BVI News

Nearly half of local businesses back employee vaccination requirement

Nearly 50 percent of local businesses that participated in a recent survey from the BVI Chamber of Commerce and Hotel Association (BVICCHA) have said they support requiring employee vaccination.

Almost 20 percent of these businesses also indicated that vaccines should be required for hospitality/tourism and essential services employees.

The BVICCHA said the survey was done to assess its members’ perspectives on vaccination and to garner business stakeholders’ thoughts on COVID testing. 

The Chamber, which has more than 60 members, said more than half of those members participated in the survey conducted last month. 

Other findings

Other findings reported are that 63 percent of respondents support vaccination, and more than 90 percent favour the use of rapid testing.

“The BVICCHA endorses the results of the survey from membership. The Chamber will do its part to educate businesses on the benefits of vaccination and encourages the private sector to use its collective voice to do the same. The Chamber all encourages all employees to get vaccinated if they can,” the Chamber said while sharing the findings.

It further said the BVICCHA has received many questions and concerns from local businesses as it relates to what they can lawfully do to address health and safety concerns. 

Meeting with Deputy Labour Commissioner

To properly advise businesses on this matter, the Chamber said it wrote to the Labour Ministry for clarity. 

“The Deputy Commissioner of Labour and I have arranged to have a discussion on suggestions for a possible way forward. I look forward to seeing positive outputs out of the Department of Labour and an update on the amendments that are to be made to the legislation,” Executive Director of the BVICCHA, Keiyia Jackson-George reported.

The BVICCHA also appealed to the relevant government agencies to clarify any labour-related policies that may support clarity regarding employer and employee rights. 

International guidelines

In the meantime, the Chamber reminded local businesses to engage and educate their employees on any changes to their employment terms and conditions to maintain harmonious working relationships.

And while the BVICCHA awaits an official correspondence from the government, it has shared the International Labour Organization’s guidance on the subject matters.

These guidelines explain key provisions of international labour standards relevant to the COVID-19 pandemic and recovery and can be found on the BVICCHA’s official website.

Increased reports of businesses threatening unvaccinated workers

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16 Comments

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  1. Yup says:

    Tourist bookings are being canceled and yet the do nothing Foy clan only resolution is a curfew. People are not coming once again as restaurants are closed and people cannot be out at night. All because the local uneducated morons refuse to vaccinate. The BVI is a third world shithole and the people are proving it so.

    Like 31
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  2. Hotelier says:

    This group represents no one. 60 businesses in the whole of the BVI. ? And 30 responded. A joke.

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  3. MK says:

    @Yup, If you are living in the BVI and you think that we are a third world s**thole why you dont get the h**l out of this s**thole. And if you are not living in the BVI and you are not from the BVI, you must have come from a third world s**thole thats why you came hear to better yourself.

    Like 10
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    • Anonymous says:

      Lol BVInews allow S hole in the very first comment and blocking the rest.

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    • 1EYE says:

      Don’t be insulted by the truth. Feel a sense of pride that as 3rd world we’ve done so well for so long. B/c we are a ‘3rd world’/Developing territory. It’s a fact not a derogatory statement let’s not argue facts for feelings sake, that’s how we ended up here. There are places worse off than we are, but we are what we are. Vaccinations only make sense for us as a Tourist economy. We depend on people coming, when they come the covid will come also, so we have to be shielded for it to work. Or it’s not the government’s or anybody else fault. Remember our parents and grandparents already went thru this and survived when there was no internet, so we can do it too.

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    • Hm says:

      Keep this in mind; Everyone doesn’t come to better themselves… There are people here who just living life and are already wealthy… So stop the assumptions… You will find lousy commenters who are doing better than a lot of us.. If Vaccination is the new basis for calling some place third world then we will just take it until we are all vaccinated then what they gone say?… lol It be so stupid to hear the coming here to better yourself thing.. like people don’t up and move places all the time… Yes some so but dont make it general… You will be surprised at the life some expats live.

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  4. rastarite says:

    People have the choice when it comes to vaccines. Employers have the choice whether or not to employ them…

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  5. There is NO choice says:

    It matters nothing what you want.

    You are going to get COVID, every single one of you. Does the concept of an aerosol transmission of a worldwide pandemic not clue you in to the fact that every single human on earth is going to get it today or next year.
    You WILL get vaccinated, either be a simple jab, or by having a bout of COVID.
    Your choice is only one thing, will I do it the easy or hard way?

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  6. Business owner says:

    That is bulls**t! I am a business owner and would never tell my employees they must be vaccinated. If you do that where does it stop? Tell people to take your vitamins, 10am prayers, drive the speed limit or be fired, take birth control, or must do this, or that! You can educate, encourage, and do what is best for the operations of your business, but as much as I believe in people being vaccinated and needing to be vaccinated I am not prepared to mandate they do so against their will. The risks are there, and they should know them. Those of us that are vaccinated know we are a little safer – those that are unvaccinated that choose to mingle with other unvaccinated, or go out, that is their own risk. The world cannot stop and wait on everyone to be vaccinated and most certainly should not make it mandatory! Nor should those of us that are vaccinated be held back by those that choose not to vaccinate. We have to move on!

    As for the BVICCHA, I am a multiple company member and was never asked any questions on this subject. Board mostly has Government contracts anyway!

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  7. The Nation speaks... says:

    That headline is questionable…which businesses and how many did you survey? BRING YOUR STATS! Just pushing a blind vaccine agenda.

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  8. The Nation speaks again... says:

    So 50% of business surveyed…but that is NOT in your headline…you making in seem that 50% of all BVI businesses back employee vaccination…yall trying to make us France now.

    Like 7
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  9. hmm says:

    This small group that even took the survey cant represent the entire business community. Do a real survey if you want real stats. Regardless of how you personally feel about the vaccine it is wrong to force anyone to take it or tell a healthy person they cant earn a living no more because they choose not to take a vaccine when it wasn’t a requirement when they got hired…I don’t care what field they in or how much people die it is wrong! The most you can do is present information so they make up their own mind but forcing or coming up with clever ways to oppress people who don’t want to take it is not right!

    Like 7
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  10. @ Yup says:

    Haul your a**. Who call you.

  11. Wow-Welcome to the BVI says:

    You all ate fighting about vaccinated and un activated…This is so sad. Trying to take people rights away. Stop it and Go pray.

  12. Free Thinkers says:

    All this talk about vaccination being the savoir. I thought Jesus was the savior. Where’s all the christian of this so called Christian community? Doesn’t your God and Jesus matters anymore? Christians are all a bunch of hypocrits. Let Love Guide You Not Fear. Dear is False Evidence Appearing Real.

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