ARE YOU LOOKING OUT FOR A$$?
For real, it was hard enough to find a summer job when I was in school, now they want to do this with less jobs out there. #VOTEGOMBEYSIN5YEARS
These amendments were due to the recommendations of the working group. Not just Min. Fahy.
To all those Bermudian students who have summer jobs in London or New York!! WTF why can’t they go back to their own country and work during the summer!! If the shoe was on the other foot…..
Finally…this will show the bermudian kids from young that they must work for a job, they aren’t just entitled…
Yes this is true and it will also show them there are those that can get a job simply because they are connected.
You, finally & all who think like you are a bunch of prejudice hemorrhoidal ingrates. The majority of Bermudian kids start a job earlier than the majority of American, Canadian & British Kids. Wether wrong or right many Bermudian kids have to pay their own way from the age of ten for their wants. My children have friends who take care of their younger siblings fixing meals for them & helping them with homework after school & then work weekend jobs because they have single mothers or low income parents who have to work overtime to make ends meet in the crap pay jobs they have. SINCE WHEN HAVE YOU GONE TO ANOTHER COUNTRY & HAD A KID PACK YOUR GROCERIES! You probably don’t even tip these kids because you think they’re your little s$%^o servants.
I HOPE THAT NEXT TIME YOUR GROCERIES ARE PACK THEY PUT YOUR EGGS AT THE BOTTOM & ALL THE HEAVIEST ITEMS AT THE TOP!!!!!!!!
“You probably don’t even tip these kids because you think they’re your little s$%#o servants.”
Can’t believe you said that. What kind of a sicko are you.
I didn’t say it I typed it & its not my opinion. If you read the post you would have seen that I feel that is the opinion of finally & FEELY who have expressed in words their condescending feelings towards Bermudian kids just as others who posted on here.
Why haven’t you commented on the others condescending remarks? Do you feel the same? If so you are the one who thinks of Bermudian kids this way also & are the sicko. The N word is used on here all the time & I’ve never seen you comment on this even though it has just as bad or worse connotation. Why not? Do you even know where the word comes from? Of course not or you would know why I used it as reference. You as always are trying to twist my words so you can claim I’m a racist when you are the one who has made many derogatory comments against Bermudians & don’t think for a second I don’t know what race your comments are directed towards.
You’re not just a racist, you’re an effing liar.
Since there’s no point discussing things with a scum of the earth dickhead I’ll leave you to your empty ranting.
You’re a racist pig.
First you type, “You’re not just a racist, you’re an effing liar.” then you end with “You’re a racist pig.”
HMMMM! Playing a tug a war in your head? Meds not working again?
LOL!!!!
Perhaps you need remedial help understanding the english language.
So where is effing in the english language since your the expert?
If I need remedial help with the english language then the majority of the waiters in Bermuda now need a full weekly curse in it.
You think Bermudian kids are the only kids that pay their way?? If so, you need to take off those blinders and look around more buddy. Stop judging every non-Bermudian by your narrow minded beliefs.
You need to purchase yourself a Dictionary & Thesaurus because majority is not the same as all. This means I don’t think that only Bermudian kids pay their way but I do think the MAJORITY do compared to the MAJORITY of expat’s kids that don’t. This is why the MAJORITY of students that go to private schools here are expat’s kids & the MAJORITY of kids that can afford to go to university without a loan again are expat’s kids.
The majority of Bermudian kids do pay their way compared to the majority of expat kids who don’t pay their way!!
Well DUH
Expat kids can’t pay their way as they cant get legal paid jobs!!
WHATEVER!!! You’re full of it! There are expat’s kids who work in Bermuda & get paid off the books in cash. They usually work in some slight remedial task job that has been hooked up through one of mommy or daddy’s friends.
I bet your candya$$ has never done a day of hard labor. At the age 13 I was in front of a concrete mixer shoveling screenings from 7am til 6:30 with only a half hour break every saturday & all summer. Every expat kid I’ve seen get an under the table job doing labor work quits after a week crying about blistered hands & baked skin. The only exception to this are Azorean & Caribbean expat kids but there aren’t many of these since these two groups of expats have been discriminated against for as long as they have been coming to Bermuda & its always been hard for them to bring their families with them.
