Details Revealed: High-Turnover Employers Face Ban On Hiring Foreign Workers
A new labour migration policy is proposing a ban on employers with a high termination rate from hiring third-country nationals.
The details of how this will work in practice were included in a policy document that was launched by Prime Minister Robert Abela and Home Affairs Minister Byron Camilleri today.
First of all, this policy won’t apply to micro firms, which employ fewer than ten people.
Small firms (10-50 employees) with termination rates above 50% of their workforce will fail the labour market needs tests, which means any new applications for TCNs will be rejected.
Maximum termination rates will be set at 35% for medium firms (51-249 employees) and 40% for large firms (250+ employees).
Exemptions will apply for applications recommended and endorsed by Malta Enterprise, occupations in the healthcare, disability care and elderly care sectors, and student workers who require a work placement as part of their studies.
The policy is intended to incentivise employers to make an effort to retain their workforce, improve work conditions and invest in training opportunities.
To further encourage retainment, the work permit renewal period following the completion of one year of engagement will be extended from one to two years, provided that the TCN has been offered a contract with a validity period that is not less than two years.
“Low-skilled workers” (defined as those employed under ISCO 5-9) will be encouraged to enrol in training courses and integrate into the Maltese labour market and society. Those who effectively demonstrate that they have enrolled in such training programmes will have their renewal period extended to two years. Additionally, work permits for TCNs under the KEI, SEI, the Blue Card Directive, and the Skilled Occupation List will be automatically renewed for three years.
These measures are subject to a public consultation process that will run up until 9th February.
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