No more delays! Employers instructed to pay severance
Labour Minister Vincent Wheatley has announced the official end of the extension for the ‘lay-off period’ and is instructing employers to begin paying severance to their staff immediately.
Wheatley made this declaration in the House of Assembly Wednesday afternoon, March 10 — roughly one year after the extension took effect.
“Employees are the most important asset of a business and compensation should be delayed no further,” the minister stated.
“I ask here today that employers make the necessary arrangements with employees to bring outstanding payments current,” he added.
For those who are unable to honour their full obligations to employees, Wheatley said they are required to visit the Department of Labour & Workforce Development to get assistance in developing plans to make outstanding payments.
He said these payment plans must be “mutually agreed” between employers and employees.
Persons can get assistance regarding severance payments by visiting the Labour Department in person or by contacting a Labour Relations Officer at 284-468-4739 OR 284-468-4713.
Persons can also reach out to the department via email at [email protected].
Series of extensions
Back in June 2020, government extended the territory’s maximum layoff period from the usual three months to seven months, due to the COVID-19 pandemic which continues to significantly impact most businesses in the BVI.
According to law, this allows employers to lay off their staff for a time beyond the previously-allotted three months before they are allowed to disburse severance pay.
The first extension was due to expire on October 31, 2020, but following widespread pleas from business owners across the territory, the government added another three months to the lay-off period, which pushed the expiration period to January 31, 2021.
The date was then pushed to February 28, 2021.
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About time!
So Government killed businesses and now they are burying them? Absolutely awesome, wow!
No, they are seeking justice for employees which has been looking in coming you ingrate!
You just recently learnt a new word and keep using it anywhere and everywhere you can lolol
If a company has no funds , then what.
If a company remains in business, there must be some funds. One cannot expect to work people and not give them their dues. That is also not fair.
Many businesses are on life support , have no workers, and have no funds to do anything.
If u don’t have money to run ur business. Why you have the business open?
Sell their assets.
Start liquidating assets
They don’t care about business.
Everything they do tries to drive it into the ground
Luckily this bunch of clowns will soon be gone.
You European t**t! All y’all know about is free labour but slavery done long time!
In any civilized country the government supports workers when it’s policies drive companies out of business.
This gang bankrupts businesses then demands they pay the laid off workers. How are they supposed to do that? It’s the workers who suffer.
Gedditt?
Totally agree with Brittany!!!
And who will force a bolonger to pay an “island worker “ if they don’t want to ?
And who will force a bolonger to pay an “island worker “ if they don’t want to ?
It’s me again > blame it on the uk AGAIN jasper
What’s about the employers thats not paying the social NHI and inland revenue for their employees .
We need answers what is it that government doing with the employers that’s deducting the social NHI and inland revenue and they not paying it
Businesses were given an extra nine months, which is generous. It’s not fair to make the employees bear the entire burden of the pandemic. Now, has the government created a pro-business climate? Not really. There is a lot they could and should have done. The extent of the problems will become clearer. At some point, even government workers will feel the pain.
S- I- one them that dont pay them staff! They want you leave on your own before u get anything from them… setta wicked ppl!
Will m**** being paying us ours it’s been a whole year and nothing have been done . We need our money. Speaking on behalf of all M** workers who didnt received a penny from him .
. Mr Wheatley