Please allow me this opportunity as a Bahamian to speak out against contractual and independent employee agreements which represent some form of bullying.
Corporate Bullying: This is where the employer abuses employees with impunity (freedom of punishment) knowing that the law is weak and jobs are scarce; e.g. threats of job loss, treating an individual different from peers, interference or sabotage, inequitable and harsh treatment, introduction of “absence management” to deny employees annual or sick leave to which workers are entitled.
Institutional Bullying: Similar to corporate bullying and arising when bullying is entrenched and accepted as part of the culture.
People are moved, long-existing contracts are replaced with new short-term “contractual/independent” contracts on much less favorable terms.
Increased workloads, schedule changes, role changes and career progression paths are blocked or terminated all without consultation.
Contractual Employee: One who is hired to work for a specific period of time on an hourly basis or contracted amount.
Independent Contractor: You are self-employed. However, you are not an Independent Contractor if you perform services that are controlled by an employer (what you do, when and how); this makes you an employee (common-law). Benefits must be paid.
This applies even if you are given freedom of action. Many Bahamian workers fall in this category but receive zero benefits, job security much less loyalty.
They are hiring persons as Contractual Workers thus preventing them from paying National Insurance, medical insurances, salaries and any or all benefits.
Employers have adapted these practices with little or no regard for the difficulties imposed on a family or individual.
This is not only wrong but it stands to reason that they are stealing revenue from our Government by way of National Insurance Contributions for example: An individual making $300.00 a week should pay $11.40 (3.8 percent) in contributions and the Employer should pay $17.40 (5.8 percent) totaling $28.80 each week.
Yearly this would account for one person paying $1,382.40.
If today, as an example, 1,000 individuals in our country along with their employer’s contributions are not being paid, it means that The Bahamas Government is losing each year $1,382,400.00.
Now multiply this by five years or more in lost revenue. What does any of this mean to a family; No Retirement benefits.
No way of getting assistance when times are tough.
Additionally, this contractual agreement forces an individual to attempt to make their own contributions but how can a person do so when most companies do not pay a salary not even minimum wages.
Individuals throughout our beautiful country are reporting to work each week especially in areas such as insurance, timesharing, jewelry stores etc and leaving some weeks without a dime.
An individual could sometimes go two months or more without a commission check due to cancellations or charge backs.
Some investors, clearly not all, fail to improve or develop their vested interest but threaten loss of jobs or pulling out of The Bahamas when numbers in sales drop or if employees feel unappreciated.
Some decrease commissions without notice, shut down and issue many other unfair practices. There is no loyalty to any worker.
An added concern that must immediately be addressed due to this type of contract means that the banks, financial institutions, or any other lending agent refuse to offer assistance to these individuals.
Loans go bad because these persons are praying for a sale or breakthrough. Kids can’t be provided for.
Who is looking out for these persons? There is nowhere to turn for assistance, none that comes to mind anyway.
The interesting thing about many companies is that you are reporting to work like any other employee based on your work schedule.
Warnings, deadlines and quotas exist.
These are but a few disadvantages facing Contractual or Independent Workers in the Bahamas.
It is important now that our Government address this issue that has changed the very foundation of comfort for many families.
The cost of living has increased tremendously but these persons’ incomes have not.
Many are suffering greatly due to this recession and it does not seem right or humane that individuals should be working under such unfair agreements.
Many employers are taking enormous amounts of monies out of this country and show little or no regard for the little people who help them acquire their wealth.
The Honorable Prime Minister Perry Christie and leaders of the Bahamas kindly help these individuals live better or more comfortable lives by addressing or looking more closely at this practice.
We are all related in some way or the other, if change does not take place now it means this grows bigger and our kids, their kids and so on will end up working in this environment which is disabling families not helping them.
K. Thompson
The Bahamas
