Labour minister pushes bosses to take on locals
(CNS): Employers will not find it as easy to get work permits approved as they did in the past, Labour Minister Chris Saunders said Thursday, revealing that applications for permits are being increasingly scrutinized. Saying that the PACT Government is committed to a ‘Cayman first’ policy and enforcing this part of the immigration law, the minister urged employers to ensure they properly consider local applicants before applying for a permit because officials will be checking.
He said it was “not going to be as easy and as automatic as people had it before” when it comes to permits.
While people may be concerned about how long it is taking to get work permits approved, they also need to help get Caymanians back to work, especially those who have been receiving the stipend, Saunders said at last week’s press briefing.
He said the government recently met with the Chamber of Commerce to urge them to prioritise local workers. But while employers were focused on getting permits processed, the minister asked the business community to focus on how many applications their human resource departments were processing.
He revealed that WORC has already seen an increase in the number of Caymanians using the online system to report incidences where their applications have been ignored, which was one of the necessary actions to fulfill the government’s ‘Cayman first’ policy.
“There is now an increased… vigilance… with regards to work permits just being automatically renewed,” he said in response to a question from reporter John Flemming. “I know some people are used to it being done in the past but at this point, people have to recognise that there are many Caymanians out of work and… we have to go through a much longer process to make sure the jobs that are being renewed can’t be filled by Caymanians.”
He accepted that this was one of several reasons why some permit applications were taking longer than usual. Complaints have been mounting recently about delays in permit applications, and several employers that CNS has spoken with have implied that their businesses are at risk because of these delays.
This includes those in the construction sector as well as tourism, despite claims by the previous government that this is a leading employer of local people, which justified Cayman’s excessive dependence on development.
But Saunders warned that WORC was making sure that work permit applications were not just rubber-stamped anymore.
“It may not be the usual speed as people would expect but this government ran on getting Caymanians employed; we ran on being people-driven first, and as such, we have to make sure our Caymanians get an opportunity,” he said.
“It is not going to be as easy and as automatic as people had it before, especially when we have thousands of Caymanians looking work,” he said, noting that jobseekers were using the online complaints portal. This has led WORC to investigate employers who claim they have not had any local applications when there is evidence to the contrary.
He said if a work permit renewal is already submitted, then people can continue to work, but officials at WORC would be checking to ensure that a Caymanian is not available for the job in question before they grant renewals as well as new permits.
The work permit application process is also being held up by the failure of employers to submit properly completed applications, Saunders said, which is why the ministry is focused on improving the online system. But as it becomes more sophisticated, there will come a time when employers will not be able to upload an application with missing information, the minister warned.
Saunders said the government did not want to delay or refuse permit applications for the sake of it, and they were well aware that many employers are Caymanians who need people to keep their business afloat. However, he made it clear that the system would be working on behalf of local workers, not against them, as many people have believed in the past.
Tourism Minister Kenneth Bryan spoke about the need for the tourism employers to recruit local people, as he answered questions from Radio Cayman’s April Cummings about the remaining hurdles for that sector following the end of post-arrival daily COVID-19 testing.
Bryan said the government was maintaining a ‘Caymanians first’ approach to the re-employment of people in tourism, too, but he said it was a “touchy” subject because some employers were still not doing enough to ensure they recruit local people, despite the significant number who remained displaced following the closing of the borders in March 2020.
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Category: Business, Construction, Jobs, Local News, Tourism
The main problem here is that Caymanian leadership has told all these unemployables that they are qualified instead of making sure they get/are qualified. All qualified Caymanians are working. All the rest are already known by all employers as not even close to being able to function in a normal job. The only thing leadership is doing is trying to force the private sector to pay for their welfare like that is ever going to work. Pathetic and this will never change here.
Hope you look out for small business that need work permits and start dealing with big business that has lots of money and permits look at them dont mess with the small business.
If there are so many willing and able caymanians, why has not even 1 of them ever applied for my job?
I work for a caymanian owned business, that advertises honestly, pays well for the sector, and treats its staff well. They regularly bring young caymanians in for work experience and holiday jobs, and if they are good, offer them work long term. Most turn it down, and instead go and try to get a gov job.
Yet every year, not 1 local applies for my job.
Where do you work and when does your permit expire ? I have three degrees and I’m unemployed for no good reason other than im Caymanian It seems. Don’t get responses to my applications and have even applied for jobs way below my ability and skill level!
Report the company to Immigration/WORC.
It is the glowing elephant in the room for many non-Caymanian companies to lie and not disclose/report that any Caymanians applied for jobs they want foreigners employed in.
They often want to roll out the red carpet for personal friends and fellow countrymen for these positions and just need any excuse or reason to justify taking out work permits.
The solution is not an overnight one as some would make it out to be. Multiple layers are needed over a period of time. First, every fast food place must be able to hire only locals starting with college students who struggling to go to school and who can benefit from developing a strong work ethic and job experience. Examine the educational programs at UCCI and the job market to see if the demands and the degree options and quality is being offered to provide opportunities for the job market to be supplied with qualified workers. So invest in transforming it into a truly effective institution of higher learning, research and scholarship to foster and retain local talents, instead of spending millions to send students overseas. Develop social campaigns in the community to engender pride in gaining technical skills. Expose students from the Primary levels to technical and practical subjects, social programs that foster pride in hard work and creativity. So schools have farms with crops and animals, cooking, sewing.Have certification courses from High School so students leave with a practical skill whether or not that will be their life work. You teaching residence and being able to have a side gig if anything should happen or to earn while studying. For the short term yes hire and help train as many Caymanians as you can but a longer forecast is needed. And last but not least. Take the job, sometimes meager though it be but with strong work ethic a will to strive and qualify oneself overtime greater opportunities can be had.Got to learn to fight and struggle through hardships to gain more education and that does not only mean going to college. This must be pushed from children are in Pre school. The world is a competitive place. Change does take time but it is possible with greater vision, tenacity and empowerment.
