Work permit time limits have not led to the exodus of foreign workers from Bermuda that some had predicted, employment services expert Doug Soares told a conference in the Cayman Islands last week.

But Mr. Soares, a partner at Bermuda employment services firm Expertise, added that other consequences of term limits were that "expats are feeling less valued and xenophobia is on the rise", according to a news story on the Cayman Net News website.

Mr. Soares was the keynote speaker at the annual conference of the Cayman Islands Society of Human Resource Professionals (CISHRP), which was discussing work permit term limits, known in the Caymans as the "rollover" policy.

He spoke on the topic "Work Permit Term Limits: Can Cayman learn from the Bermuda experience?"

Mr. Soares stressed the need for human resources managers to not only make provision for succession planning, but to take account of sourcing staff from the global market, particularly where posts were not recognised for key employee status and where they may not be easily filled by local talent.

Quoting from his country's policy on term limits, Mr. Soares said they were introduced "to discourage the expectation that work permit approval is tantamount to permanent residence rights in Bermuda". He pointed out that the framework governing work permits in both countries differed as legislation was used in the Cayman Islands and policy in Bermuda.

With most high-income jobs requiring at least a degree and only one in three Bermudians meeting that criterion, Mr. Soares, according to the website, said his country's education system was failing the locals and needed improving to increase the chances of local people being able to apply for top jobs.

The six-year time limits for most guest workers had not led to a loss of international business in Bermuda, Mr. Soares added. Nevertheless, the policy had achieved the goal of reducing the number of foreigners who could become long-term residents on the island.

The event was held last Wednesday at the Marriott Beach Resort on Seven Mile Beach and attracted 120 registered delegates, making it the largest conference the CISHRP had ever held.