inail.it (17.03.2020)  The new Coronavirus infections of doctors, nurses and other employees of the National Health Service and of any other public or private health facility insured with Inail, which occurred in the work environment or due to the performance of the work activity, are fully protected as accidents at work.

Reuters (30.03.2020) Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Monday committed a A$130 billion ($79.86 billion) package to help save jobs as shockwaves from the coronavirus pandemic rip through the economy. The package includes a A$1,500 ($923.10) “job keeper” payment to be paid to employers every two weeks, for each worker under the scheme.

In order to facilitate the access to e-services and request emergency allowances, the Italian administration simplified the procedures to request an e-access and  PIN code.

For internal use: administrative measures implemented by INPS in Italy

mitradel.gob.pa (13.03.2020)

El Decreto Ejecutivo No. 71 indica que los empleadores que sugieran reducir las horas de trabajo, lo consensuará con cada colaborador, definiendo los términos de la reducción de las horas laborables. Para esto, el Decreto Ejecutivo No. 71 establece un formulario sugerido el cual será presentado ante la Dirección General de Trabajo del Ministerio de Trabajo y Desarrollo Laboral (Mitradel) para validar la medida. La reducción de la jornada laboral, la movilidad laboral o cualquier otra modificación acogida por las partes, está orientada a la mitigación del riesgo de contagio del COVID-19 en medio del Estado de Emergencia Nacional declarada por el Consejo de Gabinete en sesión realizada el viernes 13 de marzo de 2020.

mitradel.gob.pa (16.03.2020)

La norma establece que los trabajadores procedentes del exterior, mediante cualquier medio de transporte terrestre, marítimo o aéreo, de lugares o países declarados como áreas de riesgo deberá reportar su procedencia ante las Autoridades Sanitarias y notificar al empleador. Por su parte, los trabajadores diagnosticados con COVID-19 en cuarentena se les certificará su condición a través de las Direcciones Regionales de Salud que deberá entregarse a la Caja de Seguro Social para tramitar su incapacidad.

workandincome.govt.nz (27.03.2020) We’re making urgent changes to the way we do things – taking into account the health and safety of our clients and each other. From Monday 30 March we’re:

• deferring the need to provide subsequent medical certificates for clients already getting Jobseeker Support, Sole Parent Support, Supported Living Payment and Child Disability Allowance.
• deferring any Disability Allowance reviews
• delaying Annual Reviews (including all annual reviews of income, confirming your circumstances (CYC) and annual circumstances letters (ACL), social housing reviews, and life certificates)
• clearing any Special Benefit expiries or reviews
• deferring any new obligations failures
• clearing any 52-week reapplications for clients getting Job Seeker Support or Sole Parent Support
• extending the period that Temporary Additional Support is granted for. We’re working through transitional arrangements for any clients whose payments are affected by any of these changes/reviews.

plumaslibres.com.mx (18.03.2020) Ciudad de México.- El presidente Andrés Manuel López Obrador anunció un adelanto de 4 meses de pensión a adultos mayores, como parte de las medidas implementadas para reducir el impacto del contagio comunitario de coronavirus Covid-19, previsto para finales del mes de marzo por el gobierno federal. En su conferencia mañanera, el titular del Poder Ejecutivo federal dijo que confía en que la situación económica general logre superar la crisis provocada por el coronavirus, pues dicho fenómeno no se originó en México sino obedece a una tendencia internacional como parte de los efectos de la pandemia. AMLO consideró que con la intervención prevista por el gobierno de Estados Unidos, los mercados podrían entrar en una etapa de recuperación a la brevedad.

thestar.com.my (16.03.2020) Meanwhile, Muhyiddin said that the RM200 payment for Bantuan Sara Hidup (BSH) recipients will be brought forward to March 16 from its initial date in May. “The BSH payments amounting to RM760mil will benefit 3.8 million BSH households." He also announced that an additional RM100 will be paid to BSH recipients later in May, adding that it will involve RM500mil which will benefit five million BSH recipients.