Every country in the world has a certain population that are lazy and refuse to work. No matter how much a potential worker will tell you he wants to work, his resume will have 10 jobs over the last 3 years and none past 3 months. Yet, CIG now pushing you to employ them instead of CIG admitting they failed to catch these your guns while they were ripe and willing. How many teens are fatherless, how many dads prefer to wash their Honda and spend 3000 bucks on a stereo instead of raising a child. It’s not the employers fault these people are unemployable. It’s societies fault so don’t make a hardworking employer waste money they don’t have on useless fools.
#PACTremorse
Careful what you wish for. The golden goose will be done gone!
Stop “urging” employers to hire Caymanians and put measures in place to ensure that it is done! Enforce the hiring of locals, no one in our community should be struggling they way they are. Especially our young people, they want so much more for themselves and we should be creating an environment where it is achievable! For goodness sake, do what you said you were going too when you were out on the campaign trail begging for our votes. GET IT TOGETHER PACT.
Force them to do jobs they don’t want or are unqualified for? Force employers to employ them for them to not show up etc. Then all these businesses will shut and you’ll still blame someone else.
If they are unqualified, train them. That is what training is for, unless you too are inept and incapable of showing someone else the ropes. Create a work environment that is healthy and supportive, that will encourage people to show up for work. Show that you actually give a damn about your employees and they will show up for you every time.
I was about to say… we have tried the carrot for too long now
Anyone having had to deal with WORC and their awful website will gladly hire Caymanians. But they will need to show up on time, be willing to work, be reliable and trustworthy.
the last 3 Caymanian’s we have employed in junior roles have quit as the 8:30-5 5days a week was too much…. But we can’t employ expats for these roles as if we do it’s why did you not employ a local. I don’t understand we are offering long term employment with training and chance to progress quickly but no one can hack the hours (2 out of the 3 have ended up working for their mum or dad).
maybe you should question your work culture. the only difference is that work permits are trapped with you.
this isnt ford work day and we all had to work from home for ages in 2020. maybe you would look at progressing with the rest of the world and see how to help your employees want to stay but … no jsut blame them instead of maybe looking internal lol
Question 1: Did you ask each Caymanian why they quit?
These Caymanians quitting says more about your work environment and company culture than it does about Caymanians who are willing to work in general.
Discrimination and disrespect are more than enough reasons to quit.
Question 2: Why work anywhere that does not value your contributions fairly or uses different compensation and promotion metrics, based on nationality and immigration status?
The cost of living in the Cayman Islands is the highest in the world, in case you are unaware. If your juice is simply not worth the squeeze for Caymanians, you are responsible for providing the best oranges possible to attract local talent before attempting catering to international labour markets with any viable excess.
The status quo is the direct opposite of this. Thus, actively squeezing Caymanians out of their own economy and has only ushered in a more rampant wave of gentrification, corruption and unethical practices in the local labour market from abroad.
Locals are looking for a stable progressive Plan A and will no longer tolerate charity case treatment nor unfair working terms or positions, period. Expats will always have a Plan B back home by default, whether they choose to take it or not. That is on them, not us.
Very well said. Spot on.
There you go talking about the practices at a certain large Tourism establishment that claims to have a staff of Ladies & Gentlemen.
They are continuing their longstanding practices of discrimination, thinly veiled harassment and open discouragement of locals! (which btw, has been discussed several times on talk shows and in the local press)
Top management tacitly allows some departments to form cliques to form and squeeze out new hired locals.
A common practice is to create artificial complaints which are immediately documented to build an HR case for dismissal.
The system is well organized and it will take some work to clean up.
Maybe it’s just because there lazy and only desire to earn 200 bucks to buy weed so not interested in long term employment. Always quick to blame employers.
Yes, those people exist, as they do in every country but, it is a fallacy to lump all locals in to that category
And, if the Poster of 11:12pm is a Caymanian, realize this; if we are going to write off all unemployed locals, Cayman will get a lot more expensive than it already is!
Then Saunders better check the government departments in Cayman Brac hiring 50 year old none natives to entry jobs.
That some of JuJu favorite church people
Saunders and Kenny just spouting words that will get them re elected.
The Business Staffing Plan is the problem. Need to revisit this urgently.
It doesn’t matter what qualification you have, if you don’t show up, have attitude and constantly fight with co workers, your down da road…
That is very true and it clearly is the area where training is perhaps most needed.
Spot on Chris, create a sense of entitlement and the biggest qualification you need is a cayman passport. Magic!
The needs assessment pay more than what some employers are paying. Why should one give this up to go work for less?
Oral oral oral talk talk talk that’s all this is about. Please stop with the tongue twisting.
The PPM policy of allowing the private sector to grow thereby creating job opportunities for locals worked, remember before the pandemic unemployment amongst Caymanians were at its lowest.
Refusing work permits will simply drive business away and put Caymanains out of work.
My private sector company has 8 Cayamanians and 23 work permit holders. I know for sure that they have trouble finding good Caymanians to hire. I recently referred a friend to my employer and they were hired on the spot.
If immigration starts turning down work permits for my company will I keep my job?
If you were okay under the PPM regime, I am glad to hear that you were doing well.
However, I am a Caymanian who suffered oppression and persecution at the hands of the PPM.
All I want is not to be persecuted in the Cayman Islands, which both sides of my family (i.e. mother and father) have been here for over 200 years as some of the founding families.
I don’t want a job from an employer, just an environment to is not discriminatory against Caymanians.
If you don’t stand up for your rights, you will get trampled over by others, who will take what’s yours.
Well. If you have no ambition or self-worth, then perhaps collecting money for nothing works just fine.
I don’t want anything that I did nor earn. We need to route stupid entitlement issues, which in the long run does far more harm than good.
Did the budget not include thousands of dollars in revenue from work permit fees? I am just just checking. If work permit is going to be on the decline, I then think the budget need to be revised as there will not be much work permit fees to collect. Just a thought.
Sanders thinks he has that covered. You have to pay the fee when you at – so it doesn’t matter how long they take to process it. He thinks it’s a win win – yes Caymanians he is not granting work we it’s but continues t vectors the fees. Can’t see beyond tomorrow.
A “Cayman first” policy is to be welcomed, which creates opportunities for Caymanians, but needs to, ultimately, be balanced against a fair merit-based hiring and retention of Caymanians.
