CIG still working on automation of work permits
(CNS): The Cayman Islands Government is still working on developing a secure online automated system that will speed up the process of work permit applications, through WORC, and allow officials to focus on fraudulent or unnecessary applications, as well as cutting mistakes and bias in the decision-making process. Over the last twelve months, despite delays in the system because of increased scrutiny of applications, the number of work permits reached record-breaking levels. But Labour Minister Chris Saunders has said the system is plagued by incomplete applications that fuel delays.
Employers continue to complain about delays in the system and accuse the government of stalling applications. But according to the latest figures from the Economics and Statistics Office, by the end of the first quarter of this year the non-Caymanian population increased by more than 25% since the census count less than six months before that.
More than 30,000 jobs are now held by expatriate workers, over 27,000 of whom are on work permits. With overseas workers now outstripping Caymanians and fueling the rapidly increasing population, there are major concerns about Cayman’s future.
Speaking at a recent Chamber of Commerce luncheon event, Saunders warned that cutting the headcount meant cutting jobs if Caymanians can’t be found and damaging the economy. He said the system has to be improved and automation would improve the quality of applications, because employers would not be able to file incomplete applications, and would speed up the process and reduce the problem of human error and bias.
Saunders noted that genuine mistakes can be made when the workload is as heavy as it is now for WORC staff. Nevertheless, Saunders admitted that, despite efforts over the years to make the system fair, decisions can still be made by people based on who they like or dislike. “As long as we have human beings making decisions, there will be mistakes,” he said.
Saunders outlined the goal of a system where accredited employers with a clean bill of health would be assisted by an automated system that would be much faster. However, applications filed that are not complete or where employers have not proven that they are following the rules would not be approved.
As Cayman’s economy continues to grow, fuelled in part by the reopening of the borders and the continued success of the financial services sector, the catalogue of problems surrounding the labour force also grows, from bosses who are unwilling to train young Caymanians to the exploitation of low-paid overseas workers.
When he became premier, Wayne Panton said that PACT wanted to address the question, asked by many Caymanians, about who we are developing this growing economy for. Over the last 18 months, the PACT Government has been examining the immigration system and ways to improve it, even as the population has soared and is now approaching almost 80,000. But so far, no definitive policy has been established setting out a target population and how that can be balanced.
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Category: Business
Why aren’t the mandatory vaccine policy dropped in cayman.. because I’ve love to make a visit some day
It has been dropped. You can absolutely visit. We look forward to seeing you.
Brilliant idea. If they want to impose a moratorium on permits they can blame it on a software problem which can take a year to fix because of “supply-chain issues”. Minister Saunders is clearly smarter than I thought.
Just like every-single-thing in Cayman that Govt is in charge of: a complete and utter shi*t-show.
Its almost as if they are deliberately dragging their feet on absolutely everything that requires development, policy, implementation; the list is endless.
How do they all look themselves in the mirror everyday and think they are performing?
Effing disgraceful across the board.
I’d love to know the number of jobs that are being outsourced for Cayman companies overseas as businesses are fed up of having to put up with this b/s
This was all supposed to be a part of the e-government move YEARS ago and the Deputy Premier wasnt even thought of then. This has been in the pipeline for roll out for years, they just sit on things so they can take credit for them later on by pretending its something new they are introducing or finishing when all that is happening is finally pushing “GO”
There aren’t any consequences for Caymanian-owned firms submitting fraudulent or seeking unnecessary permits. Without disincentive, they will carry on, wasting everyone’s time, and worse: fueling a population of non-working idle hands who still have to make ends meet. What are you going to do about this Saunders? Automate?!?
they complain employers make mistakes on their applications, but they ask so many unnecessary, ridiculous tasks of you. one time I had a permit deferred because one box wasn’t checked even though I typed N/A in the space. it’s obviously a no because if I checked yes, I would have had to explain it obviously.
Another I had deferred because the job ad I placed had the wrong wage so I had to put a new ad in and wait 2 weeks. another permit which had no problem or deferral took 8 months to approve. it’s a clown and pony show over there…
WOW…it has never been easier to abuse the syst and evade the regulations and you still complain…..look what you have created Aldart & Squanders?
Thing is, I don’t. I do hire Caymanians but I have a lot on permits too. I operate legally and don’t abuse the system. But the system is not good and needs improvement. You put in 10 permits a year by yourself and see if you never make a minor mistake. It’s frustrating to me anyways that they defer a permit over such minor things in their convoluted application system.
I had the same problem of putting n/a instead of a tick. This was before WORC was invented.Instead of calling me up ( they had my personal and office contacts but instead they deferred the permit and returned the forms which I received 3 weeks after. So many places including the banks have these check lists and if each and every item is not ticked even though the question is repetitive and was already responded to in a previous question they get into a hissy fit. Sometimes they just need to use some common sense but I guess as the saying goes “common sense is not so common” So frustrating! The British passport office is just as horrible.
been here 20 myears and it like groundhog day every dar regarding work permit issues.
cig and civil service incompetence at its finest
same here.
It’s an absolute disgrace. 6 months I’ve been waiting for literally a rubber stamp. That’s 6 months of no income.
I think you’re doing it wrong if you have no income because you need a stamp
why don’t you try to get a permit changed. no local can do a job but they only hurt the majority caymanian owners by delays.
