The Tribune

By KEILE CAMPBELL


Tribune Staff Reporter


kcampbell@tribunemedia.net

BAHA Mar will give eligible full-time employees 16 weeks of fully paid parental leave after the birth or adoption of a child, a benefit that far exceeds both existing Bahamian law and the two weeks of paid paternity leave currently proposed as part of the government’s national labour reforms.

Baha Mar President Graeme Davis announced the policy in an address to employees, saying it will take effect on June 29 and provide eligible mothers and fathers with 100 percent of their base salary during the leave period.

The move comes as the Davis administration works to amend the Employment Act and Industrial Relations Act to expand maternity benefits and introduce statutory paid paternity leave for the first time.

Current law provides no specific paid paternity leave entitlement. An employee who has worked for an employer for at least six months is entitled to no more than one week of unpaid family leave annually following the birth of a child, or the death or illness of a child, spouse or parent.

Women who qualify for maternity leave are currently entitled to at least 12 weeks. The Employment Act requires an employer to pay at least 33.3 percent of the portion of the employee’s wages up to the National Insurance insurable wage ceiling during maternity leave, with maternity pay from the same employer generally available once every three years. The government has been consulting on proposals to increase maternity leave to at least 14 weeks and introduce two weeks of paid paternity leave once every three years. Labour and Public Service Minister Pia Glover-Rolle said earlier this year that amendments were being drafted for further stakeholder consultation before going to Cabinet and Parliament.

Baha Mar’s 16-week policy would therefore give eligible fathers substantially more paid time off than contemplated under the government’s draft national proposal.

Mr Davis said the policy was part of the resort’s effort to ensure employees felt “valued, supported, and empowered to thrive” professionally and personally.

“By investing in your well-being,” he said, “we continue to strengthen our culture, attract exceptional talent, and reinforce our commitment to being the employer of choice in The Bahamas and throughout the region.”

The benefit will also extend to employees welcoming a child through adoption.

Access will be subject to eligibility requirements in Baha Mar’s parental leave policy. Leadership teams are expected to receive the updated policy, frequently asked questions and other material ahead of its implementation.

The resort’s move comes as the Bahamas Chamber of Commerce and Employers’ Confederation has urged caution over imposing expanded maternity and paternity benefits nationally because of the potential cost to businesses.

The Chamber has said it supports the principle of enhanced leave but warned that increased entitlements could cause staffing disruptions and higher costs, particularly for small and medium-sized businesses that may have to pay for replacement employees, training or overtime. It has called for feasibility studies and continued consultation before the changes are implemented.

Chamber officials have also raised questions about how expanded leave would be financed and its potential effect on the National Insurance Board.

Dr Leo Rolle, the Chamber’s executive director, previously said paternity leave required a properly researched approach and warned that labour reforms introduced without adequate assessment could increase pressure on businesses.

Mrs Glover-Rolle welcomed Baha Mar’s announcement, pointing to it as another example of an employer increasing support for expectant and new parents.

She also said the Central Bank has installed breastfeeding pods for new mothers.

The government has spent about two years working on broader reforms to the Employment Act and Industrial Relations Act. Public consultations have included maternity and paternity leave, mental health leave, remote work and other proposed changes to workplace protections.