Hospitality firms 'relieved' at permit extension

Guernsey's hospitality industry has said it was "not far away from a mini-crisis" before the extension of short-term worker permits was agreed.

Alan Sillett, president of the Guernsey Hospitality Association, said the move was a "really positive" but only a temporary solution.

"Relieved is the word," he said, adding employers had been concerned about losing experienced staff just as visitor numbers were increasing.

He said the sector had been "very close to losing a lot of really important employees in the next three to four months". "You can't offer high levels of service to customers if you keep losing your best staff," he said.

Marc Leadbeater, President of the Committee for Home Affairs, said the extension to work permits was designed to help employers "get over this summer" while a wider review of population policy was taking place.

He said short-term permits were intended to provide a rotating workforce without putting pressure on housing or public services.

"They allow people to come and work here for a defined period of time, and then move on, which helps manage demand on housing and services," he said.

The extension will now give time for a broader review of employment permits, including whether the current three-year limit should be increased.

Leadbeater said his team would work with the industry to strike a balance between business needs and wider community pressures.

Sillett said the hospitality sector wanted to be closely involved in that process and called for greater certainty for workers and employers.

"We certainly can't keep having lots of uncertainty for our team members," he said.

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