Caymanian owners? You jest!
Not if you are PR waiting to switch for Status by marriage.
Implement Via incentive for young Caymanians to work 2 years off island in the UK, Europe, Australia, Canada or USA and they’ll come back to Cayman with an awakened appreciation and how much easier life is in Cayman and have a far more expat mindset work ethic than “not today bobo” call in sick throughout the year.
They wouldn’t last 2 weeks
I totally disagree with your comment.
FYI expats only come here for the good life and to work for money to send back home to their families. There are few persons who come here and integrate with our society and love Cayman and make here their home. There are very many who chose to come here for the experience and the funds. I bet you if Cayman was taxing like the rest of the countries in the world we would see how many of you would remain in Cayman.
everyone gets taxed then. also, duty is tax so your point is moot.
Ask the several thousand status applicants who have been here working for more than 15 years and are clearly invested in the island if they are “just here to send money home to their families”. Yet how many of those status applications have been processed in the last year? Zero.
Why are some businesses seemingly being allowed to recruit exclusively one foreign nationality, while not providing any training or opportunity for Caymanians? Is that what automation looks like?
Good question
Plenty of low paid positions are undesired by Caymanians (laws incl. min. wage made by government) but in order to get businesses going those positions have to be filled. All fast food joints, petrol stations, security firms and cleaning companies would have to close, no matter how many trainings you offer to Caymanians
Untrue. They are economically forced to sit them out. Workers in those roles have to live in unlawful conditions just to make ends meet. No chance of maternity leave. No prospect of meaningful promotion. Just more importation of poverty.
then vote for a change. oh wait, you’d rather blame expats for your lack of getting a job.
And they would then have to close down in a lot of cases. I think you missed the poster’s point.
And that would be bad for Cayman how? Less impoverished persons unable to support themselves?
Examples?
Because they would like to stay in business?
Its about time. The WORC “systems” are terrible and dealing with the people there is worse. Lets get that system in place as soon as possible. Im tired of inefficient people , no one answering the phone and silly deferrals. We are here to run a business, not a circus. People don’t like having thier lives played with. I understand its to keep the rift raft out. But the people hiring these idiots need to be responsible for them. Fines given our for abuse of the system and giving permits for no job. Which i have seen several times.
Always good ideas, no follow thru.
Just my opinion, the majority of low-level permits are held by individuals that are brought onto the Island to do one job, knowing that it isn’t a full-time job. They are then given a free pass to go and earn the bulk of their poverty wages elsewhere, outside the permit. But more importantly, outside the protections (LMAO) of the law.
Just like their terrible online car licensing? Will take them a decade
Renewal of Driving Licence was excellent, credit where credit is due.
online renewal was easy and I was in and out in under 5 minutes to go pick it up. also I still have the same photo from 14 years ago
stop granting new T&B’s. every day there is a new company poping up, they apply for permits which they get, they dont have full time work and the workers are on the road husling.
i try to hire caymanians as much as possiable but they dont want to work more than 3 days a week.
the economy is slowing
Not possible to automate without drastically changing the law. The law requires discretion and the protection of Caymanians – neither of which is possible with automation.
Caymanian protection, which should exist, is not what happens in reality. Saunders talk of a Cayman First policy is just hot air.
No testicular fortitude.
Not the intention since Sir SelloutAlot figured not screening applications for abuses resulted in more permit fees for MP raises. Now Col. Squanders wants employers to have security of tenure after first permit but hopes they will give Caymanians equal opportunities. The Greedy gives way to the Weak.
You could at least get a rough filter employed to deal with the Caymanian protection point. If the job was listed on WORC, and no Caymanian notified WORC – both of which are simple data fields, then it gets dealt with automatically. Would probably take a significant percentage of permits out of the discretionary process which WRC seems to struggle with. Y
Your proposal is nowhere near enough.
Is the business fronting?
Does it abuse its staff?
Does it operate within its licensing?
Does it pay pensions?
Does in pay health insurance?
Where do the staff live?
What training is available for Caymanians?
Is the remuneration sufficient?
Is the remuneration fairly disclosed and distributed?
What are the promotion prospects for Caymanians?
Is vacation paid?
What is the attitude to maternity leave?
Are too many of the workers of a particular foreign nationality?
Is the permit actually needed?
Is overtime paid?
Automate that (all required by law and for very good reason) and I will be impressed.
You can always get a low-life slime-ball recruiter to chum the waters so actual employers can structure position requirements around available Caymanian candidates. Or actually include criteria that only fits your chosen expatriate…”must have knowledge of proprietary software and bad teeth”.
“…allow officials to focus on fraudulent or unnecessary applications”. How about pulling the T&BL from those actors submitting these? Problem solved.
Yeah right. Quite the opposite in fact, CIG hires companies to do projects who are not currently registered. Hint: Look in to the Cardinall Avenue fiasco.
Exactly. Did I read correctly that the courts of the Cayman Islands have engaged a Dubai company to do planning and development work in Cayman?
Does that company have a Trade and Business License and an LCCL?
Does it have Caymanian participation?
Does it mentor and train Caymanians?
Will its representatives be arrested when they come here?
What court will hear any question over whether they are engaging in gainful occupation, or carrying on a trade or business without a license?