WORC tackling its work case by case

| 04/05/2020 | 37 Comments
Cayman News Service, Cayman National Human Resources Department
WORC Director Sharon Roulstone

(CNS): Measures taken to protect the Cayman Islands community from the COVID-19 pandemic have thrown up a variety of challenges for the relatively new Workforce Opportunities and Residency Cayman (WORC). As a result, the agency is working on a case by case basis as it tries to prioritise jobs for Caymanians, juggle the complex situation surrounding work permits, and deal with applications for residency and status, all while none of the boards are sitting.

WORC Director Sharon Roulstone said that their offices are closed and all staff members are working remotely. But many are facing their own challenges of home-schooling children and dealing with poor internet service, especially in the Eastern Districts. The difficulties were compounded by a delay in sourcing the equipment that staff need to effectively move the department to their homes.

With no boards working, just seven people are currently working on applications. But she said the team was still answering hundreds of daily enquiries, sometimes in the middle of the night, as well as processing the ongoing applications for permits and helping locals find work.

Roulstone said the team was making a gargantuan effort to deal with each case, and given the range of difficulties that have been presented, they are tackling many issues on their merit and trying to make decisions that help keep the country working.

“We are issuing three month temporary permits in most cases,” she said, explaining that this would help cover the current lockdown period and leave some time to regularise the situation once the the restrictions begin to be eased.

With so many questions coming into CNS and other media houses about a catalogue of issues surrounding the current labour force, Roulstone urged people to keep sending in their inquiries because they will get addressed, even if it’s not as quickly as people hoped.

But she was able to confirm a few general questions that have been arising, especially for work permit holders and residents, who still make up a significant part of the stalled workforce, and essential front-line workers, from supermarket cashiers to food delivery drivers.

Roulstone confirmed that permit holders and permanent residents who are still here and cannot leave can change their job designation and apply for work in a different field. She said Caymanians are being given priority on all jobs but that does not mean that expatriate workers, their dependents and permanent residents cannot apply for work or that employers cannot apply to change designations.

“Caymanian applications will come first in every instance,” Roulstone confirmed. “But each application will be considered on its merit and there is no lawful barrier to permit applications being made by potential employers for people who have been in different fields.”

She said that given the change in the type of workers now in demand, it was to be expected that job designations might need to change. Any expats in a position to do voluntary work can do so but they need to email WORC so that it can be noted on their file.

There is also no legal impediment to employers applying for shared and split permits to allow people put on part-time hours to work elsewhere.

There will be obvious concerns in the community that, at a time like this, foreign workers should not be getting work that locals could do. However, where there are gaps that Caymanians cannot fill, and given that many permit holders and residents cannot leave for one reason or another, it is better that they are able to support themselves.

Roulstone also urged residents who have reached the end of their term limit to make the application for permanent residency. She explained that the requirement for all the documents has been waived and the board is not meeting, so the process of considering the applications will not begin in earnest until they start again. But submitting the application and the fees prevents a person from falling foul of the law, she said.

Roulstone also said she would look into the issue for long-term residents who were in the process of making permanent residency applications who may now have lost their jobs. She said that as a lawyer, it seems very unfair for those who do have a chance of finding a new job post lockdown to be penalized, given that they are likely to have established a life here.

WORC has no plans to round up every permit holder in the database who has lost their job and try to make sure they leave on the airlift flights. Roulstone explained that WORC simply does not have the resources for such an exercise, and in any event, many of them may still be needed as the lockdown restrictions ease.

Roulstone pointed out that things are going to be very different in the immediate post-COVID economy, but that does not mean the country will not need support from expat workers. While the new system is expected to improve the situation for locals in their quest for work, ensure they are better protected in the workplace and not passed over for promotion, work permit holders will still be needed, even in this new scaled down economy.

Premier Alden McLaughlin has said on numerous occasions that the government is trying to help work permit holders without a job and no means to support themselves to leave. But the airlift arrangements, which are largely being coordinated by the governor’s office, remain fraught with challenges, given the airport closures around the world.

But McLaughlin has also warned that a significant loss of expat workers will compound the massive economic slump the country is going to face in the coming months, or even years. He pointed out that the more people who leave in the next few weeks, the fewer people will be here to support the rebuilding of local businesses when the economy begins to reopen.


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Comments (37)

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  1. CAL says:

    Too bad 1:28 you are uninformed. Sharon was done in by the entrenched bureaucracy. she did not quit. The govt. now has their own minions running the show and back to the old “we will get around to it” operation. God Help OUR COUNTRY!

