While responding to the 2019 Budget, Senior Minister and Minister of Labour, the Honourable Vance Amory, said that there are times when persons come to Department of Labour unaware of what is owed to them via severance. Officials often engage with the relevant parties to get a full understanding of the process and avoid conflicts. In some cases, persons have lost their severance because they are unaware of the company policies and procedures.
“And let me say Mr. Speaker, even if the employer has not been making a contribution to the severance, we do not say to someone “because no contribution has been on [your] behalf that you cannot get the severance.’ We pay the severance where it is applicable and then we go out and check with the persons who have not made the contribution to make certain that that is done in accordance with the law,” Senior Minister Amory stated on Monday, December 17, 2018.
To ensure compliance with the law, senior officers in the Department of Labour often visit employment establishments where they engage with employers and employees to foster harmonious industrial relations.
Matters relating to severance and long service gratuity are handled by the Social Protection Unit in the Department of Labour. Persons can visit the unit’s office in the Department of Labour, Ursula Amory Building, Victoria Road, or telephone 467-2073.
