Reemployment of blue card holders a dilemma for integrated resorts

The hospitality sector may encounter difficulties reemploying non-resident workers to fill job-vacancies in the currently busy sector.

The sudden tourist influx amid the sector’s staff shortage has created difficulties for the sector.

Although increased tourism has long been awaited, the surprise easing of border measures has caught hotels off guard.

However, it remains unclear when the labor shortage will be solved.

Non-resident workers were retrenched three years ago at the start of the pandemic.

Pre-pandemic, non-local employees filled positions such as room attendants, servers and other F&B services, and quotas were issued to hire non-locals for these positions.

Due to the economic downturn, many companies, including integrated resorts, have not renewed employment contracts and have retrenched workers.

From June to August 2022, the unemployment rate for local residents rose 5.5%, a record high since 2008.

“As zero-covid has suddenly been reversed and business improves within weeks, alongside high covid numbers, employers are working hard to support the local community by driving recruitment efforts to hire local operational employees to do these jobs,” Rutger Verschuren, vice-chairman of the Macau Hotel Association has said.

“Regretfully, few people have shown interest due to the physical nature of the work and the hours/days and modest pay,” he added.

A new Macau labor law means the sector will face hurdles hiring non-resident workers because they must have their visas processed in their own countries before coming to Macau.

The 2020-approved labor law for non-residents requires all unqualified and domestic workers from overseas to have an entry permit on arrival in Macau.

The same rules apply to bluecard holders already working in Macau, should they need or want to change employer.

This means they will be delayed in filling the job vacancies.

However, it does not end there. These companies must apply for new quotas at the Labour Affairs Bureau (DSAL) as former quotas have expired. It may take at least two weeks to complete the process.

“The quotas of the blue card holders who left during the pandemic have mostly been canceled since the quota was not been filled for several months, and so far, not many quotas have been reinstated, or are still in the process of being reinstated,” Verschuren told the Times.

“From the moment a non-local passes the selection process until he/she can actually start work, it takes close to two months’ to complete all administration processes. For non-quota blue card holders, it can take two to six months, depending on the job level and availability of the new employee and notice period to resign their former job before coming to Macau,” the hotelier said.

With daily visitor arrivals anticipated to be about 48,000 in the upcoming Chinese New Year that starts on Jan. 22, it is predicted the hotel industry will struggle to manage its resources, which may include overtime.

According to the hotelier, the hospitality industry is contending with a shortage of hands to cover three shifts per day including weekends and holidays to “clean rooms and washrooms as a priority, provide quality service in restaurants, carry luggage and assist guests during their stay, clean dishes, and cook.”

The city’s blue card system does not allow non-skilled labor to conduct any work other than that stated on the work permit. Therefore, assisting in other departments is not permitted.

Although they could employ locals part time, that would not solve the shortage of workers in the housekeeping department as the “local casual labor market is very limited and aged, and non-local students are not allowed to work as casual labor.”

The Times sought a comment from DSAL but no reply was given by press time.