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Bermuda is a British Overseas Territory in the North Atlantic Ocean. It was once known as the Bermudas or Somers Isles. Outside the territory, the nearest land is in the American state of North Carolina, some 1,035 kilometers (643 miles) to the west-northwest.
Bermuda is an archipelago of 181 islands, yet the most important islands are linked by bridges and seem to form a single mainland. It covers an area of 54 square kilometers (21 sq mi). Bermuda's climate is subtropical, having moderate winters and summers. Its climate has oceanic characteristics comparable to other coastal places in the Northern Hemisphere, with warm, moist air from the ocean maintaining relatively high humidity and temperature stability. Bermuda is located in Hurricane Alley, making it vulnerable to severe weather; nevertheless, it is protected by a coral reef and its location to the north of the belt, which restricts the direction and strength of oncoming hurricanes.
Bermuda was named after the Spanish adventurer Juan de Bermudez, who found the territory in 1505. Since 1612, when an English colony was formed at St. George's, the islands have been continually inhabited. Bermuda was a part of British America until 1684 when it became a crown colony under a royal charter by the Somers Isles Company. The first African slaves were brought to Bermuda in 1616, but a comprehensive plantation economy never developed, and the slave trade had mostly died out by the end of the 17th century. Instead, the economy grew centered on the sea, with the colony acting as a base for merchants, privateers, and the Royal Navy, and giving rise to the Bermuda rig and Bermuda sloop. After the United States gained freedom, it became an Imperial stronghold, the most significant British naval and military post in the Western Hemisphere, with massive amounts expended on its Royal Naval Dockyard and military defenses. Since the nineteenth century, tourism has been an important contribution to Bermuda's economy, and during World War II, the island became a prominent offshore financial hub and tax haven.
Bermuda, which is divided into nine parishes, is a self-governing parliamentary democracy with a bicameral parliament in the capital Hamilton. The House of Assembly has been in existence since 1620, making it one of the world's oldest legislatures. The governor, who is selected by the British government as the Queen's envoy, legally appoints the premier as the head of government. The United Kingdom is in charge of foreign policy and defense. In 1995, an independence referendum was conducted, with a strong majority voting against it.
Bermuda has a population of 71,176 people as of July 2018, making it the most populated of the British overseas territories. Black Bermudians (descendants of free and enslaved Latin Americans and Anglo-Americans with African ancestry, Africans, Europeans - particularly from the British Isles and the Portuguese Atlantic islands, and Native Americans) account for roughly half of the population, while White Bermudians (primarily of British, Irish, and Portuguese descent) account for the remaining 30%. There are smaller groups of people of different races or who identify as mixed race, and around 30% of the population is not Bermudian by birth (including both residents who have obtained Bermudian status otherwise than by descent and those who do not have Bermudian status). Bermuda has its own English accent and has always maintained strong relations with other English-speaking nations in the Americas, such as the United States, Canada, and the Commonwealth Caribbean. It is a member of the Caribbean Community as an associate member.
Employees are given two weeks of paid annual leave each year, which cannot be carried over.
Bermuda recognizes the following holidays:
New Year’s Day
Good Friday
Bermuda Day
National Heroes’ Day
Emancipation Day
Mary Prince Day
Labour Day
Remembrance Day
Christmas Day
Boxing Day
After one year of work, employees are entitled to eight days of sick leave. After two days, the employee must present a certificate from a medical practitioner stating that he or she is unable to work due to sickness. Employees on sick leave are not eligible for a termination notice unless they have missed four weeks of work due to sickness.
After one year of employment, female employees are entitled to 13 weeks of paid maternity leave as well as time off from work to attend doctor visits relating to the pregnancy. Employees who have worked for less than a year are entitled to 13 weeks of unpaid leave. Employees must produce a medical document stating that they are pregnant and the estimated due date.
After one year of employment, male employees are entitled to five days of paternity leave. Employees on maternity or paternity leave are not eligible for a termination notice.
Other than the already mentioned terms for both maternity and paternity leaves, there are no provisions in the Bermuda law regarding parental leave.
For the loss of a spouse, child, parent, sibling, or member of the employee's household (not a landlord, employer, or employee), employees are entitled to three days of bereavement leave. If an employee has to attend an overseas burial for a close relative, bereavement leave is extended to five days.
Employees are also given time off to vote, perform public tasks, and serve on juries. A notice of termination cannot be served on an employee who is on vacation or bereavement leave.
In Bermuda, employment can be terminated at the end of a fixed-term contract or at the conclusion of a project, by the employer for a legitimate cause, or by the employee. During the probationary phase, an employee may be terminated without cause. Bermuda does not have a mandatory probation term, however one may be stated in the employment contract.