thestar.com.my (16.03.2020) Employees who are affected will receive financial assistance of RM600 each month for a maximum period of six months, said Muhyiddin. Workers who are given notice to take unpaid leave beginning March 1 will be eligible for the financial assistance, said Muhyiddin. “This involves an allocation of RM120mil, and as many as 33,000 workers are targeted to receive this benefit, ” he said during a press conference at the Prime Minister’s Office in Putrajaya on March 16 (Monday). Muhyiddin also said that affected employees with salaries under RM4,000 a month are also allowed to withdraw from the Employee Insurance System (EIS).

en.an-japan.com (27.02.2020) Now in late February 2020, the novel coronavirus is spreading around the globe and impacting people and business. Japan is also hit severely by the virus that stops influx of Chinese tourists and has many events and gatherings cancelled or postponed. Some businesses have to consider down-sizing operations and lay-off. 　

Employment Adjustment Subsidy is to support employers who are suffered from the business downturn but maintain employment by paying leave allowance and letting employees take partly paid leave, rather than firing them. The subsidy reimburses two third for a SME employer or a half for a large enterprise of the leave allowance. The subsidy is however capped at an upper limit, which is JPY 8,335 a day per employee on the leave as of late February 2020.

mainichi.jp (18.03.2020)

OSAKA (Kyodo) -- The city government of Osaka officially decided Wednesday to offer free school lunches to all of its public elementary and junior high school students from April to alleviate the financial burden on households caused by the spread of the novel coronavirus. The plan, the first by a major Japanese city, will cover 165,000 students. The city estimates the program will save parents and guardians between 50,000 yen ($470) and 60,000 yen per child each year.

jamaica-gleaner.com (16.03.2020)

As part of its education in emergencies response plans, the Ministry says , in collaboration with school leaders, teachers and educational partners, it has already provided significant support to enable continued teaching and learning while students are not in school. It says the support includes the activation of online, virtual, computer-based teaching and learning augmented by traditional radio and TV media.  The Ministry says it is also aware that the nutritional needs of the most vulnerable are paramount to their educational success, especially in this period of disruption. As such, under the food support plan, Nutrition Products Limited will prepare snacks comprising baked products, fruit juices, milk and water for students on PATH at the primary and secondary levels. A limited number has been prepared for today, Monday, March 16, while the distribution points are finalised. 

time24.news (15.03.2020) To discourage layoffs during the crisis, employees of companies that have paralyzed their activities will be entitled to receive a benefit in the amount of 80% of the salary, paid by the agency similar to the Brazilian INSS. The measure would be valid for nine weeks – that is, until mid-May, depending on the date of approval of the decree. In addition to the compensation, workers would also have their absence from quarantine work considered as sick leave, with the costs paid by the State. Because of the closure of schools, parents of children under the age of 12 who had their classes suspended would be entitled to 15-day family leave and would receive, during this period, 50% of their salary. Mom and dad couldn’t use the benefit at the same time. For parents who cannot or do not want to be absent from work, the package includes a € 600 (R $ 3,259) voucher for hiring babysitters. This amount increases to € 1000 (R $ 5,432) in the case of healthcare workers, such as doctors, nurses and laboratory workers.

foreignaffairs.com (18.03.2020) This week, the government announced that it would distribute a one-time cash transfer to households without a “regular source of income.” About three million families fall into this category, and they account for some 20 percent of the population. For the poorest families, the transfer will cover about a month’s worth of expenditures.

aseanbriefing.com (27.03.2020) The government has injected 1.5 trillion rupiah (US$104 million) into its subsidized housing program which is expected to cover financing for a further 175,000 new homes. 800 billion rupiah (US$55 million) will be used to cover interest payments with the rest going to paying for subsidies.

aseanbriefing.com (10.03.2020) The government prepared funding totaling 4.6 trillion rupiah (US$324 million) for the Affordable Food Program (Sembako Murah) to boost local consumption. This program was initiated by the President during his re-election campaign in 2019 and aims to enable 15 million low-income households to purchase staple food products at discounted prices. As part of the stimulus package, low-income households will also receive 200,000 rupiah (US$13.97) per month in financial benefits, an increase from 150,000 rupiah (US$10), for the next six months.

