Civil servants will soon benefit from increased parental leave and additional financial support from government, but it is unclear whether similar benefits will be available to the private sector.
The civil service, in a press release issued Tuesday, announced that Cabinet had approved the issuance of drafting instructions to amend the Personnel Regulations to increase parental-leave provisions for civil servants.
However, there was no mention of any changes to labour laws dealing with the private sector.
The Cayman Compass has reached out to Labour Minister Dwayne Seymour for comment on plans for parental-leave legislation and is awaiting a response.
Last year, Seymour met with moms Bethany Ebanks-Pacheco and Lorren Stainton started a campaign to change Cayman’s maternity-leave entitlements.
The women, who later formed a committee, say local benefits are wholly inadequate and below international standards.
Seymour had indicated a willingness to take the issue forward.
Improved government benefits
The civil service said in the release that the planned increases will enhance government’s overall benefits package.
It will also “afford new parents valuable time and additional financial support while they are establishing those all-important initial bonds with their infants”.
When finalised, the Personnel (Amendment) Regulations 2024 will, among other things, increase overall maternity leave entitlements from 90 working days to 110 working days; increase overall paternity leave entitlements from two working weeks to 20 working days; and increase the paid portion of maternity leave from 30 to 60 working days on normal pay.
The changes will also increase the paid portion of paternity leave from one week to 10 working days on normal pay.
Updating and enhancing existing benefits was the subject of a private member’s motion first brought in 2020 by Bodden Town West MP Chris Saunders, as a member of the opposition.
Ebanks-Pacheco and Stainton also launched a petition seeking the public’s support for their campaign, which has secured 4,393 signatures to date.
Supporting parenting
Katherine Ebanks-Wilks, the minister with responsibility for gender affairs, speaking on the impending changes to the regulations, said she wholeheartedly endorsed and co-championed the policy development.
“As Minister of Gender Affairs, and as a working mother of three children, I’m beyond proud of the advancements this change to the Personnel Regulations will bring,” she said in the release. “This increased parental leave entitlement is a significant step forward in supporting families. It recognises the value of parents spending critical time at home with their young children,” she said.
The changes, she noted, acknowledge the “crucial role that both parents play in caregiving and child-rearing”.
She added, “This is an acceptance of the diversity of the family structure, the economic and social needs of our community, and the physical and psychological needs of young children. By recognising and supporting the shared responsibility of caregiving, regardless of gender, we are not only promoting gender equality and equity, but also dismantling traditional stereotypes.”
Ebanks-Wilks said this will not only strengthen families, but will also build a “more resilient and prosperous Cayman Islands for generations to come”.
Deputy Governor Franz Manderson, who took the Paper to Cabinet for the changes, thanked all involved with the amended regulations.
“This enhancement recognises the importance of shared parenting responsibilities, enabling both mothers and fathers to actively participate in childcare,” he said. “This contributes to better work-life balance, strengthens family bonds, and helps break traditional gender roles. Ultimately, such policies promote a more equitable society, aligning with the spirit of Honouring Women Month.”
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The minimum wage and sexual harassment legislation are mired in never ending delays, contrast this to the treatment received by our civil servants who in addition to spending more paid time at home will undoubtedly be “more prosperous for generations to come”.