OFWO President urges employers to stop victimising expat employees

Joanna Gaskin, President of the Overseas Filipino Workers Organization (OFWO), is calling on employers in the Virgin Islands to stop pocketing statutory contributions deducted from their expat employees’ salary and to ensure that contributions are paid directly to the Social Security Board (SSB) and National Health Insurance (NHI) where they rightfully belong.

But Gaskin, who is now a BVI citizen, has highlighted that this practice has been ongoing since 2002, when she first arrived in the Territory as an overseas worker. Speaking recently on 284 Media, she explained that members of the OFWO continue to face this issue, leaving them vulnerable to high medical bills if they fall ill or suffer injuries.

“When they get sick, who are they going to depend on? The little contribution that we can give from the organization is not going to be enough,” Gaskin said.

She explained that employers are deducting the required contributions from employees’ wages but failing to pay them into the relevant agencies, leading to a lack of coverage for workers when they need it most.

“We’re having this issue where the employers are deducting the dues or the contributions, but yet it wasn’t paid,” Gaskin continued. “I am really pleading, I’m calling out to all the employers because at the end of the day, you never know what will happen.”

Gaskin described the practice as a form of victimization, believing that some employers take advantage of the expat community’s fear of losing employment and being set back home, knowing that many workers may hesitate to speak out.

“My heart aches when I see some of these people could get a broken leg and they can’t go to the clinic because their NHI is not active,” she added.

She believes that now is the time to make a positive change, urging employers to consider their workers’ well-being. “I believe this is the opportunity to make a difference in their lives because you want your company to grow, so you have to take care of your employees,” Gaskin commented.

While Gaskin expressed her confidence in the law, she emphasized that the issues must be voiced in order for meaningful change to occur. She also appealed to employers to show more compassion towards their employees, acknowledging that many workers have families to support.

The SSB mandates that employers deduct and pay contributions on your behalf. Persons privately employed are required by law to 8.5 percent of insurable earnings, with employees contributing four percent and employers contributing the remaining 4.5 percent.

The OFWO, founded by Gaskin in 2003, is a community of approximately 4,000 people in the BVI.

What happens if employers don’t submit SSB contributions?