Different business sectors have varying different factors that apply, so that a one-size fits all cookie-cutter approach is not going to be feasible, but rather applying relevant factors for consideration to different economic sectors and unique employment scenarios.
Whilst it’s not clear what the precise details are and effect will be, in practice, of the “Cayman first” policy, the general basis for this policy is provided for in our Constitution, where it is not unjustifiable discrimination for Caymanians to be treated preferentially, over and above non-Caymanians in the Cayman Islands (s.16(4)(b), BoR).
Pursuant to subsection 16(4)(b) of our Constitution’s Bill of Rights, unjustifiable discriminatory treatment:
“shall not apply to any law so far as that law makes provision…with respect to the entry into or exclusion from, or the employment, engaging in any business or profession, movement or residence within the Cayman Islands of persons who are not Caymanian”.
Moreover, our Constitution’s Bill of Rights, which is a cornerstone of democracy in the Cayman Islands” (s.1(1), BoR), inter alia, “recognises the distinct history, culture, Christian values and socio-economic framework of the Cayman Islands and it affirms the rule of law” (1(2)(a), BoR).
Whilst I support a “Cayman first” initiative, it is also important that expats, who are here on work permit and are a benefit to local businesses (especially those who have given years of their lives employed in) the Cayman Islands, are treated fairly as well — there is need for rationality and proportionality (s19(1), BoR) in the “Cayman first” policy, so that it is, in reality, overall beneficial and not detrimental to the socio-economic framework of the Cayman Islands and upholds the rule of law (s.107, Constitution; s.1(2)(a), BoR).
The primary driving force should be to give Caymanians, who are ready, able and willing to work, an opportunity to access gainful employment in the Cayman Islands, where they are citizens and where they reside.
And, when given the opportunity to obtain employment, it is also a responsibility of Caymanians (based on merit) to perform effectively and beneficially, whilst also realizing that employers will still have need for foreign employees and will want to retain hard-working and reliable employees that are currently employed with them on work permits.
If all the “Cayman first” policy, at a minimal, gives Caymanians a fair and equitable opportunity to obtain gainful employment, I have faith that Caymanians will rise to the occasion and be of great value. We shall see how it all pans out in due course.
God bless the Caymanian Islands and, more importantly, our precious Caymanian people and residents.
God bless,
Orrie 🙏🏻🇰🇾
Well said.
thank you Orrie, thank you for hitting the nail on the head, –
‘ who are ready, able and willing to work, an opportunity to access gainful employment in the Cayman Islands’
….who are ready, able and willing to work…
Define “ready, able and willing”.
I think it goes in this order
#1 ABLE
They have marketable professional and or trade skills that are up to date and updated annually or when there is a new technology skills demand.
#2 READY and WILLING
when they are ABLE and a)have an ambition/drive to succeed or b) a necessity to pay bills, mouths to feed etc
Not everyone who is currently out of job is ABLE, therefore they might be READY and WILLING, but they simply can’t not only compete with existing work force, but won’t even try out of the hidden fear of failure, being judged, having hidden learning disabilities etc.
Have you ever thought that some of those who can’t keep a job simply know that they have difficulties, but too embarrassed to disclose it and ask for help? Difficulties with reading, writing and mathematics, comprehension, logical reasoning, problem solving, visual and auditory memory, non-verbal learning, attention, processing speed and dyslexia. They are not retarded, learning disabilities are quite common and succesfully corrected by proper individually applied programs.
They need help-assessment and special training, not judgements and ostracism.
Sorry to be so blunt, but there is NO ONE in the CIG who understand what I am talking about here.
P.S. I was a straight A student in school, got a degree in Economics in one country, moved to another country, learned new language from scratch and became a Licensed CPA …YET… I say LEFT when I mean RIGHT…ALL THE TIME… my brain just works this way.
Unfortunate for you.
Wondering if the labour minister will respond to the post on a popular site dealing with this exact topic where he was tagged. Seems the government did not hire Caymanians first in that post. Please let the Cayman public know if the post was true and if true what was done to rectify that situation.
Shamefully this is all a tactic to say they are pro caymanian and want Caymanians to do better. But the reality is, work permit fees provide the gov with a substantial amount of money each year.why do you think it is always situations where qualified Caymanians come back from over seas and can’t get jobs in their field or get passed over for a permit holder? These permit cost a lot. Until that changes, Caymanians will get the short end of the stick. But who cares isn’t social justice just a fancy name for envy?
As you say – permits for skilled labour cost a lot. So yes, government reluctant to lose that revenue, but why do you think an employer will pay that if they had the choice of a suitable Caymanian for free? Sure , you can say it’s just down to discriminating if that makes you feel better, but there are precious few employers that will let that get in the way of profit.
As a financial services employer myself I can tell you it’s down to three things: there are simply not enough qualified Caymanians, second you can almost always get a expat candidate with far more experience for the same wage and last if you make a hiring mistake or the markets changes and you need to shed labour it’s relatively easy to let an expat go – not so much a Caymanian.
Of course there is an obligation to train Caymanians, but with the best will in the word if you need someone now with 10 years of experience, that is not a short term solution. And in any event, there are simply not enough Caymanians to meet the needs of the economy – work permits outstrip unemployed Caymanians by a factor of 10:1.
The real issue here is a combination of supply, with the education ministry failing miserably at providing both a large pool of well educated Caymanians for the financial services industry and providing vocational service training for less academically inclined, and a complete lack of enforcement to ensure that employers provide long term training or in the blue collar sector aren’t using casual, immigrant labour. Doesn’t Saunders realize that by simply slow balling WP applications he not only doesn’t address the root cause, he satisfies no one. employers are furious because they can get staff, and unemployed Caymanians have no sight of the delays or understand how they are somehow meant to be helping them.
More valueless talk…..WORC is actually allowing one of the slimier of recruitmemt agencies to advertise in their agency name instead of the actual company. By excluding actual company WORC couldnt see companies changing ads to exclude local applicants. Agencies do nothing but chum the water so the employer can customize requirements around local applicants. These people shouldn’t even be allowed on island.
How about enforcing and penalizing known abuses including increasing experience requirements with wp renewals and unnecessary skills. There are all kinds of companies down here, especially in the financial sector, that should not allowed permits due to consistently abusing system.
