Today  employess of  Bahamas Power and Light (BPL) who  have applied and been approved for BPL’s voluntary separation packages will be released.

BPL Chief Executive Officer  Whitney Heastie said yesterday that the  Company  has taken previous experience and applied them to ensure that it  doesn’t  fall into any kind of trap in relations to letting go of persons that are critical to the company at this  time.

He said, “with the release of those individuals,  there’s  also shoring up of people because some those folks are really critical. 

“A lot of the folks that have left are the most senior people in this organization,  with the most experience in this organization and we certainly have learned from these type of exercises in the past,  where voluntary separation packages are being offered and the most senior, most experienced  folks leave and then all of a sudden,  you’re in a more critical situation than you were before.” 

He also confirmed that while around 300 persons have applied, a number of them will be retained by the company.

“A third of those we have deemed as critical employees and we are going to have to retain and ask them to stay back to help us through this most critical period of the year which is summer, our peek season and then there’s a phase out approach with those that are staying on as to when  they can be released,” Mr. Heastie said.  

BPL Chairman Darnell Osborne confirmed earlier this month that the company  intends to put a plan in place to either train existing employees or phase in new employees to take these critical people’s place.

Mr. Heastie said these individuals will  receive  the same packages as those be released today,  even though they will be phased out at a later date.