Work permit moratorium for builders in Bermuda
Posted on Wed, 08/18/2010 - 18:28 in World News
(The Royal Gazette): Nine construction companies have been "red-carded" by the Department of Immigration for failing to hire Bermudians. And a "moratorium" was put on all applications for masons, carpenters, landscape gardeners and cleaners. Labour and Immigration Minister David Burch said his department had received a considerable number of complaints, particularly because of construction companies' "reluctance to hire Bermudians". "As one example, we have received information on a master mason who had applied to ten different construction companies and only one called him back. Happily, the firm who did, hired him and are quite happy with his craftsmanship."
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It's OK. Bermudan businesses
It's OK. Bermudan businesses need not worry. It seems that whenever an expatriate is denied a permit to protect a Bermudan, the expatriate is just sent to Cayman to displace a Caymanian from employment in the Cayman branch of the Bermudan company.The Bermudan businesses and people do fine, as does the expatriate. The only people who ultimately suffer as a result of this trade in people are Caymanians - and we only have our own immigration to thank for that.
I know, isn't the whole
I know, isn't the whole system just super!
By the way you can also thank Cayman's woefully inadequate education system (primary, secondary and attitude to tertiary) too. That makes the Bermuda-Cayman shuffle much much easier.
Can someone please clarify
Usually, what you get out of
Usually, what you get out of life does indeed depend on what you put into it. Attitude and behaviour of staff are frequently the direct result of the attitude and behaviour of management. While I was a partner at Maples and Calder, I typically had a team of five/six support staff who reported to me directly. They were all Caymanian and long time employees of the firm. And a majority of them still work for the firm. There were good days and bad days for all of us, but I found regular 'fire side' chats with the team was the best way to manage everyone's expectations and to ensure good performance.
XXXX Of course it misses the
XXXX Of course it misses the core point that the cadre of employees around a managing partner have been the subject of careful selection both conscious and subconscious. It is not a useful point for the majority of those in a business. It is the staff who work at the coal face of the main business where the problem lies. The problem lies with the troublesome intake of the "suitably qualifieds" who are make everyone else's life hell and who management say we have to put up with to placate Immigration.
The team that reported
The team that reported directly to me was always very much at the coalface. They interacted with other staff at all levels, clients, other outside parties and of course me. Times may well have changed (sad if the case), but I do not recall ever okaying the hiring of anyone at Maples to "placate Immigration".
So true! Unfortunately some
So true! Unfortunately some managers only know their employees when things go wrong. They do not bother to keep the communication open all of the time. It makes a big difference in the work place.
I have learned one thing from my present company: always check the rate of staff turn over and I don't mean the rollover policy, I mean how often they have to hire someone for a post. That means it is not a good place to work.
So true! When staff are
So true! When staff are treated fairly across the board and respected by management, they know they had better perform or else.... Unfortunately, we now see many instances where certain staff gets off with murder and nothing happens to them or certain few given perks that most other staff are not entitled to and then management expect not to get attitude from the rest of staff?!
RESPECT is earned, not demanded and it goes both ways.
" So true! When staff are
" So true! When staff are treated fairly across the board and respected by management, they know they had better perform or else.... Unfortunately, we now see many instances where certain staff gets off with murder and nothing happens to them or certain few given perks that most other staff are not entitled to and then management expect not to get attitude from the rest of staff?!"
We must work for the same company.
I have read all of the
I have read all of the stories posted on this page. We have foreigners protecting foreigners/Caymanians and we have Caymanians protecting foreigners/Caymanians. Ok...Stop!! The foreigners will come to our shores once they are invited to do so...Why complain Caymanians... Why? Our Politicians are placed in power to protect our way of life, unfortunately Immigrants are now a part of our life just for the sake of money. So the equation is Immigrants = money in government coffers...Simple! So when elections hails again, I will certainly remember the ones that fought for Caymanian's and those that will fight for Caymanians rights. We need politicans who are not greedy and who can relate to matters in regards to Immigration. My belief is that all persons should be treated fairly, including foreigners. Make them come, make them pay, make the companies pay, make our government departments more efficent and productive. The Labour Department need teeth and work permit burden has to move from the Immigration Department. So foreigners..I cannot blame you for being here...You too are looking work and a peaceful place to reside in. I fully and heartfully place all the blame on Caymanians who fail to vote in the proper candidates during election time. If our government fail...we fail! We put them in power, whether its the PPM, UDP, Independents or any new political party. At least in some sense the Bermuda government is protecting its citizens..WHAT IS THE CAYMANIAN GOVERNMENT DOING?
