Q: I have been laid off, what am I entitled to?

As non-essential businesses are closed to stop the spread of the virus, many workers are being temporarily laid off.

There are two schemes available in this situation, depending on how your boss handles this:

1. If they keep you on the payroll, you are entitled to 70% of your previous wages with employers encouraged to pay the remaining 30%. This is called the ‘Wage Subsidy Scheme’
2. If your boss takes you off the payroll, you are entitled to the Pandemic Unemployment Benefit of €350

Both schemes have plusses and minuses:

Pandemic Unemployment Payment
This is available to anyone who has currently lost employment due to the pandemic or has to stay at home, for instance, to look after children. It also includes self-employed people, or students, EU and non-EU citizens, part-time workers, basically anyone so long as you are now not receiving any income from work.

There are a few restrictions, they are:

• You have to be between 18 and 66
• Unfortunately, those under the age of 18 who have lost their job do not qualify
• You have to now be fully unemployed
• Those who have had their hours reduced are not covered by this, and are particularly hard hit. We are pushing for improvements here
• You work in the south but live in Northern Ireland. As it stands this group seem to be falling between the schemes north & south, and this needs to be fixed.

You can apply online now, even if you don’t have a Public Services Card. Just log on to MyWelfare.ie and take it from there

Payment is made directly into your bank account, but you must use an Irish bank account - N26 and Revolut accounts do not work unfortunately.

The major problem with this scheme is that it does not protect your contract with your boss. The fear is that having laid off workers, companies in 6 months time may hire back workers on reduced wages and conditions.

More info from Citizens Information.

Wage Subsidy scheme

This scheme pays 70% of your current wages up to a maximum of €410, with employers encouraged but not required to pay the other 30%. Your boss pays the money into your account, and the next day or so they get the money refunded to them by revenue.

The major advantage here is that you stay on the pay roll of your company, with the same contract. Workers and unions should probably push for this scheme instead.

However there are a few limits to this scheme:

• Most importantly for low waged workers, 70% of your wages may actually be less than the €350,. This should be fixed by guaranteeing all workers on this scheme a minimum of €350.
• For workers who usually earn more than €586 a week, after-tax there is another problem. Strangely for these workers the maximum payment is €350 a week, rather than €410 for those earning even just €1 under the threshold. This was decided by the Minister and I will be pushing to correct this.
• The other big problem is there is no requirement for employers to pay the remaining 30%. I think this should be changed. Big companies can well afford this. For Small and struggling companies, the state should pay the 100%, to keep workers wages whole.

More info

Q: I am sick or self-isolating, how do I get Illness Benefit?

If you feel unwell or think you may have Covid-19, you should phone your GP

If the GP suspects you may have the virsu, you will be required to self-isolate for 2 weeks. During this 2 weeks you are entitled to Ilness Benefit. Call 1890 900 024 and they will post you out a form. Your GP seperately submits a cert.

If you are diagnosed with Covid-19 you are entitled to Illness benefit until you are better.

More info

Q: My work is non-essential but I am still being told to come to work, what should I so?

Check the list to see if your workplace is covered by the list of ‘essential services’, Unforunately many companies stretching the definition and opening even if they are not really essential

You think that’s the case for your workplaces, you should do something about it.

The Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005 (Section 27(3) (f) provides that

“An employer shall not penalise or threaten penalisation against an employee in circumstances of danger which the employee reasonably believed to be serious and imminent and which he or she could not reasonably have been expected to avert, leaving (or proposing to leave) or, while the danger persisted, refusing to return to his or her place of work or any dangerous part of his or her place of work, or taking (or proposing to take) appropriate steps to protect himself or herself or other persons from the danger.”

This means your employer cannot retaliate against you if you leave your workplace because you believe you place of work is unsafe. That’s the law.

You should share this information with your workmates. Perhaps set up a WhatsApp group where ye can discuss what to do. You should also contact us and your union, if you have one.

With NCT centres and BAM sites, when we highlighted the case, the companies quickly closed down the sites

Q: My work is essential but is not being done safely

You should speak out about this and organise to demand the necessary safety precautions and protective equipment.

The Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005 (Section 27(3) (f) provides that

“An employer shall not penalise or threaten penalisation against an employee in circumstances of danger which the employee reasonably believed to be serious and imminent and which he or she could not reasonably have been expected to avert, leaving (or proposing to leave) or, while the danger persisted, refusing to return to his or her place of work or any dangerous part of his or her place of work, or taking (or proposing to take) appropriate steps to protect himself or herself or other persons from the danger.”

You should share this information with your workmates. Perhaps set up a WhatsApp group where ye can discuss what to do. You should also contact us and your union, if you have one.

Q: I am being put on short hours, or being told to take annual leave. What can I do?

Firstly, check your contract if you have one. Often an employer is not entitled to do this without your agreement agreement

Being put on short hours is potentially the worst case. In many cases make more sense to keep a few workers on and put others on wage subsidy scheme, 70% from state, push for 30% from the employer

Also unacceptable for employers to tell workers to take annual leave. Better for employers to send workers home. The state will pay 70% of the wage bill, they only have to cover the 30%, or alternatively you can get the €350 Pandemic Unemployment Payment.