cnbc.com (16.03.2020) Economy Minister Roberto Gualtieri said the new measures would be approved next month. Monday’s decree is immediately effective and provides 3.5 billion euros ($3.9 billion) to help the hard-pressed health service and 10 billion to support families and workers, ministers said. It extends parental leave, offers funds to families to pay for babysitters, and suspends all firing procedures begun after Feb. 23. Gualtieri has said several times that “nobody must lose their job because of coronavirus.”

timesofindia.indiatimes.com (27.03.2020) NEW DELHI: The government on Thursday announced a Rs 1.7 lakh crore package focused on emergency cash transfers into bank accounts of the poor, along with providing free foodgrains, pulses and cooking gas for three months in a bid to cushion them from the impact of the coronavirus lockdown and economic disruption caused by the disease. 

Manche Krankheiten verbreiten sich schnell in viele Länder. Das nennt man: Pandemie. Dazu gehört auch Grippe und die neue Krankheit Corona. Hier lesen Sie Tipps, damit Sie sich bei der Arbeit nicht anstecken: 

Halten Sie Abstand - Schütteln Sie keine Hände -Waschen Sie sich oft die Hände - Kratzen Sie sich nicht an der Nase - Passen Sie bei Husten und Niesen auf - Lüften Sie Arbeits-Räume gut - Firmen brauchen einen Plan, wenn es Grippe oder Corona vor Ort gibt - Rufen Sie Ihren Arzt vor einem Besuch an. 

thenewsminute.com (13.03.2020)

In a gesture of goodwill, the Kerala government has started measures to deliver ingredients for mid-day meals to over three lakh children studying in anganwadis, which have been closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This is to ensure the undisrupted supply of meals to the students. Since Tuesday, schools, colleges, educational institutions and anganwadis have been shuttered. Exams are being conducted for students in high school. The decision to continue mid-day meals for anganwadi children has come as a relief to many.

Die Gesundheit der Kunden und Beschäftigten liegt Ihnen am Herzen. Mit diesen Aushängen können Sie Ihre Kunden auf die Vorsichtsmaßnahmen hinweisen.

•  Aushang Kasse Verhaltensregeln an der Kasse (bargeldlos bezahlen, Abstand halten) (PDF, 1321 KByte)
• Aushang Kasse und Bedientheke 2 m Abstand halten (PDF, 688 KByte)
• Aushang für den Eingangsbereich Verhaltensregeln (Abstand halten, bargeldlos bezahlen, Hygieneregeln) (PDF, 554 KByte)
• Poster: Gib Viren Null Chance Format DIN A3  (PDF, 1055 KByte)

 The Globe and Mail (26.03.2020) The federal government is drafting mandatory, national standards to protect the health and safety of workers during the coronavirus pandemic. 

Die ständige Intensivierung der Maßnahmen zur Eindämmung des Coronavirus erhöht weltweit den Handlungsdruck - auch für die Bereiche des öffentlichen Lebens. Aufgrund der hohen Infektiosität sind Schutzmaßnahmen für die Beschäftigten im Bereich des Handels und der Warenlogistik notwendig. Wir weisen darauf hin, dass auch in der jetzigen Situation die Unternehmen die Verantwortung für Arbeitssicherheit und Gesundheitsschutz ihrer Beschäftigten tragen, um einen höchstmöglichen Schutz der Beschäftigten in der gegenwärtigen Risikolage gewährleisten zu können. Wir haben hier die wichtigsten Fragen und Antworten für die Branchen des Handels und der Warenlogistik zusammengestellt. 

The Compensation Commissioner has clarifoed that COVID-19 will be recognized as an occupatioal disease if acquired by employees arising out of  employment through exposure to confirmed cases in the workplace or after an official work trip to a high risk country or area. To qualify for benefits from the Compensation Fund, the following criteria must be met:

1. the diagnosis must be as a result of occupational exposure to a known source of Covid-19;
2. the Covid-19 must be diagnosed as per the World Health Organisation guidelines;
3. the Covid-19 diagnosis must be linked to an approved official trip and travel history to high risk areas or countries on a work assignment or linked to a presumed high-risk work environment where transmission of Covid-19 is inherently prevalent; and
4. a chronological sequence must exist between the work exposure and the development of Covid-19 symptoms.