I know expat kids worked illegally getting paid in the summer, I wasn’t one of them as I previously stated my dad wouldn’t let me as if immigration found out he would lose his work permit! So instead I volunteered across the island, at the hospital, and doing volunteer work helping at summer camps like at the Aquarium, to put something on my résumé. No I haven’t done a hard day of labour in the sun I’m afraid, as I said I wasn’t allowed to on The island, probbaly the closest is helping my family paint the house and roof and do the gardening. But if I was allowed to do hard labour jobs on the island, I doubt I would have applied to those kind of positions! I was/am good at school and worked hard, and excelled, as I was brought up at home and school that if you don’t excel you will end up in a position you don’t want to be in. I was good at math and went down the business path. Yes I was educated at private school paid by my parents, but a lot of the kids I went to school with at saltus didn’t appreciate, benefit or work hard at the opportunity they were afforded to! You can take a horse to water, but you can’t make them drink. Just because I was privately educated, doesn’t mean I didnt work bloody hard to get scholarships, go to uni, and the job I currently have. All I had wished for is the opportunity to have worked as a teenager, so I could boost my self esteem, take pride in my work, gain valuable experience, and contribute to my family or pay my own way. It’s pretty depressing having no independence as you don’t have any of your own money, and have to ask week in week out for money off your own parents. It’s embarrassing, I know some ppl couldn’t care less taking money week in week out off their parents, but I’m not one of them!
Whenever someone starts their sentence with WHATEVER, it usually means they have lost the argument and have no new valid points to mention. Then their previous points become discredited as they result in abusing and slandering their opposition, just like you have done!
And if you knew that there were expat kids working illegally in the summer, why didn’t you cause a big fuss, and tell immigration?? Or did you not come across it personally but just hear it from your post lady’s, neighbours cousin?
Hey chong.
I dont eat eggs mate.
Parents should only have as many kids they can handle. In a lot of cases this should be 0.
Condoms were made specifically for this…
Grapes, bread or whatever it is that you eat that can get squashed I hope it does. No need to explain any further unless you’re that daft & if so it would be a waist of time to do so.
“Parents should only have as many kids they can handle. In a lot of cases this should be 0.
Condoms were made specifically for this…”
I wonder how this can be explained to the biggest group of expats from a certain country here. Especially when they use the catholic religion as an excuse saying that contraception is a sin.
and you think this will result in people getting jobs based on merit? Please. Expat kids will not be earning these jobs; they will be given them based on who their family knows. So while they may not get it based on entitlement, they also won’t be getting it based on merit.
At least its just who their PARENTS know. What about ya cuz, uncle, grenny? Better odds.
The previous law was unfair on non-Bermudian PRC holders whose home was/IS Bermuda but werent allowed to work without a permit until 18. Stop crying and earn your job if youre worried.
What was unfair about it? It’s not their country so they shouldn’t be able to work. In UK, America & Canada minimum age to get a job is 13 here its 10 & the jobs they are allowed to get in the other countries at 13 are limited to easy jobs. Here we have 13 year old children working as construction labors, landscapers & house painters. I bet these expats wont have they’re children working these hard jobs at that age.
Now we’ll have mommy & daddy bringing their 10 children to bermuda to work so they can send MORE of the money that should be circulating here back to their country bringing our economy down even more. You & michael fahy are some real numpty dumpties.
I was born, raised, educated, shopped, LIVED in Bermuda my whole life, my parents have been there for 30 years, working and contributing to the economy, even running a charity and supporting community initiatives, and Im told its not my country. You may start to see whats unfair about it. Stop thinking all non-Bermudians are spoon fed.
So, your parents have been here for 30 years. On a work permit? Are they cardiologists?
PRC holders, still limited work wise under 18.
Fahy now you’re telling me you have open the flood gates, and my child has to compete with IB children when trying to get employment in Bermuda during the summer. It’s a free for all. You are one sick puppy. We all know they take expats over Bermudians when it comes to jobs, now they don’t even need Immigration permission for their children.