Our office has about 50%
Our office has about 50% Caymanian and 50% expat and has around 70 staff.
If you look at the average sickness so far this calender year per staff the results are fairly startling
Caymanians: 6.8 days average
Expat 1.4 days average
Extrapolating that for the year the company will get almost 2 weeks extra work from the expats and that does not even take into account the unpaid overtime worked on top.
Please tell me the name of
Please tell me the name of your office because I'm a Caymanian and at my office, I had 4 sick days and the boss was writing letters on me. No one can tell you that you can't take sick days. Get a doctor's note if they give you problems. I called the Labor Board and that put an end to it.
So your conclusion from this
So your conclusion from this extensive data set is that Caymanians are lazy and no good while expats are hard working and good.
Wow you must be a politician in training.
This is similar to many
This is similar to many departments of government, Cayman Parrot. The expats cannot get off with it because they will not get renewal of contracts. Nothing happens to Caymanians, many of whom make sure they take every single one of the ten paid sick days they are entitled to per year, but should only take if they are sick. One recent retiree after over 35 years service had not one single year under the ten day limit and many years over that limit.Some years ago, a certain senior civil servant hostile to expats and convinced they were malingering, asked for details on the sick days taken by all employees, Caymanian and expat, in the large departments that person was responsible for. The results had to be suppressed as they were so far from being "on message".
thats only a 485%
thats only a 485% difference!....give them a break..remember we are only guests in 'their' country.......zzzzzz
lol... nice
lol... nice contrast
Caymanians have homes, bills to pay, cars to maintain, kids to take to school, an economy that is not well, family issues, fears of losing their jobs by indifferent employees. mortgages to pay... they have it all...
Whereas being a UK expat myself, I have learnt -
We come here and the businesses loan us company cars, we have no bills to pay - that is taking care off, we are given places to stay - the company pays for it. We have no worries in making a negative impact here, because we can always fly away the next day to our homelands where we are safe. We are able to send our monies down and the conversion rate of our monies is hugh and helps us live easily. We come to work early because we have lesser stress, we don't have children to feed, nor have to worry about our homes being burglarized before leaving home. We have no one to look up to as a family but our bosses and co-workers.
So... I understand the contrast nicely. I just hate to see the people of this Island lose their jobs because of the indifference I am now seeing from expatriates. I respect Cayman alot and I hope you do so too, because we came here with nothing. Cayman has helped us alot. The worse we can do is bite the hand that is feeding.
Want to know what gives you
Want to know what gives you away immediately as being untruthful about your country of origin? We do not use "z", we use "s" in words such as "burglarised." Many Brits may have misspelled the word, but never with a "z."
If you are lying about that, why believe any of your comments?
To be more accurate Brits
To be more accurate Brits would not use "burglarised" at all, they tend to prefer "burgled".
Of course but this would not
Of course but this would not have highlighted the "z" and "s" issue which was the instant give away and would apply to many words which actually do exist in English.
UK Expat - right! Not only
UK Expat - right! Not only is your command of English somewhat suspect, but your understanding of the expat position clearly demonstrates you are not in fact an expat, wheher from the UK or elsewhere. Do you think expats do not care about being burglarised? Why do they have a less stressful existence than Caymanians, and in any event what has stress got to do with coming into work early. It would be more logical to suggest that stressed people do that, or people that do so are stressed as a consequence. And why would anyone working here be wiring in money rather than spending it or sending it home? Admit it - you are a Caymanian who does not like the implication of the previous commentator but is embarrassed to admit it or thinks that claiming to be an expat will cover up the complete lack of any rationality to your suggestion that Caymanians somehow deserve to take more "sick" days than expats, or that expats should not comment on any aspect that reflects badly on Caymanians.
Sob sob, gulp gulp. There are
Sob sob, gulp gulp. There are many of us expats here who do not have the paradisical set up you apparently have. Please bear with us.We don't get in David Legge's wonderful magazine because we don't live in the Yacht Club, Shores, etc etc etc and aren't invited to those functions featured and don't have company cars and no company pays our bills.
This is one of the problems dividing us in Cayman. Like you, I'm a UK expat. Many years here. I have had to slog my way through without all the huge financial returns most seem to make. I see people with less qualifications than me living in palaces in Cayman that they would not have in the UK. Ah so it go.
you are not a uk expat....
you are not a uk expat.... pull the other one....
from a born and bred caymanian......
We should be practising the
We should be practising the same moratorium here.
