A government position paper has proposed greater protections for Bermudian workers and widened access to permanent residency certificates without new pathways to Bermudian status.

Jason Hayward, the Minister of Economy and Labour, told the House of Assembly yesterday that action needed to be taken to address the demographic challenges of a falling birth rate and ageing populations.

“Many high-income countries around the world are facing the same problem,” he said. “But in a small country like Bermuda, it can have a severe impact on our economic performance and the cost of living for ordinary working people.

“For this reason, my ministry has prepared the position paper that I lay before the House today as a means to address these challenges and propose solutions.

“Significantly, I am inviting consultation on the proposals in the position paper, in the hope of harnessing the best ideas from the community, and seeking feedback on proposals to retain Bermuda’s local workforce, for the long-term benefit of our country.”

Mr Hayward said the island needed to consider both Bermudians and guest workers, but added that the proposals included in the position paper do not include a pathway to Bermudian status.

“As a government, we want to see more and better opportunities for Bermudians,” he said. “The chance to earn a living wage doing meaningful work. The opportunity to enter the most sought-after industries, create new ones, be entrepreneurs and socially conscious contributors to our economy and society.

“We want Bermudian workers to have a real chance to thrive.

“And for guest workers, we want to give stability and certainty, in addition to fairness and a chance to feel at home in the place where many are raising families and contributing to our community economically and socially.”

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Retaining the Local Workforce Position Paper Consultation v1.0 240313-PUBLIC.pdf

Mr Hayward said that to retain Bermudians in the workforce, the Government hopes to encourage working-age Bermudians to remain on the island, strengthen labour protections, ensure that Bermudians studying abroad return to Bermuda and encourage the retention of older Bermudians in the workplace.

“The Government is conscious of the growing assertions that Bermudians are emigrating overseas in search of better job opportunities and a lower cost of living,” he said.

“An independent survey last December by Global Research found that 21 per cent of persons had household members who had left Bermuda to live abroad for at least 12 months in the last five years, and 15 per cent stated they had household members who had left Bermuda to live abroad for non-educational reasons.

“To gain a full understanding of whether such emigration is happening and why, the Ministry of Economy and Labour will commission research and, based on the results, will develop policies to reduce the drivers of forced migration and encourage Bermudians to return and remain in Bermuda.”

Mr Hayward added that the position paper proposed adding equal work for equal pay provisions, increasing maximum severance pay and continued revisions to the closed and restricted jobs category.

Proposals also include amendments to work permit policies to ensure that Bermudians are not the first on the chopping block when layoffs occur, establish a hiring hierarchy to prioritise hiring of Bermudians and policies to ensure that guest workers have basic proficiency in the English language.

Mr Hayward said that the paper proposes eliminating the employer’s portion of payroll tax for Bermudian employees over the age of 65 and otherwise promoting the retention of seniors.

While the policy paper does not open the door to Bermudian status, Mr Hayward noted that it did suggest widening eligibility for permanent resident certificates.

Under the proposals, those who have been ordinary residents for more than ten years and have an annual income of $83,000 would be eligible, halving the minimum time period.

Non-Bermudian parents of Bermudian children would also be able to apply for PRC status after ten years of ordinary residence, down from 15 years, and PRC eligibility requirements for job creators would be reduced from ten years to five.

PRC eligibility requirements would also be reduced to five years for those working in certain professions, including registered nurses, chartered financial analysts, certified actuaries, computer engineers, software developers and certified accountants.

Mr Hayward added: “The impact on jobs for Bermudians is minimal as the majority of those who would be eligible to attain a PRC are currently working in positions they have held for an extended period.”

The position paper has been published online at forum.gov.bm, and members of the public will be able to provide feedback until April 15.