Additionally, an employee may be terminated without notice for significant misbehavior that is so damaging that retaining the person would be unreasonable. When an employee's conduct does not reach to this degree of seriousness or when the employee's performance is substandard, the employer is required to issue a written warning. If the employee's behaviour or performance does not improve after six months, the employer may fire the employee without warning.
Outside of the probationary period and in the absence of grave misbehavior, the employer must have a legitimate basis for terminating the employment and provide written notice to the employee.
Employers may remove roles that are superfluous. Employers are required to notify the union or other representative body of the termination and cooperate with the union to reduce the effect of cutbacks, which may include reassignments.
For weekly employees, the notice period is one week; for biweekly employees, it is two weeks; and for all other employees, it is one month. Employers may substitute remuneration for notice.
Bermuda does not have a mandatory probation period, but one may be specified in the employment contract.
Severance pay is payable to employees who have served at least one year. The severance pay is two weeks for each completed year of service up to ten years and three weeks for each subsequent completed year of service. The maximum severance is 26 weeks.
The standard workweek in Bermuda is 40 hours over five days. This is from Monday to Friday from 9 A.M. to 5 P.M. An employer ought to give at least a 30-minute meal break to an employee who has worked for five continuous hours.
Overtime is typically compensated at 150 percent of the basic rate.
In Bermuda, employees are entitled to a monthly minimum wage. However, the law requires that wages include bonuses and tips to offset the employer's cost of redundancies and termination.
Bermuda's current minimum wage is 400 BMD per month. The average monthly salary can reach 7,120 BMD.
Employers must offer health insurance to their workers and nonworking spouses. Employees who work more than 15 hours per week and for more than two calendar months in a year must be covered.
Employers pay the whole insurance payment and must contribute half of the premium rate. The remainder of the premium rate may be taken from the workers' pay. The insurance must be purchased from a licensed insurer in a local area. Employers are liable for their workers' health-care expenses at any time when they are not covered by an insurance plan.
Bermuda has no corporate income tax, and a business that is incorporated in the nation is regarded a tax resident of Bermuda.
Individuals in Bermuda are not imposed an income tax.
Bermuda does not have a value-added tax (VAT) or a goods and services tax (GST). Bermuda is considered a tax haven; nevertheless, Bermuda does charge a variety of taxes, including an employer payroll tax and property taxes.
Bermuda entrance visas and visa waivers have not been needed for tourist and business visitors, as well as work permit holders, since March of 2014.
All visitors who were required to get a multi-entry VISA (MRV) must display this document upon arrival in Bermuda. The MRV for the United Kingdom, the United States, or Canada must be valid for 45 days following the end of a guest stay and/or a work visa. All travelers must have a passport that is valid for at least 45 days beyond the expiry date of their trip and/or work permit. It should be noted that US Passport Cards are not accepted for flying travel to Bermuda.
People whose MRV and passport validity are fewer than 45 days will not be allowed to arrive. To be clear, the passport regulation (45-day validity) solely applies to MRV-required travelers. Persons coming in Bermuda to take up residence as the spouse or dependant of a Bermudian and who were needed to obtain an MRV with a validity of 45 days would be regarded null and invalid since the term of stay in Bermuda is considered permanent.
When an employer files for a new work permit for a resident work permit holder who needs an MRV, the Department of Immigration processes and issues the permit. The issue of the work permit will help with the MRV application. According to Section 130 of the Bermuda Immigration and Protection Act 1956, the Department of Immigration may request that the employer deposit a sum of money with the Chief Immigration Officer to cover the repatriation of the work permit holder and his/her spouse and dependent(s), including costs associated with the requirement for two Senior Immigration Inspectors to provide travel escort to the home country.
In addition, a USD 208.00 administrative fee will be levied to the employer if repatriation estimates from the Department of Immigration are required. If repatriation with help from the Department of Immigration is not necessary, the deposited cash will be returned by the Accountant General using standard procedures.
If you have any questions or concerns about this policy change, please contact the Chief Immigration Officer or the Assistant Chief Immigration Officer.
Employer and employee names
Place of work
Job title and description of work to be performed
Salary and intervals of payment
Holidays and vacation
Any probationary period
Normal days and hours of employment
Pension provisions whether under National Pension Scheme or otherwise
End date (if fixed term contract)
Signatures of employer and employee
There is no set length for assignments. This is usually indicated in the employment contract for fixed-term employments.
Bermudian Dollar (BMD)
United States Dolar (USD)