No "employable" Caymanian should be unemployed when we have other nationalities on a work-permit, regardless of their age.
There is too much discrimination against Caymanians for flimsy reasons!
Is he wearing earrings?
Is he wearing earrings?
I really can't get past the
I really can't get past the button down shirt with a tie. Oh dear.
To Fri 13:03 - Remember
To Fri 13:03 - Remember 'Bermuda' they wear shorts to work too. They are casual. Nice change from the subject but try to stand up for Caymanians against all those bloggers who know nothing about us and are posting only negative comments. Blessings to all the hard workers here and all those who went through a lot of suffering to build Cayman up. GOD rest the souls of all those who have passed on - we thank you so much!!
The shorts are worn according
The shorts are worn according to a very very formal dress code. Bermuda is more formal than Cayman. This man is just badly dressed.
What's wrong with that? I'll
What's wrong with that? I'll have to redo my wardrobe.
If you don't know why that is
If you don't know why that is wrong then there is probably no saving you. Button down, if it is to be worn at all, is a casual shirt. Americans wear button down and ties quite often but most of them would not know style if it hit them in the face with a shovel and said "Hi I am style".
Thanks
Thanks
De nada.
De nada.
What does wearing earings
What does wearing earings have to do with the issue? Let us stop being so superficial and fickle and look beyond such pettiness.
No, really, you have to check
No, really, you have to check him out ;-) Opens up a whole new facet on this discussion.
Remember when you used to
Remember when you used to smile? And not take everything so seriously?
Yes, GOOGLE him. Real
Yes, GOOGLE him. Real colourful character.
The real difference between
The real difference between Caymanians & Expat workers is the Caymanians don't have work permits hanging over their heads,
As a Caymanian I will speak the truth there are some really lazy Caymanians, the find every excuse in the book for not being able to do the job, and Mon- Fri they are sick, late for work, etc, but come Fri-Sat they good as gold,as Caymanians absolulately NO ONE should surpass us in our Country, if it is a skilled job we must learn the skill and become experts, if it is a type of field we need to study that field and become experts in that field, we need to get up off our asses and do these things for ourselves, our country is being taken from us because we are sitting down being lazy and letting it happen.
There are good & bad with everything, we have some very hardworking, dedicated, & ambitous Caymanians who pride themselves on their accomplishments and goals, they have excelled in many fields from Doctors, Lawyers, Models, & Musicians when you want something in life all it takes is ambition & determination and Caymanians have this, what we don't have is the oppurtunity always extended as it should be.
As for the employment of Caymanians vs Expats, anyone who ventures into a business has put themselves into debt to do so, in order to repay that debt that person has to turn a profit, to turn a profit he needs the right staff to help make that happen, if that is not the case and he/she is losing money the owner is putting themselves in finacial problems and what sacriffices that they may have made in order to get this business started may also be on the line so they stand to lose more than just a "job", therefore my fellow Caymanians when "YOU" walk into a place of employment please also walk into that establishment with the knowledge that there is alot "behind the scenes" that you may not know that takes to keep that paycheck in your hand, treat your place of employment as if it was someplace that you worked hard to get started and want to keep going, strive and put out the very very best, because YOU ARE capable of SURPASSING all others. WE can reach to the very top of everything, but only if we really want to.
To all of those who continue to put down Caymanians,
You know a lot of you are
You know a lot of you are using a big broom to make your arguement easy. Caymanians are not all lazy nor are they all hard working. Frankly speaking the hard working Caymanians are being let down by the lazy ones.
My arguement is simple, judge each individual on their own merits dont use a big broom because you yourself are too lazy to check properly each individual.
This is what good management techniques teaches managers - to judge each individual on their own merits.
This Ex Pat takes her hat off
This Ex Pat takes her hat off to you sir for your honest and objective response. You clearly have a good grasp on the situation both from a commercial perspective and a personal one.
Excellent post.
Thank you Ex-Pat, I am a
Thank you Ex-Pat, I am a female and Born Caymanian, who was raised with the instillment that hardwork brings great rewards and ill-gotten gains never remains.
To 'hardworker' quote
To 'hardworker' quote "Caymanian workers have a history of being lazy, and unreliable period." unquote
Your stupid remark just shows how ignorant you are!! If Caymanians were lazy you certainly would not have the chance to get a job because there would be no CAYMAN for you to work in. We built the islands up when there was nothing here. The hardworking Caymanians that have passed on made sure that the place prospered for the next generation. Check the history of Cayman before posting foolishness!!
