If your company wants to scale to Bermuda, you must know how to recruit and hire there. Understanding the country’s labor laws is one part of the process of recruiting Bermuda-based workers. Awareness of the cultural nuances and expectations during hiring is also essential.
Recruiting in Bermuda
You have several options for advertising open positions in Bermuda. You can list your company’s openings on a job site like Indeed or use social media networks like LinkedIn to advertise open roles. Bermuda also has a government-sponsored job board that lists available opportunities.
Several recruitment agencies also exist across Bermuda. These agencies aim to match suitable candidates with prospective employers.
The recruitment process in Bermuda
Bermuda’s Employment Act governs recruiting and hiring individuals in the country. The act prohibits companies from asking for any information that could lead to discrimination, such as the applicant’s race, sex, religion, or political beliefs. Companies are allowed to prefer Bermuda-based applicants when recruiting.
How to hire Bermuda-based employees
Within one week of hiring employees in Bermuda, companies must provide them with an employment statement. Both employee and employer need to sign the statement, which outlines the individual’s role, the wages they’ll receive, and when and where they’ll work.
The employment statement also needs to specify whether the job is for an indefinite period or a fixed term. The statement should include the end date if it’s a fixed-term contract.
Bermuda employment laws
The standard working week in Bermuda is 40 hours. Employees who work more than 40 hours a week can receive overtime pay, at 1.5 times their standard hourly rate. Alternatively, they may receive their usual pay rate and the same number of hours off. Employees in managerial or professional roles are often exempt from the overtime pay requirement. Their wages typically reflect the expectation that they occasionally work more than 40 hours per week.
When paying employees’ wages, the employer must present an itemized pay statement. The statement should include the following information:
- The work period for which the employee is being paid
- The number of hours worked (if it varies week by week) and the wage rate
- The gross amount of wages an employee can receive
- Deductions, including amount and purpose
- Bonuses and gratuities
- The net amount the employee receives
Onboarding employees in Bermuda
While Bermuda doesn’t have a set onboarding process, you should review several factors with employees when they begin working for your company. The law in Bermuda requires employers to present new employees with the company’s policy statement against sexual harassment and bullying.
It’s not enough to hand employees a copy of the statement. You need to verify that they understand the policy and its application. Your company’s policy against bullying and sexual harassment must state that employees are entitled to a workplace free of sexual harassment and bullying. It also needs to explain how employees can report behavior violating the policy.
Benefits of outsourcing hiring in Bermuda
When outsourcing hiring in Bermuda to an Employer of Record, you streamline the process and give your managerial team the gift of time. You can trust that your Employer of Record will handle all aspects of the hiring process, from onboarding employees and setting up payroll to ensuring compliance with Bermuda’s labor laws.
You don’t have to worry about studying the Employment Act or missing any critical details. Instead, you can focus on what matters most — helping your company grow.
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