Cornerstone's team know what is required by people working on board yachts and we understand the importance of having a happy crew. We are on hand to help crew members with any queries they may have and will go out of our way to provide the best service possible.
Cornerstone can provide crew with the following services:
Personal pension schemes and medical health insurance
Letters of support / employment confirmation to assist with loan or mortgage applications
Assistance with opening personal bank accounts with Standard Bank, Isle of Man, the industry leader for Seafarer Accounts. View the Seafarers Account Application here
Discharge book applications to the MCA
Assistance towards meeting tax and social insurance obligations
Saving schemes
Life insurance
Training courses, plans and schedules
Reference requests and PYA testimonials
By utilising our employment structures, not only does this take away the burden of managing the crew and arranging the monthly payroll but it also separates crew employment liabilities from any yacht ownership structure that may be in place.
Services for owners include the following:
Incorporation of a specific Crew Employment Company who sole purpose is to employ the crew for an individual yacht
Provision of dedicated Bank Account for each Company ensuring that each owners funds are ring-fenced and protected
Provision of Seafarer Employment Agreement’s for each crew member that comply with MLC 2006 and each Flag State
Resolution of any employment dispute and disciplinary issues
Complete administrative service including payroll, salary notifications and termination agreements
Providing assistance to employees in meeting their tax and social security obligations
Assistance in setting up a crew insurance package and reviewing the yachts P&I cover to ensure it is appropriate and meets the requirements of MLC
Setting up a pension fund for crew members
Monitoring and verifying crew medical cover and qualifications ensuring they are up to date and appropriate
Obtaining Flag State safe manning and exemption certificates
Cornerstone operates a simple but comprehensive payroll system easing the burden on Owners, Captains and Yacht Managers alike.
Payroll is prepared on a monthly basis and involves a methodical 5-step process
A monthly crew records report is prepared and circulated to the yacht Captain confirming details of crew who worked on the yacht that month, amounts they are due and reconciling holidays taken to the allowances provided for
Once agreed with the Captain the report is sent to the Owner or their representative along with an invoice covering the monthly salaries due
Owner or their representative makes one single payment to us as indicated covering the monthly payroll
We arrange onward payment of the salaries to each crew member. Crew members can choose to split their salary payment into multiple bank accounts or currencies and can request specific payments to alternate parties
Each crew member under management will receive confirmation of their payment with a detailed salary slips sent by email
We ensure that before payment is made to a new crew member then that crew member will be “called back” to verify their banking details to avoid risk of payment errors and unnecessary delays