Regulations to introduce the new term limits for non-Caymanian civil servants are currently being finalised, according to Deputy Governor Franz Manderson.
They are expected to be presented to the Cayman Islands Government this January and will affect about 1,400 workers, mainly in policing, teaching, the care sector and at the prison.
Speaking on Radio Cayman on 17 December, Manderson said the 2025 passage of the Immigration (Transition) (Amendment and Validation) Bill was a “primary achievement”.
The law will limit non-Caymanian government employees to nine years of service. This matches rules already in place for private sector workers.
The deputy governor, who is retiring this July, noted the legislation was delivered within months of the new government being elected.
Manderson said he does not believe the change will have a “devastating effect” on government operations, as the average non-Caymanian civil servant typically remains in their post for about five years.
He credited “the way in which we were able to implement this with the elected government […] to ensure minimal disruption”.
To manage the transition, a pilot succession planning framework was launched in 2025 to identify key roles held by non-Caymanians and prepares Caymanians to assume those positions.
“I wanted to make sure that when I was leaving, we had a succession plan framework in place,” Manderson said.
“So that we identify the key [posts] and that we have succession planning for Caymanians to take over in […] key roles that are held by non-Caymanians.”
The framework is slated for a full rollout across the entire civil service in 2026.
The reforms come as Manderson approaches his final six months before retirement, following a 44-year career in the civil service.
