The Ministry of Labour, Social Security and the Third Sector is urging selected establishments to complete the Survey of Employment, Earnings and Hours (SEEH) by July 28, 2026.
The survey is being conducted by the Ministry, with technical support from the Barbados Statistical Service and the Sagicor Cave Hill School of Business and Management.
The SEEH is the first national earnings survey since 2018 and will restore Barbados’ capacity to produce detailed, job-level data on how workers are paid, the hours they work and the structure of earnings across the country’s key industries.
For employers, participation will help replace guesswork with facts on pay and hours while providing stronger labour-market benchmarks. The survey will produce more credible sector evidence for HR planning, reduce reliance on anecdotes or overseas benchmarks, and provide a stronger basis for industry association advocacy.
At the national level, a more current evidence base will support balanced labour-market discussions and predictable wage-setting dialogue. It will also provide better information for national planning, stronger labour-market monitoring and better policy for every sector.
The SEEH will provide a repeatable platform for future data collection and is intended to become a permanent annual feature of Barbados’ statistical framework.
Participation is mandated under the Statistics Act, Cap. 192, and is therefore a legal requirement for selected establishments. Businesses are encouraged to complete the survey within 14 business days of receiving their access credentials and should not wait until the final deadline.
Employers are required to provide information on employee numbers, hours worked and compensation, including basic wages, overtime payments, allowances and bonuses.
All information is confidential and protected by law. Under the Statistics Act, Cap. 192, the data will never be shared with the Barbados Revenue Authority, the National Insurance Scheme or any regulator. No business or employee will be identifiable in published results, and no employee names or national identification numbers will be collected.
Employers are encouraged to designate a Payroll or Human Resources Officer to complete the survey and to have the relevant payroll records readily available. Establishments requiring assistance should contact their assigned enumerator or the SEEH project team.
The Ministry thanks all establishments that have already completed the survey and encourages those that have not yet done so to treat the matter as a priority. By participating, each selected establishment helps shape a fairer Barbados.
For further information, contact Brian Chandler at 284-4625, brian.chandler@uwi.edu; Kay Harewood at 535-1580, kharewood@labour.gov.bb; or Joel Gaskin at 535-1419, jgaskin@labour.gov.bb.