Looolllllll
You’ve now coined the term “IB Children” hahahahahahahaha talk about opening flood gates!
Hope your children aren”t “Prostitution Children”
Minister Fahy is again showing his incomptence, the Permanent Secretary and the Chief Immigration Officer should be ex-officio members of the “The Work Permit Stakeholder Group”. Their positions could be changed tomorrow.
Further, why should the dependent chldren of non-Bermudians be allowed to work without a work permit? As I see it, the IB people will hire the children of their friends and families, while Bermudian children will be without summer employment.
Finally, it is most interest that the Minister makes this announcement while 800 Bermudians were at St. Paul’s Centennial Hall hoping to hear something of substance from him.
LaVerne, this apparently was announced this afternoon, in advance of the forum so people could consider it.
And just because you disagree with Fahy, that doesn’t make him incompetent. I disagree with every single word that comes out of your mouth–I for one like “Proud to be Bermudian”–but that’s not a matter of competence.
Your utter paranoia about Bermudians always being rejected for jobs and foreigners coming in to take them is what fuels the Mediocrity that is preached and practised in Bermuda, especially by your party.
The International Businesses CREATED half the jobs in this Island, they did not come here and ask for jobs from US!
When Bermudians come back from college with a degree, you have instilled in them the need to demand a job , blame Government if there isn’t one waiting for them as if it’s the duty of all to provide and offer a job.
Start your own business, create your own job, take some risk, become an entrepreneur! Grow up and stop whining, all of you.
Why do you need someone else to provide you with a job?
The road back from this PLP economic disaster is for Bermudians to get busy building new business, creating new tourist based infrastructure, start supplying services that are needed. We have a nation of dependents who can hardly think for themselves thanks in large part to the socialist mentality of the PLP and Unions who tell Bermudians that they ‘deserve’ a good job,all benefits paid, 35 hrs a week, no risk on their part and if they dont get it it is the fault of all these ‘foreigners’
Your polices and attitudes have brought us to a $2,000,000,000 debtload and it should be obvious that it’s time to let others who create business and jobs and security to take the helm before the ship does crash onto the rocks.
In one breath people want good education all the way through college but then they think it ends there and all degree recipients are now entitled to a job! Those days are over thanks to the PLP.
Today, if you want to survive this expensive life, you’d better be an ambitious person wit the ability to pursue self employment and some ambition to create more than just a job for yourself.
Yeahah!
Yes – what exactly is a “technician”?
I just don’t get it with some of these stupid senseless uneducated comments. Where do you think Bermuda’s money comes from?, Bermuda’s tourism product is poor, overpriced, and years behind the rest. When you watch the travel channel, do you not see that all the best resorts are in the Caribbean, we need to look in the mirror and think why that is the case. The government is trying to regenerate the economy with the only pillar left which is IB. If as a nation we keep pushing them, what do we think they are going to do? Maybe yes the foreigners won’t be taking the jobs, as there will be no jobs for expat, locals, adults and kids. Let’s stop b***ing and work together to get ourselves out of this mess which the PLP left us in. Don’t say the global recession, sick of hearing the same old c**p over, and over. A large portion of the world, and Caribbean is recovering while we fight over stupid pointless issues.
This seems like a whole lot of nothing. A bit of tweaking around the edges. It’s more than the PLP did, but Fahy is a smart guy and I was expecting more. He’s right, the committee needs to “continue its work in a bid to totally reform and modernize work permit policies and procedures”. This is a tiny step when a big leap is needed.
Agree!
At a glance, a good start to an improved work permit policy, keep working on it. My only concerns are with the lack of clarification for the closed technician jobs and the free pass for children under 19.
Technician is a very broad term, employed over many job fields, so this may become an issue where there is a need for a highly specialized technician.
For the children of permit holders under 19, I don’t see this as being a crippling issue, berbudian youth who step up a show themselves to be professional and reliable won’t have an issue getting an available job. The only concerns are where they may work. Are there going to be any restriction as to what fields they can apply to, i.e. retail, hospitality, service, business?
