BHA Welcomes Closed, Restricted Job Changes
Members of the Bermuda Hotel Association [BHA] are “pleased to acknowledge and welcome the changes to the Closed and Restricted employment categories specific to Bartending and Housekeeping positions.”
A spokesperson said, “The Bermuda Hotel Association members are pleased to acknowledge and welcome the changes to the Closed and Restricted employment categories specific to Bartending and Housekeeping positions, as recently announced by the Minister of Economy & Labour, the Hon. Jason Hayward JP MP following the recent Hospitality Industry Summit which took place earlier this month.
“With the referenced categories having been moved from closed to restricted effective the 1 st March 2026, this will ensure that the Hotel industry is better positioned and able to ensure that we can recruit and onboard key staffing resources to fill these critically important guest service positions, which historically we have been challenged to fill, as we collectively prepare for the upcoming tourism season.”
BHA CEO Stephen Todd said, “It remains our overall goal as an industry to recruit, train and retain as many Bermudians as we can, who are genuinely interested in pursuing a long-term career, given that there are a number of opportunities for them to do so.
“Additionally, we will continue to pursue this important objective and in keeping with the request of the Minister, plans are already underway to host a Hospitality Careers Fair on Wednesday 18th March 2026 at the Hamilton Princess & Beach Club, in conjunction with our industry partners, with additional details to be forthcoming and announced very soon.
“We are committed to continuing to work in conjunction with the Ministry of Economy & Labour, the Department of Workforce Development, the Bermuda Tourism Authority, the Bermuda College as well as with that of our Hospitality Industry partners at the Bermuda Chamber of Commerce to attract Bermudians to our industry.”
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With few applying. Those without jobs should immediately go where ?????to show they want a job…????.lanour and training of course. We don’t need a bis with a loud speaker to go over the island 7 days a week to register them. Go in and get registered if interested and have a positive attitude. It will be tough if unemployed folks have a history of bad work or negative attitudes so those ones have to change and be ready to learn. It’s as simple as that.
The hospitality industry in Bermuda is no longer viewed as a food career. It is sad. Many Bermudian families have been raised on the proceeds of the hospitality industry.
That should be “good career”.
There are thousands out ‘looking’ for a job and desperately hoping that they don’t find one. Financial assistance and complaining is too easy.
For the able bodied, Financial assistance should be limited to three months, followed by at least six months when further financial assistance will not be given.
The jobs are available. The right attitude towards work is not. Note how many get ‘sick’ over the Cup Match weekend or other big holiday party weekends. We are supposedly in the hospitality industry. It is an industry that operates 365 days a year. It does not take holidays.
People who take ‘sick’ days when needed the most will never be offered advancement.
Until government mandates a secured policy of what will be provided when on social assistance relief, the system will be abused. There should be clear lines of requirements for every applicant that is on assistance. When Bermudians don’t have the basic skills to do any of these jobs, proper training at the Bermuda College should be provided,and mandatory to apply for these positions. There have been a number of young Bermudians that have left our shores for better opportunities, but realised that their attitude towards work had to change drastically in order to survive. The wake up call has been overwhelming to some, who returned to Bermuda looking for pitty, only to be put right back into the situation they left prior to leaving. It is sad to think that over the years, our pride has changed our perception of what is a career , and what is just a job with a weekly paycheque. We have to get our heads out of the sand, and realise that Bermuda will not always going to be the paradise that most people think it is.
it’s not about the right attitude anymore it’s about who u are and friends and family
Anyone who works in management in the hospitality industry will tell you that hiring Bermudians for service positions is a last resort. Main reason: they have a problem showing up for work. A familiar story.
My Bermudian father-in-law interviewed about 50 Bermudians for an entry-level position and shortlisted five. He is a great guy, highly professional, and personally interviewed everyone who applied. Did not want to hire any of them, but needed to fill the position. Hired one who started showing up late in the first week! The 20-something employee could not keep up with my 60+ years old father-in-law making security rounds across the hotel property. Fired the person after 2 weeks and started over. My father-in-law did his management job and the other job until someone was hired. Repeat cycle….