Chris is the most dangerous MP. He will tell you what you want to hear then behind closed doors he will do the exact opposite. This man is power hungry and full of himself. He is dying to be the Premier. Only time will reveal who is really is and his true intentions.
Here we go caymanian, your time to shine .
Full time work in businesses restaurants bars hotels working every day and weekends.
Chances for promotion and extra hours each week possibly?
Cant fail
This sort of policy only benefits the mediocre at the expense of the economy generally.
If you consider Caymanians with Bachelor of Arts and Masters and Law Degrees mediocre.
It is a shame that everyone thinks that the only Caymanians out of work and being discriminated against are those in Tourism..even then they should not be considered mediocre.
So, let’s see the lines of ‘capable’ Caymanians applying for jobs against ‘exceptional’ work permit holders. As a former employer, I hired the BEST!!! Not the lazy ENTITLED.
Oh..
You mean the “BEST” work permit applicants that embellish or flat-out lie about earning qualifications:
1) to pass basic screening and interviews,
2) buy time to play catch-up to get them before someone gutchecks or applies basic scrutiny, and
3) that any ‘capable’ or ‘exceptional’ WP holder should already have while gainfully employed in said job they are supposedly already qualified to hold…
Interesting how local Caymanians who have travelled overseas, paid exorbitant tuition and living expenses, actually earned graduate and undergraduate degrees by merit from internationally accredited institutions, travelled back home, and applied for jobs are still somehow “unqualified, lazy, and entitled”. Give me a break.
I’m a Caymanian professional, who has been self-employed for 95% of my working life.
After qualifying as an attorney, I left the law firm that I was with and started my own firm, because I was not going to continue to work with (predominantly) non-Caymanians, who felt that they were better than everyone, but who were far below sub par and were rude and difficult to work with.
I’m doing just fine, despite the influx of many more rude foreigners still flocking by the droves to intercept employment opportunities and businesses opportunities from Caymanians.
Most if not all those you mention won’t have a problem finding a job… Maybe except the ones within the Art industry.
Unfortunately not all the ones seeking for a job have that kind of training 🙁
Anyone can get a piece of paper it’s experience that counts! Often I find caymanians are paper heavy, no experience and they wonder why the can’t get a position. As a hiring manager, give me someone with 2 years hands on experience any day over a bit of paper
And how do you think anyone gains experience?
7:58, By starting at the bottom and working your way up.
By working their way up obviously. Which means taking the crap job that you’re probably overqualified for.
Pray tell how will they get the experience if they are not hired. Another tired excuse and you have the audacity to write it!.
I know what you mean….you’re supposed to appreciate the favor they are doing for Cayman and just be happy with the position they allow you to have. Thanks ppm for our entitled guests.
You think that anyone with those qualifications is not currently employed?
It’s all good to say “I have a masters” , but if that “ Masters “ is from say, California Coastal University, where you don’t need to display any academic abilities to be accepted for an on line program, then it’s not worth the paper it’s written on..
Yep, all you have to do is show up on time, work a full shift, be courteous to your clients and stay off the cell phone.
Oh and don’t call in sick every three days , and be willing to work at weekends.
The government don’t seem to understand the issue is their education system. More spent per child than any other Western developed territory but way worse schooling than the UK, US etc. Only when they have a generation coming out of school capable of doing the jobs that most expats do can they expect employers to employee more Caymanians. No one wants to pay a work permit fee and it’s not like there are unemployed qualified Caymanian hotel supervisor/management position people, fund accountants, lawyers etc being ignored.
I have had many Caymanians apply for positions. Very few were up to the educational and work ethic of available permit holder candidates. Sorry, my business depends on quality, not loyalty to West Bay. I will happily hire Caymanians when they get educated and a proper work ethic.
Show them what a proper work ethic looks like instead of just discarding them, asshole.
“Youths are passed through schools that don’t teach. Then forced to search for jobs that don’t exist and finally left stranded to stare at the glamorous lives advertised around them.”-Huey P. Newton
Sir Humphrey, a Trade School and a Hospitality/Hotel training School were set up in the 1980s by the Government of the time. One behind the library and the other at the then Community College. It would seem that they did not last long and one has to wonder why? If started up again it would seem sensible to locate them in or near the UCCI, where facilities already exist and there is plenty of parking. A hospitality school on 1or2 acres of prime prime property on North Church Street is not the best of sites for a place of learning.
https://www.ucci.edu.ky/hospitality-management
Mervyn, We must be the only place in the Caribbean where a trade school has been set up and failed.
Same rhetoric from every new government.
For many years, the private sector has been required to document why they do not hire Caymanians each time a work permit is submitted. The boards do quite a good job of ensuring that Caymanians are employed. The problem is, some Caymanian employees do not show up for work on time or don’t show up at all.
Saunders and the gang already know this. They just need to look like they are doing something.
Only a small part of the problem, imo. The predominant problem is that Caymanian families cannot live on minimum wage as it exists now. 25 years ago, almost all hospitality, dive operations and clerk positions were held by Caymanians. Then, we got the bright idea of keeping the low pay even as the cost of living rose.
Pretty soon, only short-term expats that benefitted by the exchange rate between their native money and ours could survive in these positions. There are, of course exceptions, however most of those are multiple income families.
What we have is an untenable situation where many Caymanian families cannot live on $6.00/hour, and thus some become dependent upon the NAU.
If we are serious about putting all able-bodied Caymanians to work, we’ve got to get them a living wage, and favourable health benefits. That would cause an increase in our already escalating prices. Depending upon how the variables are measured, we are often counted as one of the world’s most expensive places to live: https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/most-expensive-countries-to-live-in
It will hurt our personal finances, but I firmly believe that the minimum wage must be raised along with aggressive policies as Mr. Saunders outlined.
Tara Bush will go down in infamy for that $6 blunder. She had one task..smh.
Increasing the minimum wage to a living wage must be alongside better education and work ethics for locals. Sorry, that will not happen, so while I agree with your premise, it will not happen. How many were paid to sit on their as.es this past 2 years? How many are getting gov’t stipends to do NOTHING? How many CIG employees sit on pedestals looking at other CIG employees on pedestals who are looking at them – and doing NOTHING? A great way to encourage the electorate to rise above work permit holders – pay them to be lazy.
