If there was one statement emerging from our collective experience of the past two-plus years was the refrain: “COVID-19 has taught us many lessons.”When people say this, they are often referencing the modifications we made to the conduct of business, the delivery of educational services among others. They also cite how we can easily embrace the benefits of technology, even if we stubbornly rejected them in the past.One of the most significant transitions emerging from the pandemic was the advent of remote work. Many knowledge workers who can essentially undertake most of their work requirements from a laptop, have indeed practised remote work for many years.It was not a problem for employers for a knowledge worker such as someone working in administration, media, legal services, or insurance to complete various tasks at home after hours rather than staying in the office late into the night.
The decision to return to the office after two years of remote work has eroded the trust employees had developed in employers. And calling for a change in management style, former president of the Human Resource Management Association of Barbados, Shane Howell, said abandoning flexible hours was a mistake. Howell, who was addressing a Barbados Employers’ Confederation (BEC) symposium on Wednesday at Sandals Royal, in Maxwell, Christ Church, indicated a …
Minister of Labour, Social Partnership Relations and the Third Sector Colin Jordan is giving employers the assurance that work is continuing on amending labour laws but made it clear it will be done in a way that protects the most vulnerable.This indication came on Wednesday as president of the Barbados Employers’ Confederation (BEC) Gail-Ann King indicated that some bosses believed the current labour rules were too rigid and needed to cater more to new trends, especially those emerging from the COVID-19 pandemic.She mentioned work-life balance, health and safety and mental health among the areas that require greater focus.King and Jordan were taking part in a discussion organised by the BEC at Sandals Barbados on Wednesday.“I think sometimes as employers the concern is that the regulations themselves are too rigid. It might not be the intent but because it is black and white, it tends to be to the letter of the law. In many instances, there is a feeling sometimes articulated that
There was no need to establish an advisory body to look into improving the lives of people with disabilities, says general secretary of the Congress of Trade Unions and Staff Associations of Barbados (CTUSAB) Dennis De Peiza. The work had already been done, he said.Deeming the establishment of this committee as “political engineering” and “unnecessary” De Peiza noted that CTUSAB had already collaborated with a number of agencies to publish a document in 2019 to empower the disabled community.
Chairman of the Employment Rights Tribunal (ERT) Mr Justice Christopher Blackman carries a significant load on his shoulders as the lead arbiter of disputes involving the cases of unfair dismissal of workers in this country.Justice Blackman, who enjoyed an impressive career as a jurist on the local Appeals Court bench before his retirement, has been an important advocate, not only for workers who have sought justice from this quasi-judicial body, but he has also pushed for the strengthening of the institution itself.The ERT chairman has been consistent in his rulings, which have often gone against wayward employers. There have also been cases in which employees were told there was no merit to their claims.He has advised repeatedly that employers should simply follow the law and give workers due process before seeking to be punitive in the handling of infractions and other disputes.In a November 2019 address to the Barbados Employers’ Confederation (BEC) Justice Blackman lamented that