Global Challenges search
Title | Abstract | Tags | Topics | Regions / Country | |
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VZ: Virginia Transformers implement new measures to protect against COVID-19 | btreichel | A contribution from the Vision Zero Community: Roanoke-based Virginia Transformer has rolled out a new set of initiatives to help protect its workers as production continues amid the global COVID-19 pandemic. “We’ve seen past outbreaks such as SARS in 2003 and MERS in 2015, so we’ve navigated challenges before and emerged stronger afterwards. This time, however, the challenge is higher but as an employer of choice, corporate neighbour and industry leader, our focus is on protecting our most valuable assets – our people,” said Prabhat Jain, CEO of Virginia Transformer (VTC). VTC has made an effort to follow CDC guidelines and took steps to protect employees from the virus. These measures have included:
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covid19, prevention | Occupational accidents and diseases, Prevention of occupational risks | United States |
Colombia: Modificación de entrega de servicios del proyecto 1000 días para cambiar el mundo | mmarquez | regiones.gov.co (17.03.2020) De acuerdo con el memorando del 17 de marzo de 2020, se desarrollón una lista de orientación de entrega de complementación alimentaria y seguimiento nutricional en la modalidad de 1.000 días ara cambiar el mundo como medida de contingencia para la prevención, manejo y contención de la infección respiratoria causada por el COVID-19. |
customer_services | Family benefits, Children, Service delivery | colombia |
Colombia: Flexibilización del programa de atención a la primera infancia del ICBF | mmarquez | regiones.gov.co (18.03.2020) De acuerdo con la resolución 3005 del 18 de marzo de 2020, se acuerda modificar los servicios de atención a la primera infancia del Instituto Colombiano de Bienestar Familiar (ICBF) con el fin de continuar con el proceso de cuidado y crianza de niñas, niños y mujeres en el marco de la emergencia sanitaria por causa del Covid-19. Esta es una medida transitoria válida hasta el 20 de abril, pero puede extenderse. |
customer_services | Service delivery | colombia |
Colombia: Canasta de servicios médicos para infectados con Covid-19 | mmarquez | regiones.gov.co (12.04.2020) El Ministerio de Salud y Protección Social definirá una canasta de atenciones para los pacientes con Coronavirus COVID-19, cuyo reconocimiento se efectuará por parte de la Administradora de los Recursos del Sistema General de Seguridad Social en Salud -ADRES-. |
covid19 | Health | colombia |
Uzbekistan: Additional Measures to Support the Population | cambrosio | The Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Employment and Labor Relations of the Republic of Uzbekistan: |
covid19, labour markets | Employment, Unemployment | Uzbekistan |
Uzbekistan: Paid sick leave for quarantined workers | cambrosio | mfa.uz (20.03.2020) Parents (persons replacing them, guardians, trustees) quarantined due to infection with a coronavirus infection or suspected infection, as well as persons caring for their child under the age of 14, are paid sick leave in the amount of 100 percent of the salary. One working parent for household is given a paid leave for the duration of schools and kindergartens shutdown without affecting the regular annual paid leave schedule. |
covid19 | Health | Uzbekistan |
Uzbekistan: Decree of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan on Measures against the spread of Coronavirus | cambrosio | mfa.uz (20.03.2020) Creation of an Anti-Crisis Fund under the Ministry of Finance of the Republic of Uzbekistan in the amount of 10 trillion soums. It will mainly used to:
providing medical and other institutions with medicines and medical devices, protective drugs and test systems necessary to combat the spread of coronavirus infection; covering the costs of quarantining persons at risk or in contact with infected persons; the allocation of additional funds for material incentives for medical workers
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covid19, family | Family benefits, Employment, Safety and health at work, Social assistance | Uzbekistan |
Colombia: Se reconoce el Covid-19 como enfermedad laboral para trabajadores en el sector salud | mmarquez | regiones.gov.co (12.04.2020) Decreto 538. Artículo 13. Requisitos para inclusión del Coronavirus COVID-19 como enfermedad laboral directa. Elimfnense los requisitos de que trata el parágrafo 2 del artículo 4 de la Ley 1562 de 2012 para incluir dentro de la tabla de enfermedades laborales, el Coronavirus COVID- 19 como enfermedad laboral directa, respecto de los trabajadores del sector salud, incluyendo al personal administrativo, de aseo, vigilancia y de apoyo que preste servicios en las diferentes actividades de prevención, diagnóstico y atención de esta enfermedad. Las entidades Administradoras de Riesgos Laborales -ARL-, desde el momento en que se confirme el diagnóstico del Coronavirus COVID-19, deben reconocer todas las prestaciones asistenciales y económicas derivadas de la incapacidad de origen laboral por esa enfermedad, sin que se requiera la determinación de origen laboral en primera oportunidad o el dictamen de las juntas de calificación de invalidez. |
covid19 | Cash sickness benefits, Health promotion | colombia |