It will hurt our personal finances, but I firmly believe that the minimum wage must be raised along with aggressive policies as Mr. Saunders outlined.
Lawyers are doing quite well without a minimum wage, as are accountants. Control the supply of labour and demand will increase the wages. There is no reason on earth why we should be approving work permits for people just they are willing to work for less pay than a Caymanian. Except of course as previously stated me, me, me!
Minimum wage is not the problem with lawyers.
Caymanian lawyers are treated as second class idiots by some, but this is not true across the board.
There are Caymanian lawyers, both litigators and transactional, that are top notch.
Truthfully, not all Caymanian lawyers are the cream of the crop, but do practice in the Cayman Islands, but the same is true for certain non-Caymanian lawyers.
I think a total re-think is needed on how businesses are managed, but I’m not sure how.
For too long businesses have avoided the bottom line expenses, so vital and legally demanded in other countries. Income tax is the obvious one, but not exclusively as business owners place their expenses firmly on the employee and the customer instead of excepting the basic costs of doing business from their margins.
Consequently, employers rely on the gratuity system to pay for their staff instead of the huge profits they make with overinflated pricing.
Service staff have tips frequently used for pensions, healthcare, credit card fees, and basic pay. This must stop and a fair wage with statutory obligations to the employee put in place if a level playing field is to be achieved.
‘People before profit’ must be the new mantra if Caymanians are to be persuaded into a system that is weighted against the employee from day one. Whilst many expats in the service industry can earn exceptional money for hard work and long hours, the majority do not, so the incentive for locals to join and exceed is not there. When you are up against college or university educated bar staff from the US, Canada, Australia or the U.K. then you know you have an educational shortfall and perhaps a cultural problem that dictates that the higher educated cannot take less cerebral work if needed. Especially when the paperwork is not backed up with quality experience.
There is another obvious flaw. If a high living wage is the goal in a high standard cost of living country, tourism will likely collapse under the strain of increasingly higher prices and business costs, and fewer work permits will mean less revenue. In other words a spiralling inflation could destroy everything, except the developers aim to bury Cayman under concrete on behalf of tax dodgers and dubious streams of invest from abroad. Do you want to be owned by the Chinese and Russians, much like the rest of the Caribbean region?
I have no answer, save to say that be careful what you wish for, especially in a world tourism and destination market that often exceeds anything Cayman currently offers.
Let’s find out who cuts his grass.
Come on they rather to give the jobs to expact over caymanian and you no what they turn around and laught after the caymanian people.
Your illiterate reply is the perfect example of why non-Caymanian employees have an advantage in the job market. What employer will want to employ you in a job when they have to teach you how to read and write before you can do anything else? How can you face a customer and give a good impression of your employer when you cannot form a sentance and don’t know the proper words. It’s embarassing.
Sounds like a status-giveaway Caymanian to be frankly honest. English is often a second language for these individuals.
Thanks to the poor oversight of the previous Government and the Department of Immigration scandal regarding English proficiency testing, many have “passed” the test and gained citizenship but still lack the sufficient language skills.
As a result, all other competent and otherwise literate but flustered locals and foreign proficient speakers get unfairly boxed in as “one in the same”.
All thanks again to the political motivations of gaining re-election by the two previous Premiers, party politics, and half-cut tomfoolery to add to the voter’s register.
It is what it is. We can only go up from here. Just saying.
Before you get insult others about bad grammar, learn to spell: it is “sentence” and not “sentance”.
Can you spell and type logically? Sorry, you’re also not hired.
Dude, you’re proving points you don’t mean to.
Every single Caymanian is 100% behind Chris and Kenneth in stopping the work permits. The only exceptions would be:
their helper, their gardener, the person who washes their car, the person who cooks their food, the person who does their laundry, the person who fixes their car, the person they can call on for small jobs like plumbing, electrical, tiling, etc.
You raise an excellent point. We must be willing to pay more for these services which we are unwilling/unable to perform ourselves.
But since we want cheap labor, and Caymanians will not take these jobs, we are left with only work permit holders. Cayman has backed itself into a corner – Don’t want those jobs! Don’t want work permit holders here. But want the job done. Cayman wants/needs a servant class, but doesn’t want to admit it. Cayman needs a serious awakening of its priorities. But until we elect ethical officials, we will continue to spiral down the toilet.
Anon 7:35 pm: Agreed that “until we elect ethical officials, we will continue to spiral down the toilet.”
What Cayman needs is a “real alternative” than the PPM and UDP or, amalgamation of an amalgamation of PPM and UDP with Independents.
Until Caymanian voters have a true “real alternative” of candidates, who are unified and are working towards the same goals, it appears that the same politicians will be recycled and continue the vicious cycle of incompetence and power drunk and power hungry MPs making up the Cabinet Ministers.
I have Caymanians who do all of those jobs for me and one Jamacian/Caymanian. We have more than enough locals for these positions.
Troll. Ample evidence against your assertion.
3.54pm I do my own laundry & cooking. I only hire Caymanians for the rest. There are many Caymanian Plumbers, Electricians & Tilers who do quality work for a fair price. The problem is you prefer Jamaican cheap labour who undercut those people and when the work is incomplete or not up to standard & funds low you then expect the local to fix the issues for pennies.
Please make them known! Would love to hire some reliable, skilled contractors at a fair price.
21 @ 11:09pm Here’s one I know – Master builder Clem “Coppy” Ebanks of West Bay. He can almost build a house by himself!
Thank you!!!!
And medical staff.
I’m an expat and agree with “Cayman first”. I do find it ironic though the hypocrisy of Caymanians viewing “Cayman first” as completely fine but their view on the USA and “America first” expressed by President Trump as racist. Keep watching fake news CNN!
Trump is the greatest threat to all that is decent. He is a pig!! How anyone could support such a imbecile speaks volumes about that person. Dim witted and blinded by celebrity. Take a selfie and get bent!!
Trump was the greatest of presidents and will be again
Trump will go down in history for many things but I don’t think it will be for being the greatest President..
Just a few more Wars for Biden and we’ll see President Trump back in the WH.
