The Department of Labor Affairs is a government executing agency that falls under the Ministry of Public Health, Social Development and Labor for Country Sint Maarten. The Department is charged with the responsibility of all matters pertaining to labor such as registration, dismissals, complaints, vacancies and employment permits to name a few. The Department is working tirelessly to improve the products and services offered to both the business as well as the job seeking/employed clientele. New efforts and initiatives such as job coaching, the customer feedback system and the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) partnerships with local businesses to foster training and employment opportunities are currently being implemented within the department.
The Department of Labor Affairs offers a wide range of services to cater to both business groups as well as persons seeking employment or employed persons seeking professional and/or personal development. The Labor Affairs team works closely together across departmental sections to provide optimal service to the vast client base.
Services Provided
Section Permits:
- Processing of employment permit requests
Section Labor Market:
- Registration of businesses
- Registration of unemployed persons
- Job Placement
- Job Coaching
- Dismissals and Complaints
Department Structure
The Department of Labor Affairs branches into two sections of professionals who work together towards providing clients with quality service. The two sections are:
- Section Permits which handles all matters pertaining to employment permit requests
- Section Labor Market which handles all matters pertaining to employment and unemployment services and registration
The management team, which is comprise of the Section Heads of both Section Permits and Section Labor Market and the Head of the Department, oversee and make final decisions on a case by case basis.
If you are a job seeker or employed person seeking services from the Department of Labor Affairs, your first point of contact will be with the Receptionist who will refer you to a Registration Officer.
The Registration Officer will take pertinent information pertaining to your background in order to provide you with the best service possible. You must inform the Registration Officer of the services you require from the department- whether it is job coaching, job placement services or matters pertaining to employee disputes. The Registration Officer will then refer you one of the below relevant officers:
- Senior Job Placement Officer
- Job Placement Officer
- Job Coach
- Dismissal and Complaints Officer
Note: If necessary the Registration Officer will also refer you to the Department of Social Services for further assistance.
If you are a business owner or employer seeking services from the Department of Labor Affairs, your first point of contact will be the Business Registration Officer. The Business Registration Officer will register your business. If you also need to request an Employment Permit, then the Registration Officer will refer you to a Permit Officer. Some other relevant sections are Dismissals/Complaints and Job Placement.