People are coming here now and finding a paradise and don't know a thing about what Cayman was like before and making stupid comments and being ungrateful - and degrading the hardworking people that built the islands up - if you had it so good before why are you not pleased with yourself instead of wasting time posting stupid nonsense!!
well said 10:18........ i
well said 10:18........ i support u
what should be the norm is that "those that are offered job's and work here should be those with proven track RECORD of professional accomplishments thus the priviledged to work in these islands, these would be contributors to the hard work that a lot of CAYMANIANS have done for most their lives and NOT!... those here working to create a RECORD" that they can then in turn use as marketing tools (with Cayman mentioned on a resume is still a BIG sell to an employer any where in the world) to further their selfish ambitions at the expence of country and people.
The CAYMAN ISLANDS was built on HARD WORK, FEAR OF GOD, MANNERS, RESPECT and a hand shake, THAT.... you can believe very few that are allowed to work here know anything about.
t'ek da't fa ya mou't now and go lon'g ya bis'nez.....
Apparently, you have
Wonderful use of IMPROPER
Wonderful use of IMPROPER CAPITALISATION both of WHOLE WORDS and specific Words given Capital Letters as if you were typing in German.
This writing style is used to emphasise to educated readers that the contents of posts are ranting gibberish which can be easily skipped.
Amen! I and I built the
Amen!
I and I built the cabin, I and I plant de corn. Didn't my people before me slave for this country?
Now you look me with such scorn and you eat up all my corn.
We gonna chase these crazy baldheads out of town....
Nobody wan to plant de corn,
Nobody wan to plant de corn, everbody wan to raid de barn....
Re: "Having worked in
Re: "Having worked in Bermuda, it is similar to Cayman, in that the locals are pretty much uneducated, they have a poor work ethic, refuse to take orders from a foreigner and generally have a very poor attitdue towards work."
Say wha'?!
I wonder how that logic applies to the UK (and the rest of the EU) at this current time? Is it the same?
As I am sure that you are aware - due to the recent expansion of the EU with its inclusion of Eastern European countries - the UK is now facing the VERY SAME DILEMMA as Cayman.
Newly arrived laborers are forcing out the traditional British counterparts.
These Polish and Lithuanian laborers are considered to be better skilled, possess a superior work ethic and best of all (from an economic standpoint) - will carry out their superior level of tasks for less money!
Hence the recent "surprising" nationalistic (far-Right) political uprising throughout the UK and the rest of Europe. (2009 EU Parliamentary Elections). Of course the BBC and the rest of the mainstream media are connecting this phenomenon to "Islamaphobia" and good ol' fashioned "racism".
So tell me, seeing that the UK economy / labor force is confronting the very same issues (just speak to any British builder today - that is if you can find one that is still employed!) - does your reasoning apply to them as well?
Are Brits lazy, uneducated, unskilled, disagreeable and desiring an unjustified level of salary?!
(Honestly - the dribble of some people nowadays.)
Some will take any given, though misguided, opportunity to put down Caymanians - all the while ignoring the reality of other countries and perhaps their very own homelands.
Keep your 3rd eye open Cayman - there are a dime a dozen of these sorts in our midst.
Sincerely,
Whodatis
keep sticking your head in
keep sticking your head in the sand.....
just ask any expat/caymanian business owner about their experiences with caymanian employees........
To 15:26 - take your head
To 15:26 - take your head out of the sand! What do you know about the Cayman before it became your 'paradise'?? You know nothing about the hard working Caymanians that built the Islands up! All you talk about is the ones that give Cayman a 'bad' name today - this is a different culture with all mixtures here. Try and learn something about people who for example worked for 15 years with one employee without even taken a sick day off! Go learn something about Cayman before posting ignorant comments!
And yet again - another one
And yet again - another one has failed to accept the reality of the situation regarding other jurisdictions - clearly their own as evidenced by the "attack mode" stance.
(Look at home many BRITS are LIVING OFF OF THE GOVERNMENT at this very moment!!)
The recently arrived labor force is full effect over there - address that would you?
Does the same logic apply?
I swear - the arrogance of some people!
Interesting
Interesting story....Definitely for hard-working Caymanians getting a fair shot at employment...however Im not sure if it is or will happen..and before we all blame the foreigners...I KNOW of at least 3 appointments in just ONE govt dept over the past 6 months where expats were hired over caymanians with the same qualifications. However the hiring decisions were made by a panel of 3 CAYMANIANS! Seems the people are shooting themselves in the foot!
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