Great! You think you’re a liberal in Cayman then open the Cayman borders to ALL illegal immigrants and raise the personal tax rate from 0% to 50% to help fund social programs. Reality check Cayman is the most right wing country on the planet far more than the Great President Trump
I cannot believe anyone in the world who watches news still believes in Democrats. Are you still watching CNN? India, Australia, UK, Canada all are showing leftist Liberals ideas are not good for any country. Biden and Trudeau running of their country are showing you why. Just watch different News outlets and stop drinking their koolaid. CNN ratings are sinking so low that everyday Democrats are watching more FOX News. Look at defunding the police movement. Poor people have changed their minds as crime rate soars. Can you imagine if there was open borders to come to Cayman and have all rights as a Caymanian? Also the privilege to vote? Did you not hear News from other countries that Hillary was spying on Trump? Wake up, republicans will take over the USA again.
Wanker, Trump is the most dangerous person in the world besides his buddy Putin – but at least Putin has a brain. Republican yes, Trump no! He has allowed all these racist bottom feeders to have a voice – like you. Now jog on and back to your cesspool country. And FOX is an entertainment company not a news network. There are more choices than them and CNN and they all have the same theme – Trump is a clown.
But if I didn’t watch ABC, CNN, NBC, and other mainstream news outlets how would I have known that Trump’s accountant quit and said nobody should place any reliance on his company accounts for the last ten years?
https://www.foxnews.com/search-results/search?q=mazars
https://edition.cnn.com/search?q=mazars
https://abcnews.go.com/search?searchtext=mazars
Isn’t it a bit odd that Fox didn’t hear that news?
Get your tin foil hat back on
At Last a Government that not only talks about Cayman fist but does something about it.
Where??
When a government says they are for the people, you better bend over and brace yourself.
Trump is a racist, narcissistic pig. It has nothing to do about America first, more like Trump first..
I’m an expat and an American too. I have lived here for 5 years and I see nothing wrong with Caymanians looking out for their own. Some of us Americans don’t understand that when we travel to other countries that we must respect those people and their culture. I have lived in 3 different countries and never once would I even dream of ridiculing the locals of those countries nor would I try to force American politics on them.
Any evidence of him being racist?
22 @ 6:25 am – Yes, he had all the toilets in the WH Residence changed after Obama moved out!
We now know we kept the WH plumbers quite busy clearing those toilets from classified and sensitive documents he tore-up and dumped into them!
Not allowing black tenants in his condos. Need more?
Any evidence Trumps is a racist? No. Not one piece of evidence has ever been presided. You another nut job liberal.
CNS: For non-racists, Trump’s rhetoric on frequent occasions is stomach-churning and enough evidence in itself. But for those who need convincing…
Donald Trump’s long history of racism, from the 1970s to 2020
An Oral History of Trump’s Bigotry
Trump escalates racist rhetoric and plays on white grievance at recent rallies
Oh yeah, right Mr. Saunders! Seems like we’ve heard this before. So, as Finance Minister you’re committing that PACT Government will forfeit the coveted Work Permit revenues to ensure SUITABLE Caymanians will get a fair chance at employment? That’s good but there’s the rub! Let’s see how far your stated intentions go and how well they age! I recall similar intentions by other Governments in the past, with generally little positive results, only amounting to lip service and abandoned in short order because employers simply could not find enough suitable Caymanians.
Meanwhile, your colleague Minister of Education should, by now, be eagerly committing to making more school-age Caymanians SUITABLE for ALL jobs here! “Committing” as in “intending”, not “committed” as in “done”, as should be the case.
She’s had 3 terms in that post now and the meter hasn’t moved an inch…the majority of “graduates” from the public schools system are barely literate and unprepared for the majority of jobs here, white and blue collar! Over the past 40+ years our public education system has been eroded.
So, what’s up Hon. Education Minister? Our descendants future is WAITING!! Start now and we should be fairly “self-sufficient” in the labour market in 40 years!
She is another waste of time. For the past eight years the talk on the town was that “she wasn’t running again” .???
Amen. The powers that be fail on education 150%
Let’s just throw more money to our bureaucracy so that we can increase government jobs to 25% or 30% of all jobs in Cayman.
Want Caymanians to get the $$$ jobs? Educate, inculcate ethics, teach/model a commensurate work ethic. Yea, that won’t happen, just look at who you elect to run the country.
Set up a major trade / technical school now and Caymanians will find jobs.
What a pompous ass.
Time to pack up folks, don’t wait until Biden’s global tax rate kicks in.
There’s plenty of open, democratic and fair places in the world which will welcome your money, whilst paying a low amount of corp tax.
Cayman is dying. RIP
Encourage some to go where they think the grass is greener
21 @ 4:56 – Re 3:09 pm, Encourage many!!
Well, several American airlines are back..start packing..Let me know which country is booming and will let you in and let you and is booming..I hear Ukraine is nice this time of year..
Ungrateful wretch!
total cig overkill….if there is any discrimination against a caymanian in the workforce there is a myriad of legal and statutory remedies to the issue.
name one case of an employer who was found guilty of discriminatiing against caymanians?
will wait for answer.
Some of the major law firms, for example…
any names?
Yes.
And if regulators did their jobs the details would be well known. But they don’t.
They have to be prosecuted to be found guilty. We don’t enforce laws around here (until now).
maybe saunders should go to the top local employers and ask them for an honest assement of their experience of hiring locals.
you afraid the truth will hurt?
I can assure you he hasn’t asked.
yawn…i have been listening to this broken record for 20 years.
everyone in cayman who wants to to work has a job…
why would an employer want to got to the trouble/hassles/expense of hiring an expat if there was a suitably qualified local available?
there is no conspiracy.
I have heard your bs for the last 25 years…..expats have always preferred their countrymen, friends, and even the indentured nature of permits.
Spot on. I am Caymanian and have heard employers tell me that they hire people from home, because they prefer to work with them.
“Why would an employer…” Because they need staff and the Cayman population will not supply it! Caymanians will not take these jobs! Pure, plain and simple. CI, get over it!
Yet Quailified Caymanians apply for jobs to be turned down and these jobs given to retirement age expats/paper Caymanians!
