Crew Employment

Since the implementation of the Maritime Labour Convention and due to the increasingly litigious environment we now operate within, crew employment is becoming increasingly complex. The Maritime Labour Convention requires all crew to be employed by an employment company that is certified as compliant with the rules of the Convention. In addition, the employer will have to follow both flag state and its own national social security requirements and conceivably those of the crewmembers it employs.

To best protect the owner’s interests regarding the liability associated with crew employment, we recommend that crew not be employed by the yachts owning company but by a separate crew employment company. This provides complete separation between the yacht’s ownership and crew employment and provides the best protection for the owner.

To achieve this, Arrow Services Monaco work closely with Cornerstone Crew, a dedicated crew employment company based in Hong Kong and operating from the Isle of Man. Cornerstone Crew are fully compliant with the Maritime Labour Convention. Crew are employed through an employment company, dedicated to your yacht, to prevent any possible cross contamination from other owners. We believe this structure to provide the best protection for the owner.

Cornerstone Crew services include:

• Approved Seamans Employment Agreements (SEA)

• Amendments to the SEA as necessary

• Employment termination

• Monthly payroll

Crew Management

Crew employment, contracts and payroll are just a small part of crew management. In addition, crew recruitment, flag state requirements, crew discipline and complaints as well as practical issues such as insurance and crew travel must also be managed. Once crew are employed, it is also important to work with them to maximise their potential and longevity onboard, to minimise the costs associated with high crew turnover and promote a stable team environment for crew and owners alike.

Arrow has many years of practical experience covering all aspects of crew management, including:

• Recruitment – crew search, crew interview process

• Reference and background checks

• Verification of qualifications and statutory certificates

• Medical insurance administration

• Continuous monitoring of certification to maintain compliance

• Oversight of leave records and management

• Coordinating crew appraisals

• Management of crew discipline and crew complaints

• Ongoing crew administration – crew visas, training/ personal development, crew travel