Workers can now say to employers “take me back on or make me redundant and pay me the lump sum I’m entitled to” – Varadkar
— Jack Horgan-Jones (@JackHoJo) September 21, 2021
This morning.
Dublin Castle. Dublin 2
Tanaiste and Fine Gael Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Leo Varadkar with Fianna Fail Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform Michael McGrath and Minister of Justice, Social Protection, Community and Rural Development, Heather Humphreys speak to the media following a cabinet meeting.
Via RTÉ:
The rules around employee rights changed during Covid-19 when, in March 2020, the Government introduced emergency measures in response to the pandemic.
It meant workers who were temporarily laid off or put on short time hours because of Covid-19 were not allowed to claim redundancy.
The department said this rule was introduced to “reduce the pressure on employers who were already struggling and to reduce the number of insolvencies and permanent job losses over the course of the pandemic”.
That rule will be suspended at the end of this month.
He said they estimate this redundancy scheme will cost between €30 to €130 million over the next three years as it will continue until 2024.
He said every candidate can receive up to €1,860 under this statutory redundancy.
He also said it is impossible to estimate how many redundancies will happen over the coming months following today’s decision.
Redundancy scheme to ensure workers ‘not out of pocket’ (RTÉ)
So the proverbial is about to hit the fan.
There are plenty of small businesses on their knees right now who can’t afford to pay their rent let alone cough up redundancy. This on top of a vaccine passport system which has drastically cut restaurant and pub footfall.
One thing is for certain, FFG are no friends of the indigenous SME sector.
Hang on, I was made redundant in 2009, my employers folded and were not even able to pay statutory redundancy , and claim back.
We still got our 2 weeks per yr statutory from the state , without involvement from the company.
The key phrase there is ‘my employers folded’- and this will push quite a few over the edge now.