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  2. Anonymous says:

    Tell me what Sharon has accomplished over her time there? As all I see is a mess and now madness and then she ups and leaves when the going gets rough and reverts back to a lower post at the OCC. She never had the backbone from day one to make proper decisions and ok she sat on the Board once for a while and she’s an attorney……………… but tell me what she accomplished! XXXX

    As for Acting Director Jeremy is a great guy but why making a fuss over him acting like he’s been appointed to the post. People act in Government every day…its the true Hollywood! Also he has extensive knowledge in enforcement and compliance matters not overall on Work permits and administration of these and other Immigration application processes. What is his educational background? I would like to know is this Government actively seeking to fill the post permantley or have him act like Bruce Smith for almost 4 years. Its sad that no stable leadership can be assigned to this very important Government department.

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    • Anonymous says:

      The lack of stable leadership is part of the plan. No one is really in charge. The puppet masters are free to act.

  3. Anonymous says:

    Thank you Sharon for being realistic and fair.

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  4. Anonymous says:

    For this to be effective WORC needs to vet very carefully the adverts that are written around the permit holders experience often not related to the job. One way of doing this is to require all previous versions of the advertising. I think they will be surprised to see the differences.

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    • Anonymous says:

      It’s not supposed to be effective..just give impression Caymanians matter to Aldart…which of course he has shown over and over again they do not matter.

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      • Anonymous says:

        There is no doubt that work permit holders will continue to be needed, but he oppression of Caymanians in the work place is very real, I have witnessed it for myself several times over. Caymanians are their own worst enemy sometimes. I have observed Caymanians in positions of power will build a ‘fort’ around them of expatriates to eliminate the threat of a Caymanian geting close enough to expose incompetence. Expatriate workers are much easier to control and will do anything you tell them to since their employment depends on it.

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  5. Anonymous says:

    Happy for the information but it would be great if the Director would have repeated the ways of how to contact WORC via phone or email. My efforts over a week ago have not been answered. It that delay normal even with some people working at midnight? Did I email or call the correct address or number?
    In my case I want to pay a fee. Income to WORC not a complaint.

  6. Anonymous says:

    Well looks like Aldart has allocated resources he thinks sufficient to approve permits and receive fees.

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    • Anonymous says:

      I am a bit confused. Alden and Arden “hire caymanians” over and over again, yet we are going to give 3 months TWP and pushing to file TWP….who files TWP? they are for work permit holders…where are all the so called caymanians

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  7. Anonymous says:

    How about anyone who has PR automatically gets status if they are under two years away? Free up some paper WORC for ya.

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  8. Anonymous says:

    God bless you Sharon. A true defender of Caymanians! Thank God you are in charge and Caymanians will now have priority.

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    • Anonymous says:

      Haahahahahahaahaha You for real mannn????

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    • Anonymous says:

      With those puppet-masters, she hardly stands a chance. Real shame. She has integrity and talent, but neither are particularly acknowledged (or valued) by her bosses.

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    • Anonymous says:

      I hope they are. If they are qualified or show that they are willing to work hard. Anyone who works hard should get the most chances to excel.

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      • Anonymous says:

        And that’s where a lot of them fall down. Turning up late or not at all. Sick days whenever. Expecting to be doing duties they aren’t ready for just because they are ‘Caymanian’. Sort this out and I’ll gladly hire locals. Until then, nope.

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  9. Anon says:

    I am relieved to hear that “work permit holders will still be needed in the new scaled down economy” even if every Caymanian is given a job.
    It sounds like WORC’s resources are way overstretched, why not assign them some of the civil servants sitting at home, twiddling their thumbs.

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    • Anonymous says:

      Some of WORC’s resources been been “sitting at home, twiddling their thumbs” long before covid19 and that is why their resources are overstretched.

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  10. Anonymous says:

    Again the majority of this is on placating and accomodating the expatriate work force. How about the Caymanians?
    How about removing seeker registration requirements so employers don’t see which of their staff is looking for work or allow employers to customize position requirement AROUND the skills available?

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    • Anonymous says:

      Huh? I don’t understand what you are trying to say 12:39p

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      • Anonymous says:

        Because some employers get very unhappy when you look for a job elsewhere whilst they still employ you. I was told if I wasn’t happy in my position that I should resign.

      • Anonymous says:

        It wasn’t worded very well….making seekers register also gives the employers the opportunity to include obscure and unnecessary skills/requirements not held by any of the truly suitable Caymanian candidates.

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        • Anonymous says:

          Gets rid of the need of the dry run….see what applies…readvertise with specific requirements. Recruitment agencies have been doing this forever….they are incredibly slimy and really should be run off island.

  11. Anonymous says:

    The lockdown is giving WORC the opportunity to get things right or to fix that which was broken. The locals must be given the priority over everyone else.

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