This was revealed in a public statement in which the Minister said “though I realize this was indeed a hard decision to make, I am mindful of the woes of workers who desire to remain under the same employ and BVI businesses who may not prefer or cannot afford to sever and rehire workers.”

“With this in mind, I would like to again remind employers to be considerate to their employees by notifying them of any changes to their employment agreement, and gaining their agreement to the changes, prior to contacting the Department of Labor & Workforce Development,” the Minister further added.

On May 29th, 2020 during an exclusive interview with 284 Media, Minister Wheatley announced plans to amend the Labour Code (Amendment) Act, 2020 to make provisions for an extension to October 31st.

The Minister during a recent meeting further stated stated that the October 31st temporary termination deadline will be extended to November 15th, 2020 to benefit employers and employee.

However, the November 15th tentative date was rejected by some residents who said they have persons ready to work, and further requested the date be extended to December 15th or 31st.

In response, Minister Wheatley said he is trying to find a middle ground by seeking a balance for both parties.

Within today’s statement Honorable Wheatley said “the current pandemic in mind and the harsh realities being faced by both employees and employers” inspired Cabinet’s decision to extend to 2021.

While this works to the benefit of business owners, many are adult worried about the employees who have been displaced since March without jobs, as the tourism industry remain closed.

The territory is highly anticipating the December 1st border reopening with the hope that it will inject some much-needed revenue back into the economy