Building effective short-time work schemes for the COVID-19 crisis | pmassetti | voxeu.org (01.04.2020) Short-time work is a subsidy for temporary reductions in the number of hours worked in firms affected by temporary shocks. Evidence suggests that it can have large positive effects on employment and can be more effective than unemployment insurance or universal transfers. This column discusses how the COVID-19 crisis – with its mandated reduction in hours of work and massive liquidity crunch for firms – is a textbook case for the use of short-time work. Taking into account available evidence and the current situation, it proposes guidelines to effectively implement short-term work. |
covid19 | Employment | |
Mitigating mass layoffs in the COVID-19 crisis: The Austrian short-time model | pmassetti | voxeu.org (07.04.2020) Due to the global spread of COVID-19, Austria, like many other countries, is facing a massive increase in unemployment. To mitigate the skyrocketing number of unemployed persons, social partners have developed a new model of subsidised short-time work that could become an international role model. The Austrian model allows a temporary reduction in working hours up to 90% while maintaining the employment relationship and granting almost full public wage compensation. This measure can help to bridge the economic outfall as it helps to stabilise demand and fosters a fast return to pre-crisis economic activity. |
covid19 | Unemployment | austria |
Malaysia: Contributions to the Employees Provident Fund will be reduced | mmarquez | treasury.gov.my (27.02.2020) The effects of COVID-19 reverberate beyond the tourism industry. Malaysian businesses, especially exporters are affected by supply chain disruptions involving factories and ports in China. Therefore, the Government will carry out immediate measures to boost local consumption growth to cushion the effect of negative external factors, while protecting local Malaysian jobs. These measures include: First : the minimum Employees Provident Fund (EPF) contribution by employees will be reduced by 4% from 11% to 7%, with effect from 1 April 2020 to 31 December 2020. This will potentially unlock up to RM10 billion worth of private consumption. Malaysian workers have the option to opt out from the scheme and maintain their contribution rate. Second : a payment of RM200 to all Bantuan Sara Hidup (BSH) recipients scheduled for May 2020 will be brought forward to March 2020. Third : an additional RM100 will be paid into the bank accounts of all BSH recipients in May 2020. Subsequently, an additional RM50 will be channelled in the form of e-tunai. |
covid19 | Pensions, Contribution collection and compliance | malaysia |
Malaysia: Additional PRIHATIN SME Economic Stimulus Package | mmarquez | pmo.gov.my (06.04.2020) The additional measures are: First, the wage subsidy programme announced on 27 March will be expanded from RM5.9 billion to RM13.8 billion, an increase of RM7.9 billion. Under this additional initiative, all companies with local employees earning a monthly salary each of RM4,000 and below will receive wage subsidies as follows: For companies with a workforce of more than 200 people, we will provide a wage subsidy of RM600 per month for every retained worker. However, the maximum number of workers that a company is eligible to claim for will be increased from 100 to 200 employees. |
covid19 | Unemployment | malaysia |
United States: Impact payments to social security beneficiaries who are not required to file tax returns | mmarquez | ssa.gov (03.04.2020) The Department of the Treasury (Treasury) announced on April 1 that Social Security beneficiaries who are not typically required to file tax returns will not need to file an abbreviated tax return to receive an economic impact payment. The IRS will use the information on the Form SSA-1099 to generate $1,200 economic impact payments to Social Security beneficiaries who did not file tax returns in 2018 or 2019. |
covid19 | Cash transfers | United States |
Philippines: Coronavirus aid: Too little, too slow, too politicized | mmarquez | rappler.com (15.04.2020) Just like many COVID-19 patients fighting for their lives, what the Philippine economy needs right now is a sturdy ventilator for life support. But at the rate government is distributing aid, our economy’s ventilator seems dismally broken. On March 25, President Rodrigo Duterte signed the Bayanihan to Heal as One Act. This chiefly authorized him to marshal resources to fight COVID-19. That law also mandated government to hand out disaster relief. Specifically, it provided for a monthly “emergency subsidy” to help tide over 18 million households whose incomes and livelihoods have been diminished (or totally swept away) by the pandemic. But this aid program, no matter how well-meaning, is too little, too slow, and too politicized. |
covid19 | Service delivery, Cash transfers | philippines, the |
Chatbots provide millions with COVID-19 information every day, but they can be improved - here’s how | pmassetti | World Economic Forum (06.04.2020) The COVID-19 pandemic has helped widen global usage for chatbot technology. After the pandemic, the use of chatbots for healthcare applications will continue to grow. Public and private stakeholders must come together to maximize these benefits while minimizing risks. |
covid19 | E-services, Service quality | |
Barbados: Anticipation of pension payments | mmarquez | nis.gov.bb (11.03.2020) NIS pensioners can have their pensions deposited to their bank and credit union accounts. Your pension can be issued for a four-week period instead of the two-week intervals to which you are accustomed. |
