Published by: Leandra Rolle, Tribune News, March 10th, 2025
DAYS after government announced plans to roll out major labour reforms this year, including extended maternity leave, Bahamas Chamber of Commerce and Employers’ Confederation President Leo Rolle said that while the proposed reforms “may sound good” in theory, economic impact assessments must be conducted before implementation.
He warned that without a clear understanding of the economic impact, these reforms could place undue strain on businesses, potentially leading to job losses or even closures. He said extending leave without working closely with the business community is a recipe for disaster.
His comments came in response to Labour Minister Pia Glover Rolle’s announcement last week that the government plans to introduce several changes to labour laws this year, including extended maternity, paternity, and mental health leave.
She said the government is working on these reforms in close partnership with the relevant stakeholders, including union members and the business community.
Peter Goudie, the chamber’s labour division head, told The Tribune that while the chamber has met with labour officials, it has yet to see what the government is proposing.
Dr Rolle, expressing doubt that such reforms will be introduced this year, said: “We need to understand we can’t just throw things out there because it sounds good. We have to understand the impact that it’s going to have on the business community and understand how this is really going to be done.”
The BCCEC has previously said that it does not support extending maternity leave beyond 12 weeks, warning that such an extension could hurt small businesses and drive up consumer prices.
Dr Rolle told The Tribune that the chamber’s position remains unchanged, highlighting the many expenses that continue to drive up business operating costs.
He emphasised that when an employee is on leave, the business must still pay all their benefits –– including pensions and bonuses –– and potentially hire a replacement.
“Businesses, most of them, are not making what people think they are,” he said. “I’m saying this not from the standpoint of passion because I see that people drag me most of the times when we talk about this because they’re passionate about the leave, but I’m speaking from a point of looking at the financial statements of these businesses.”
Regarding paternity leave, Dr Rolle said that while some businesses already offer the benefit, it should remain an option.
“If they can afford it, fine,” he said, “but to enshrine that in law means that now it’s a blanketed approach across all businesses that can or cannot afford it, and that’s unfair to the business community.”
He questioned how officials plan to police the policy if implemented, noting that a father can have multiple children simultaneously.
“So are we,” he said, “suggesting then that as many children as a father has, he will have leave for?”
“Should the fella be married, or can I go and have a child with anyone?”
He said that while mental health leave sounds like a great idea because people need time to de-stress, there may be financial implications associated with it. He said understanding the cost is key and suggested that reforms be implemented in phases, starting with the government or larger companies that can afford it.
“I know that the government is hell-bent on getting the reforms done, and we believe that some of the reforms are quite needed because some of the labour laws are antiquated,” he said. “But we just think that it has to be done in tandem with the business community and understanding the challenges that ensue.”
Read the entire news report here >>> https://www.tribune242.com/news/2025/mar/10/changes-to-workers-leave-could-be-recipe-for-disaster/?fbclid=IwY2xjawI-onNleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHUQZLBIz5CbpgdGUsTjIYOVA0ZBAn4ZlcsOZ90hFz4OMAvqwmsfmIOyvCg_aem_Fh3cAQd77PSqlYn_EUAj4g
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