FURLOUGH PERIOD ENDING SOON: Some employers re-engaging workers ahead of time, says labor director

Farquharson: Employers will have a decision to make come 30 days after end of emergency orders

NASSAU, BAHAMAS — Labour Director Robert Farquharson said yesterday that a noticeable number of employers have begun to re-engage furloughed employees, with the furlough period set to end 30 days after the termination of the COVID-19 emergency orders on November 12 .

Farquharson told Eyewitness News yesterday: “The former prime minister, in his capacity as the competent authority, had issued an order suspending Section 28(c) of the Employment Act.

“There is a clause in there which states that employers are allowed to lay off their employees for up to 90 days, but after that they have to bring them back to normal duty or pay them their redundancy pay.”

Farquharson noted that the Davis administration has indicated that the COVID-19 emergency orders will end on November 12 and not be renewed. The Employment Act provision, requiring employers to either re-engage or pay redundancy packages to workers 13 weeks after they were furloughed, will ultimately take effect on December 13.

Farquharson said the Labour Department has not fielded any employer concerns regarding this eventuality as yet. 

“Once the prime minister makes the final determination, they know 30 days after the emergency orders come to an end they will have a decision to make,” said Farquharson.

 He added: “I can tell you that some employers are now beginning to bring employees back to work in a number of small to medium-sized enterprises.”

Farquharson said the Labour Department, in conjunction with the Department of Statistics, will soon commission a labor force survey to ascertain the country’s unemployment rate.