Flow reclassifies more than 100 workers in Barbados

Six years after telecommunications company Flow embarked on a reclassification exercise, more than 100 workers in Barbados have been given permanent positions.

Country Manager at Flow Barbados, Desron Bynoe confirmed the reclassification of the employees’ roles in a statement from the company. He did not say exactly when the change would take effect but the statement indicated that they would be “ringing in the New Year as permanent employees”.

“This has been a long journey but through perseverance and collaboration, we’ve managed to achieve this fantastic result for our business and our people,” Byone said.

The development touches employees in several areas of the business, including Business-to-Business (B2B), Business-to-Consumer (B2C), Customer Experience and Technology.

“We have been focusing on this reclassification since 2015 when C&W Communications acquired Columbus Telecommunications, and the original plan was to have many of the temporary roles filled permanently, shortly after the two companies were combined. However, several business-critical projects took priority and the weeks turned into months, and the months into years,” Bynoe said.

The senior Flow executive added that in 2016, the local leadership of the company took a firm decision to address the issue, and the culmination of the project is “a major achievement for us in Barbados”.

“This transition from fixed to permanent roles has been a major sticking point for our company but we have successfully crossed the final hurdle,” he said.

Bynoe highlighted the efforts of Flow’s People Business Partner, Esther Tull for her determination in seeing the project over the line.

Tull welcomed the reclassification.

“A lot of work happened behind the scenes, but we have done right by our people, and from both a personal and professional perspective, this is one of the proudest moments of my long tenure with the company,” she said.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Flow’s parent company Liberty Latin America also prioritised maintaining its overall headcount and Bynoe thanked his local team for their commitment and dedication in keeping the people of Barbados connected.

“I also want to personally thank our team for their patience during this time, as while it was no doubt unsettling, they were still available, responsive, and worked diligently to meet our commitments. We are all very proud of this company and we are certainly moving in the right direction,” he said. (PR/DP)