Personally I would like to see another incentive added for global companies who hire Bermudians in their overseas office, particularly young, new graduates. The experience of working in the overseas environment is invaluable, it would benefit the employee, the employer and Bermuda for a bermudian to start their career overseas and then be able to bring that experience back. And would be worth giving the company participating access to a work permit in excahange.
Ultimately, for a successful Bermuda, we need completion in our own market, it will help us to grow ourselves. The worst and most destructive attitude we can have is one of entittlement. That breeds laziness and a weak local employment pool and that is what will make us an unattractive choice in the international job sector. If we want to succeed, personally and as a country in a competitive market, we must show ourselves to be a valuable workforce, the first ones they want to hire, the last ones they want to make redundant, and not just because it is legislated that way. This will require a shift in our social consciousness that will not happen overnight, instilling in our children the notion that it’s not yours if you haven’t worked for it. Removing the corrosive notion that it is ours simply because of the fluke of where we happened to be born geographically.
So the work description for the work permit now reads “HVAC Engineer” rather than “HVAC Technician”. I still think using the word “technician” is dangerous and open for way too broad interpretation and may keep out best of breed technical people if not properly policed.
If it broke, let’s fix it. The first thing is, we must start somewhere. It not easy when you have to clean up somebody else”s broken promises n mess they didn’t fix. Do what MUST be done. The die hard PLP supporters WILL *itch n complain. They are still on the grieving process. But soon we will be done with the ‘rut’ we find ourselves n this island in. Go forward in great faith n hopes FAHY. You will get there if you stay the course. All de best.
I think as a nation a large portion Bermudians generally don’t like foreigners, and basically don’t want them in Bermuda regardless of the benefits. The UK has a similar mentalities to eastern Europeans who work in the UK, and drive down what was once well paid blue collar jobs to the minimum wage. In Bermuda we are jealous of the foreigners. We don’t like to see the nanny dropping off the 3 kids at the private school, in the 80K car. We want what they have got, including the well paid job and benefits. The trouble is that as a country Bermuda cannot prepare us for these well paid job, unless we want to make lots of personal, and financial sacrifices where we have to leave Bermuda for a long period of time to get educated. In some cases we try to act like foreigners for the wrong reasons, buying expenses cars, Iphones etc which we can’t afford. You only have look at the amount of high end cars at a Laundromat to realize this fact.
“The UK has a similar mentalities to eastern Europeans who work in the UK, and drive down what was once well paid blue collar jobs to the minimum wage.”
Why shouldn’t they be concerned with once well paid blue collar jobs driven down to the minimum wage? There hasn’t been a cap on inflation so driving down wages through cheap labor just increases the poverty level just as it has in UK & U.S. Many of these foreign blue collar workers can afford a lower because they leave their children in their country where its cheaper to support them so they can share living expenses with their fellow blue collar expats. Now they won’t leave their children behind & will bring them here to work because of fahys ignorance.
By the way many of these nannies you mention in fancy cars don’t own them. They are their bosses illegal second car that they put under their nannies assessment number to skirt around the one car per household law. Also I don’t know what laundry mats you’ve been past but I have never seen a luxury vehicle parked by any I’ve past. A car is a necessity in Bermuda for locals with families because of the crap public transportation services & crook taxi drivers with highway robbery prices a washer & dryer is not.
LOL @ High end cars at a Laundromat to realize this fact. That was pretty funny but I’m sure there is some truth there.
Although we should be careful when we say Bermudians this and Bermudians that….It’s pretty vague when explaining things.
I say that because Bermuda is still racially segregated to some degree. Often time one’s perception is influenced by race as it relates to trending topics. So when you say “a large portion of Bermudians generally don’t like foreigners” are you referring to white bermudians or black?
Personally I would place white bermudians and white expats in the same boat. They’re like two peas in a pod as they’re the main beneficiaries of IB and stand to benefit the most from this new policy reform.
no bermudians can go to America and work.. these ex pats are going get away with so much.soon we will not be able to recognize ourselves.. get it right about the carribean tourism.. yes it’s the be but the money DOES NOT go to the natives of the islands
ok. it goes to all the rich ppl.. and that is going to happen here. every morning I woke up and see a Dominican at the bus stop, riding a bike, walking a dog, serving breakfast at buzz, etc. ….. and yourtelling me a bermudians cant do those jobs? we are all here allow this….. nonsense to happen in our small country… I am so sick of seeing them serving me….
don,t eat at buzz
Yes you do – everyone does LOL!