customer_services | Old-age pensions, Service delivery | barbados |
UE: Commission proposes SURE (Support to mitigate Unemployment Risks in an Emergency) | pmassetti | ec.europa.eu (02.04.2020) The new instrument for temporary Support to mitigate Unemployment Risks in an Emergency (SURE) is designed to help protect jobs and workers affected by the coronavirus pandemic. It will provide financial assistance, in the form of loans granted on favourable terms from the EU to Member States, of up to €100 billion in total. These loans will assist Member States to address sudden increases in public expenditure to preserve employment. Specifically, these loans will help Member States to cover the costs directly related to the creation or extension of national short-time work schemes, and other similar measures they have put in place for the self-employed as a response to the current coronavirus pandemic. |
covid19, self-employed | Employment, Unemployment | european union |
Canada: Federal emergency benefit to be extended to part-time and seasonal workers | pmassetti | theglobeandmail.com (15.04.2020) The federal government expanding the Canada Emergency Response Benefit to include people making up to $1,000 a month, seasonal workers and people whose EI [employment insurance] has run out. |
covid19 | Cash transfers | canada |
Argentina: ANSES INFORMA QUE EL 21 DE ABRIL COMENZARÁN LOS PAGOS DEL INGRESO FAMILIAR DE EMERGENCIA | ANSES Noticias | mmarquez | noticias.anses.gob.ar (11.04.2020) La ANSES informa que los beneficiarios del Ingreso Familiar de Emergencia (IFE) que están comunicando desde hoy su número de Clave Bancaria Uniforme (CBU), comenzarán a cobrar los 10.000 pesos a partir del próximo 21 de abril y hasta el 5 de mayo inclusive. Cabe destacar que las acreditaciones se realizarán todos los días hábiles del período indicado en los CBU aportados por los titulares del beneficio extraordinario creado por el Gobierno nacional. |
covid19, family | Service delivery, Cash transfers | argentina |
En quoi consiste le mécanisme européen de réassurance chômage | pmassetti | touteleurope.eu (10.04.2020) Le 9 avril 2020, les ministres des Finances de l’Union européenne ont approuvé la proposition de la Commission européenne de financer une partie du chômage partiel dans les Etats membres, à hauteur de 100 milliards d’euros. En quoi consiste cette mesure ? Pourquoi l’idée d’un mécanisme de réassurance chômage au niveau européen refait-elle surface dans le cadre de la crise sanitaire ? |
covid19 | Unemployment, Financing | Europe |
Malaysia: Wage Subsidy Programme to assist employers in retaining their workers | pmassetti | pmo.gov.my (27.03.2020) The Government will introduce the Wage Subsidy Programme to assist employers in retaining their workers. Through this programme, the Government will provide salary of RM600 per month to every employee for 3 months. This programme is dedicated to workers earning less than RM4,000 and employers experiencing more than 50% decrease in their income since 1 January 2020. This measure is estimated to benefit 3.3 million workers with an allocation of RM5.9 billion. |
covid19 | Unemployment | malaysia |
United States: COVID-19 Information - Update of unemployment benefits based on Federal Stimulus Bill | cambrosio | dol.georgia.gov (13.04.2020) United States: The Georgia Department of Labor (GDOL) is updating its current systems to distribute federal unemployment funds as part of the CARES Act (Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security) bringing economic relief to many Georgians. It includes: |
covid19 | Unemployment, Cash transfers | United States |
Belize: Update on COVID-19 Unemployment Relief Program | cambrosio | pressoffice.gov.bz (03.04.2020) On Friday, April 3, 2020, the Government of Belize launched the COVID-19 e-Services Portal through which persons may apply to receive benefits from the COVID-19 Unemployment Relief Program. This Program will provide $150.00 every two weeks for three months to persons (employed and self-employed) who have been laid off as a result of the COVID-19 crisis. This program will also provide $100.00 every two weeks for three months to persons who were unemployed prior to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and are now experiencing even more difficult circumstances. These latter persons will also be referred to the Ministry of Human Development for consideration for further assistance through the social programs operated by that Ministry. The program doesn't apply to persons receiving benefits from other government or social security programs. |
covid19, self-employed, service delivery | Unemployment, E-services, Cash transfers | belize |
Cyprus: Payment of a Special Unemployment Benefit | cambrosio | pio.gov.cy (16.03.2020) Payment of a Special Unemployment Benefit:
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covid19 | Unemployment, Cash transfers | cyprus |
Cyprus: Granting of “sickness benefit” | cambrosio | pio.gov.cy (15.03.2020) The “Support Programme” includes the following measure on sickness cash benefits: Granting of “sickness benefit” of an average of €800 per month to workers who are dealing special health issues, cases of compulsory absence from work, persons over 63 years of age up to 65 years of age, who do not receive statutory pension and continue to work. |
covid19, self-employed | Cash sickness benefits | cyprus |