The government has made a number of announcements and initiatives in relation to the Covid-19 outbreak. Outlined below are some key points for you and your business.
The Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection has released a detailed guide for employers and employees and includes information on:
Social Welfare
The Government will establish a temporary refund scheme for employers forced to cease trading as a result of social distancing measures. Where possible, employers are being asked to pay workers at least the equivalent jobseekers’ rate of €203 per week during a six-week period.
Employers can then claim a refund for the payments under the temporary scheme. This new temporary refund scheme will be available to all employees and the self-employed who have lost work as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Working from home – Home expenses
Employers can make a payment of €3.20 per workday to an eWorker employee without deducting: Pay As You Earn (PAYE); Pay Related Social Insurance (PRSI); Universal Social Charge (USC).
This payment is to cover expenses such as heating and electricity costs. If your employee’s costs are higher and you repay these expenses records of the payments made must be retained by you. Your employee may instead choose to make a claim online at the end of the year. To do this, they must submit receipts to their local Revenue office using MyEnquiries which is available through MyAccount.
These arrangements only apply to eWorker employees. They do not apply to workers who bring work home outside of normal working hours.
For more information please contact your Gore & Grimes contact.