That’s because a lot of Bermdians feel those jobs are beneath them.
Where can I find the stats of what jobs Bermudians think are below them or is this just opinion?
A lot of employers want an employee who can string together a proper sentence with spelling, capitalization, periods, and spaces. Why? So the employee can properly label product, read or write instructions, fill out a schedule, make a sign or list of the day’s specials, etc. So folks like Rebel don’t qualify even for such a menial job. That must suck.
And, for the record, there are many Bermudians who work in the US. I know a guy who was a carpenter for 10 years in Texas before returning home. The US also gives citizenship much easier.
“A lot of employers want an employee who can string together a proper sentence with spelling, capitalization, periods, and spaces.”
WHAT THE!!!!!
“Tank yew moam. Peas comagan moam. Ohhh yah no wan fwies wit barga? Ohhh so sawry.”
LMAO!!! You must have a babelfish translator implanted in your brain.
Yes but the U.S isn’t 21 square miles.
So what?
Dominicans serving breakfast at buzz?
Umm! I think you’ve mistaken the country the workers at buzz are from. Most expat workers at buzz are from the eastern hemisphere not the western where the Dominican Republic is. There are only about 10 expats at max that work in Bermuda that are from the Dominican Republic. There are over 1500 expats working in in jobs all over Bermuda from the country where most of buzz’s expat workers are from.
…with work permits provided by the PLP, under a regime where there were stupid term limits. Thankfully things are changing.
Even if it hurts me a bit to admit but I will. You are right about all this permit abuse starting with plp but you are wrong about term limits being stupid. Many countries have term limits so an idea shared by a global majority can’t be stupid. What was stupid was plp’s implementation of term limits without enforcing them & whats majorly stupid is oba’s abandoning term limits without testing if they would work under proper enforcement. Instead oba took the opinion of a board who’s members except for one have much to personally gain from the hiring of expats over locals & ran with it.
You won’t be so thankful when the changes cause a rise in poverty & in turn crime to the point nowhere in Bermuda is safe.
yes, wht is a technician
Porn technician perhaps?
I am in full support of Technician being closed. Employers have been able to bring in Techs and give them glorified lower managerial positions that Bermudians can fill. And Bermudians have been made redundant in the AC systems world while the non-Bermudians have been retained.
I am sure it will be clarified on the type of Technician.
most children of IB expats are not old enough to work let alone take a job from a Bermudian child….
Yes but michael fahy has not specified just IB worker’s children so all expats will be able to have their children work here. The minimum age to work in Bermuda is 10. Expect when this law has fully gone through to see the demographic of grocery packers to change dramatically.
By “demographic” what do you mean? Are only black kids supposed to pack groceries now, in your mind?
I mean a section of the population sharing common characteristics such as being Bermudian. Lesson over now go to your room like a good little remedial english student.
Deary me. Most of these decisions were made by a committee, headed by Patrice Minors. Last I looked, she was a PLP minister. Why Fahy is being hauled over the coals is really typical Bermudian habit. Mostly carried out by educated Bermudians to incite the more educationally challenged. Won’t work this time round. Do we really need to go through the same old rhetoric for 5 years?
My comments are because it was concluded under fahy who could have but didn’t rebut any of the plan & instead is going along with it like a good little sheep. Patrice didn’t have a backbone to see the laws her party put in place go forward. Instead minors played craig says & the employer says to keep herself where she is. I was hopping for a change for with oba but instead its the same empty promises as plp.
@tommy Chong
It’s better to be assumed an idiotic person, than open your mouth and remove all doubt!
Good job Minister Fahy!
Maybe the govt sat down with IB and asked what can we do to entice you to the island, back to the island, or what can we do to make you stay on the island,
And they responded, well, we wouldn’t mind our kids getting jobs on the island during the summer legally!! That would help entice us to stay or move here!
And the govt listened and the rest is history!