Its such bull s..t. Ritz Carlton hires Filipinos as housekeeping dishwashers etc. our prime minister went as far as posing with them…so Chris don’t preach this to us
And so would I hire Filipinos. Hardest working people I’ve ever met bar none.
Because y’all want jobs where you can play on your phone all day and get paid.
They want CIG jobs. High pay. Can’t get fired. Easy work. Lots and lots of time off.
When did we get a Prime Minister? Clearly when you say “our prime minister’ it means that you are not from here otherwise you would know that we do not have a Prime Minister..
That’s correct. Cayman has a Premier, not a Prime Minister (as, for example, England).
I think it’s a good song that has “LOST IT’S LYRICS AND TUNE””A LONG TIME AGO.””ARE WE STILL IN ‘GRAND CAYMAN INTERNATIONAL???!!!’
Very true. I admit that there are too many Unqualified Caymanians but there are also too many non Caymanians who are passed retirement age and still being hired for jobs that qualified Caymanians can fill. I am not naive to think that we do not need expats , we do and will for the foreseeable future but it shouldn’t be so hard for a qualified And willing Caymanians to get get a decent job in their field. Past governments are all guilty of not doing enough as well as some Caymanians who made it to the top of the mountain but did nothing to asssit and inspire their fellow Caymanian. There is more than enough blame to go around. Waiting with bated breath to see what the PACK will deliver?????
However I do believe if an expat has been given Cayman Status, they are Caymanian and should act like they are. If you cannot be Caymanian then please do not apply for Status. Do your seven years and move on. This practice of going home for one year and coming back to the same company to the same position or promotion for another seven should be abolished. If this PACK government has the welfare of Caymanians at the forefront then they should discontinue this farce.
Well said.
You do the process a disservice when you use terms like “paper Caymanians”. Yes, there were great giveaways years ago, but most Status Holders worked hard and invested in the Cayman Islands and joined communities and earned the privilege of being Caymanian. They are, in the eyes of the law, Caymanian.
Every country in the world, with very few exceptions, has a process by which immigrating people can become citizens. This is the only one I am aware of which has a perception of degrees of citizenship.
We shouldn’t be afraid of people who gain Caymanian citizenship. Most of them become part of us, and should not be blamed for not having the grace to have been born here.
5.50pm Your comment about Status holders integrating was true 25 to 35 years ago. If you went out socially on a regular basis you would be shocked at the riff-raff we have allowed to stay too long and given rights to. They are the reason we elect the types we now do as they now have the power of the vote but no education and morals.
Riff-raff……? You win for the most xenophobic and racist comment ever. 🤡
First Nation in Canada?
Native Americans in the USA?
Englishmen in the UK?
Jews (or Palestinians) in Israel?
Inca in Peru?
Multi-generational Caymanians, especially over 100-200 years of ancestry, whose forefathers were nation builders, have a good claim to some form of protection (analogously like the Native Americans in America and First Nations in Canada).
Multi-generational Caymanians are becoming a rare and endangered species, particularly as the population grows.
The Blue Iguana and rare flora, amongst other things, are protected. However, aren’t multi-generational Caymanians becoming a rare and endangered species in need of protection? Obviously, we are.
Well said.
Some of the status giveaways appear to have been literally criminal. That taints a large number. It is unfortunate, but it is fact.
Maybe because those workers actually show up for work, are polite, and appreciate the employment? ‘Qualified’ does not mean they are the BEST candidates.
Newsflash- paper Caymanians are Caymanians. That’s what the law says. And if you expect government to discriminate against them in favour of ‘real’ Caymanians you are asking the government to act illegally.
Other than the running for office bit
@2:44 I resent your remark in regards to a “paper caymanian. My passport says Caymanian and I am. Regardless of how that happened. You’re a racist and a bigot. Most developing countries in the world embrace multi culturism. Just a reminder there are NO indigenous people in the Cayman Islands. NONE. It’s the “paper Caymanians” who clean up your garbage, run local fund raisers and adopt your neglected cats and dogs. Perhaps you should just post your comments with Sandy.
I’m not racist or a bigot, but believe you to be from your comments. You are most likely one of these well-off residents, probably living the life on the beach, in your own little social bubbles, and got all the time in the world to care for your “rescued” pets. You seem to believe your type are the salvation for us uncivilized, lazy locals. News flash! There are lots of educated, hardworking Caymanians with excellent work ethics that deserve the Cayman Dream, but are continually denied that break.
You also have intercepted multi-generational Caymanians jobs and business opportunities.
Much of the time hire persons from back home (not Cayman, but rather where you’re originally from).
I accept all Caymanians, whether Caymanian “as of right” or through status grant (or adoption), as “Caymanians”.
However, there is a big difference when you can have the option of returning from where you originally came from.
Multi-generational Caymanians usually don’t have that type of option.
Lastly, there are many persons (now some are Caymanians), who were failures in the original homeland and came to the Cayman Islands and found success for the first time in their lives.
Don’t think that so many are flocking to the Cayman Islands just for so.
Well said.
Total BS. WORC nor CIG know anything about what the private sector goes through trying to find Caymanians that work. They believe that private companies want to discriminate instead of saving thousands of dollars per year in work permit fees, long haul holiday absents…etc. Its more expensive for companies to hire work permit holders and it eats up profits. Why in the hell would they think its discrimination? It makes no sense. Lets see how Kenneth’s Caymanian experience tourist spot fairs. I guarantee there will be a Canadian hired within 6 months and for necessity not discrimination.
If employers would rather pay thousands of dollar in fees for hiring someone else instead of hiring you, the problem isn’t the employer..
I beg to differ with the comments of anonymous at 2:36 in some instances. I worked in the private sector for about forty five years. While I had no problems getting good jobs in the sector especially my last job which I retired from seven years ago after thirty three years. However I know that sometimes dishonest practices were done. For example the Caymanian interviewee was being offered less salary than the overseas interviewee. I saw a difference in the pay scale offered than what was on the work permit form. When some employers wanted a particular expat they would lie and had no problems paying the work permit fees. Please do not quote that as a reason why an employer would not do that. Some would offer higher salary as well as pay work permit fees as well as allowance for their children’s school fees and rent. It might not have happened in your company but it was happening in many companies and probably still is. Also please do not think that all expat gave a full day’s work for a full day’s pay. Some Caymanians as well as expats were guilty of that all the time.
