Beautiful Virgin Islands

Saturday, Jul 26, 2025

‘Lay-off period should end after December 1’, employers plead

‘Lay-off period should end after December 1’, employers plead

As many businesses are still reeling from the effects of the territory-wide COVID-19 shutdown, some entrepreneurs on Jost Van Dyke have asked the government to extend the ‘layoff period’ to some time after December 1 when the BVI’s borders are set to officially reopen to visitors.

The layoff period describes the time that can elapse before an employer must pay severance to any employee who has been laid-off. Back in June, Cabinet decided to temporarily extend the usual three-month layoff period to seven months as many businesses found it difficult to come up with severance packages.

This seven-month extension period comes to an end on October 31. But at a community meeting held by the government on Jost Van Dyke, some employers said it made more sense to extend the lay-off period to a date in December, as businesses are expected to have some amount of cash injection from the opening of the tourism industry.

The business owners say whatever business they get in December should allow them to put severance packages together.

“We’re not going to have 10 million people coming into the country … but whatever little, more or less will come in land-based or marine traffic, we are prepared to make it work. But as you said, businesses right now cannot afford to pay off people. So December 15, December 31st? Maybe we could find something there?” one entrepreneur asked.

In response, Minister Wheatley reiterated that the government has to satisfy both employers and employees when extending the lay-off period.

Gov’t has to consider employees too


“I have to consider the employees, too, who have been home, not working, not making any money,” Wheatley said.

He said the government is more in favour of extending the lay-off period to November 15 as that date is a ‘middle-ground’ for both employers and employees.

“Let’s find a balance, so the employees don’t feel slighted,” Wheatley said.

He also suggested that employers pay severance in instalments if single payments are too difficult to achieve.

“The other option is for persons who wish to sever, you don’t have to pay the persons all at one time. We could work out a reasonable time in which you could sever persons,” Wheatley said.

Wheatley didn’t give the government’s final decision on the matter.

Instead he settled the debate by saying, “I understand what you are saying so we’ll consider it and find a compromise somewhere in the middle.”

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Deputy attorney general's second day of meeting with Ghislaine Maxwell has concluded
Controversial March in Switzerland Features Men Dressed in Nazi Uniforms
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
Thai Civilian Death Toll Rises to 12 in Cambodian Cross-Border Attacks
TSUNAMI: Trump Just Crossed the Rubicon—And There’s No Turning Back
Over 120 Criminal Cases Dismissed in Boston Amid Public Defender Shortage
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
The Podcaster Who Accidentally Revealed He Earns Over $10 Million a Year
Trump Announces $550 Billion Japanese Investment and New Trade Agreements with Indonesia and the Philippines
US Treasury Secretary Calls for Institutional Review of Federal Reserve Amid AI‑Driven Growth Expectations
UK Government Considers Dropping Demand for Apple Encryption Backdoor
Severe Flooding in South Korea Claims Lives Amid Ongoing Rescue Operations
Japanese Man Discovers Family Connection Through DNA Testing After Decades of Separation
Russia Signals Openness to Ukraine Peace Talks Amid Escalating Drone Warfare
Switzerland Implements Ban on Mammography Screening
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
Pogacar Extends Dominance with Stage Fifteen Triumph at Tour de France
CEO Resigns Amid Controversy Over Relationship with HR Executive
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
US Revokes Visas of Brazilian Corrupted Judges Amid Fake Bolsonaro Investigation
U.S. Congress Approves Rescissions Act Cutting Federal Funding for NPR and PBS
North Korea Restricts Foreign Tourist Access to New Seaside Resort
Brazil's Supreme Court Imposes Radical Restrictions on Former President Bolsonaro
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Judge Criticizes DOJ Over Secrecy in Dropping Charges Against Gang Leader
Apple Closes $16.5 Billion Tax Dispute With Ireland
Von der Leyen Faces Setback Over €2 Trillion EU Budget Proposal
UK and Germany Collaborate on Global Military Equipment Sales
Trump Plans Over 10% Tariffs on African and Caribbean Nations
Flying Taxi CEO Reclaims Billionaire Status After Stock Surge
Epstein Files Deepen Republican Party Divide
Zuckerberg Faces $8 Billion Privacy Lawsuit From Meta Shareholders
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
SpaceX Nears $400 Billion Valuation With New Share Sale
Microsoft, US Lab to Use AI for Faster Nuclear Plant Licensing
Trump Walks Back Talk of Firing Fed Chair Jerome Powell
Zelensky Reshuffles Cabinet to Win Support at Home and in Washington
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Irish Tech Worker Detained 100 days by US Authorities for Overstaying Visa
Dimon Warns on Fed Independence as Trump Administration Eyes Powell’s Succession
Church of England Removes 1991 Sexuality Guidelines from Clergy Selection
Superman Franchise Achieves Success with Latest Release
Hungary's Viktor Orban Rejects Agreements on Illegal Migration
Jeff Bezos Considers Purchasing Condé Nast as a Wedding Gift
Ghislaine Maxwell Says She’s Ready to Testify Before Congress on Epstein’s Criminal Empire
Bal des Pompiers: A Celebration of Community and Firefighter Culture in France
FBI Chief Kash Patel Denies Resignation Speculations Amid Epstein List Controversy
Air India Pilot’s Mental Health Records Under Scrutiny
×