April 13, 2012Dear Sir,I recently heard former Senator LaVerne Furbert, on a radio talk show, make a statement about who she classifies as consultants. According to the Government of Bermuda Conditions of Employment and Code of Conduct, Section 3.2.1 states as follows:“Consultants are not considered officers. Permanent Secretaries and Heads of Department are required to obtain approval from the Head of the Civil Service prior to engaging the services of a consultant. They must also consult with the Department of Personnel Services on the terms and conditions of the contract prior to requesting the Head of the Civil Service to sign the contract. Information on engaging consultants is also provided in Financial Instructions.”The main categories of employment are highlighted in section 3.1.3. as follows:(a) Permanent full-time.(b) Permanent part-time.(c) Temporary (normally for periods up to twelve months).(d) Trainee/Supernumerary (normally for periods up to three years) Bermudians only.(e) Casual (normally for short fixed periods).Also 3.1.4 states: “Post-holders may be Bermudian or non-Bermudian.Non-Bermudian officers will always be on a fixed-term contract. In some cases Bermudian officers may be on a fixed-term contract. Permanent Secretaries and Heads of Department are required to make every effort to prepare a Bermudian to fill the posts held by non-Bermudian officers at the end of their contract period.”It is my understanding that retired Civil Servants and Public Servants who have been rehired at their former departments, while receiving a Government pension, are also being classified and paid as consultants. I stand to be corrected if this is no longer the case. If it is so, and these individuals are no longer required to contribute to the pension fund, we shouldn’t wonder why it is depleting. These individuals who continue to occupy their former positions are denying other individuals, who are not yet eligible for a pension, an opportunity for employment/advancement. At least the other individuals would be required to contribute to the pension fund.Many of the retirees, who fall into this category, have already benefited from the boom years and many may even own properties with income. Perhaps, if the Finance Minister is looking for ways to replenish the pension fund, this is an area that should be revised. In closing, rather than the BPSU General Secretary criticising people who are not receptive to the idea of a pension holiday, he should focus on reviewing the issue of consultants.NON CONSULTANTDevonshire