Trump was the greatest of presidents and will be again
Why is Trump even relevant here on this subject or this island.?
I didn’t post this for likes, like it or not it is the truth.
Finally. Some good news for a change.
About damn time!
And who will be making sure that persons who are on work permits for other types of jobs than when they are working on construction sites? This is a huge problem now but there seems to be no one checking. Also why is it that some only get the health insurance when it is time for the work permit application, then once granted they do not keep up the monthly payments? Why are their so many “independent contract laborers” who have work permits but no job? They are just going all over taking jobs from legitimate licensed businesses? Boils down to enforcement but will the politicians and WORC be checking on that?
Same guy that isn’t going to pursue people taking the stipend even though they were in prison or fully employed because it’s not an efficient use of their limited resources. Whereas holding up permit issue even where there is no evidence of any Caymanians applying or objecting is? Because it’s all about the votes, not the effectiveness of the system.
Incidentally, Saunders position on the wrongfully paid stipends raises some interesting questions. Like did the applicants actually commit an offence anyway, given there was no obligation on them to demonstrate current employment status? But if he is right and it is an offence, what on earth does he have to say about whether or not it should be prosecuted – it would be a criminal matter. What next – RCIPS is not going to investigate burglary because it’s unlikely to recover funds?
What he meant to say but didn’t have the testicular fortitude to was that they have no mechanism to prosecute them, give the ineptitude of the Civil Service and successive governments.
note what he did not say. How many people were involved? How were they on the list after the survey last July and August by Kenneth? Is there any truth that the folks who did not qualify were Kenneth’s people from GTC? I find Chris’ regular statements that come with no details or specifics rather annoying. He is paid very well and if making accusations he should give specifics.
With alll due respect Mr. Minister the Friday Compass and Times had centre page ads from WORC showing over 850 jobs of all types, skills and education levels from over 170 companies. Enough of the tired “there are no jobs for Caymanians”. Just have to apply, show up and work and the jobs are plentiful.
Pandering politicians aren’t solving the problem. You are only making it worse. And killing small business along the way. As Finance Minister you of all people should understand this and what the potential negative consequences to the country are if companies start offshoring jobs due to work permit politics.
This is what we’ve been asking for! But like everything else about this government, I’ll believe it when I see it. And as for us Caymanians, we need to prove that we are capable of having these jobs! No more taking a job then leaving it a week after because of a minor inconvenience; let’s all do our part!
Once bitten, twice shy.
Why take the risk with an uneducated, lazy local when you can hire an experienced worker committed to your business having moved half way across the world?
Yes, Yes, Yes! I’m done hiring lazy locals. Been burnt too many times and working through the hassles of proving that they were incompetent is another needless expense.
But we have a new way to bypass this now. Send the expat home and pay his salary into a Cayman bank and call him or her a remote worker. Companies should be required to report this also, especially when there are Caymanians here that can do the job.
Why? The solution is to evolve not try and prevent efficiencies and innovation.
You need to learn to read. The comment is not against remote working, far from it. The point is that there is a way to bypass hiring a locally qualified Caymanians and all that pesky work permit business by sending your expat worker home and making them a ‘remote’ worker which potentially takes a job away from a qualified Caymanian. This should be scrutinised too, because it is real and happening.
Welcome to the global economy. Government should embrace a vibrant local economy hiring the brightest talent money can buy. Then say thank you, as some of those smarts may just wash off on the under-educated flow of “talent” that is coming through the Cayman system. People need to remember, this is a village, villages don’t produce fleets of brain surgeons and corporate lawyer – especially when you have JoCC at the helm of the education system.
We can participate in the global economy and prioritze employment for our citizens at the same time….it was done for years and capable employers complied while leading successful businesses. It is the short sighted and weak governments of the past decade that enabled incompetent managers such as yourself to ignore instead of comply with the regulation. Thanks Aldart
It’s a global economy now, wake up and get with it or die.
Another entitled guest who thinks caymanians need to be best in the world to get a job in their own country. Thanks PPM
This does create tax issues for a local company and have employees working remotely (e.g. in the US).
It makes a local company subject to tax liability and potential AML breaches (if mishandled).
The idea seems simple, but the legal implications, if caught in breach, are not worth the time, effort and finances.
It ends up being more expensive: more of a burden than a blessing.
This sounds like a broken record. Train locals and they will take locals.
Depends on what you are training them for, like lowering their expectations of a decent wage.
The problem is that Cayman has learned to live, and thrive, off cheap labour.
First it started when jobs were plentiful for high school graduates with little or no qualifications that would enable them to go on to higher education. However, it was sufficient to earn a decent starting salary at the many legal and accounting firms. They also rose up the ladder with good work and study which brought higher salaries. When children came along it was easier to hire a Jamaican or Honduran nannie to look after the children instead of one of the parents having to do it.
During this same time period there was a construction boom and we brought in labourers from the same two locations because they were also willing to work for less money.
Then the tourism took off and we need waitresses, bartenders, divemasters, and boat hands. We brought them from USA, Canada, and Europe because they were willing to work for tips.
I made more money in construction during my summer holidays in high school 40 years ago that what the average construction labourer makes today.
The biggest demand for labour falls into two main brackets in Cayman.
1. High-end, high-pay, highly-educated, highly-experienced, and
2. Low-end, low-pay, no experience required.
All of the hotels will say they want Caymanians, but the majority of businesses are looking for permits for people willing to work for very low pay. The businesses hiring the high-end employees don’t have a problem getting work permits.
Many Caymanians, and you can include all politicians in this category, have small businesses that depend on low-pay employees so they will ensure that well will never run dry.
Wow! Truth. Is anyone listening though???
As they say talk is cheap ! He always had so much to say now I hope he puts his money where his mouth is instead of putting his foot in his mouth.
Very true. Chris did promise a lot pre-election.
If Chris holds good on the commitment to provide protective advantages to Caymanians, that will be a great thing.
Time will tell what materializes.