philstar.com (17.03.2020) The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has temporarily suspended the cash grants to beneficiaries of its poverty alleviation program in order to help prevent the spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The agency suspended the payouts for the  Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps),  social pension and unconditional cash transfer (UCT) for indigents as well as the distribution of 4Ps cash cards and field surveys for the 2019 National Household Targeting System for Poverty Reduction or the Listahanan. The Listahanan lays down the database of the country’s poorest families. DSWD Secretary Rolando Joselito Bautista signed on March 14 Department Advisory No. 1, providing guidelines on the prevention, control and mitigation of COVID-19 in DSWD offices as well as in its attached and supervised agencies.  The advisory set the steps to be taken by the agency to safeguard its workers from COVID-19, and in joining national efforts to contain and eradicate the disease. The advisory also identified DSWD programs and services to be suspended from March 15 to April 14, as these require meetings or convergence of beneficiaries and other stakeholders.  “This step will minimize the exposure of the beneficiaries and DSWD employees to the threats of COVID-19,” the agency said in a statement. The DSWD gave the assurance that it would regularly assess the suspension to ensure its responsiveness to the evolving situation. “This will determine if the suspension of the programs and activities will have to be continued or not,” the agency said. Meanwhile, the DSWD said it would continue its assistance to individuals in crisis situation program for the needy.

elconfidencial.com (12.03.2020)

El Gobierno garantizará el acceso a la prestación por cese de actividad (el paro de los autónomos) a todos los cotizantes del RETA que hayan sufrido una fuerte caída en su cifra de actividad como consecuencia del brote de la enfermedad, explican fuentes conocedoras de las negociaciones. Ahí se contemplarán todos los casos, pero beneficiará especialmente a los autónomos que tienen contratos que se están cancelando, por ejemplo, en el caso de eventos, atracciones del turismo o servicios auxiliares a colegios y guarderías tras su cierre. 

Así los trabajadores autónomos podrán percibir una prestación equivalente a la de los trabajadores asalariados que sufran algún tipo de reducción de jornada a través de expedientes de regulación de empleo temporal (ERTE). Las cotizaciones acumuladas durante el último año, y que se suman a las realizadas voluntariamente en los años anteriores, apenas se han utilizado, por lo que existe un remanente que podrá utilizar el Ministerio de Trabajo para abonar esta prestación.

Además, el Consejo de Ministros adoptará este jueves otra medida importante, una moratoria de hasta tres meses en las cuotas a la Seguridad Social de los autónomos. En concreto, se permitirá que retrasen el pago de tres meses consecutivos hasta un plazo de máximo de un año para que así estén liberados de una parte de la carga fiscal durante estos meses difíciles por el brote del coronavirus.

zus.pl (23.0.2020) Additional care allowance is granted for the duration of childcare in connection with the closing of a crèche, children's club, kindergarten, school due to COVID-19. Additional care allowance is payable to parents or legal guardians of children who:

⇒ look after a child under 8 years old;

⇒ are covered by sickness insurance (e.g. employees, contractors, entrepreneurs).

16.03.2020

Sick leave does not require personal attendance NAV accepts sick leave without personal examination when it comes to infectious disease that is of importance to public health.  NAV encourages patients to use the telephone. E-consultation can also be a suitable form of consultation. The person who reports the patient must, based on a professional judgment, consider how the examination should be conducted. This is an exception to the main rule that sick leave requires personal examination.

In this first phase, the government has prioritized the following measures:

• Measures in the health care system to deal with the emergency situation.
• Reduce the number of days of payroll pay for employers on layoffs from 15 to 2 days and eliminate the waiting days for unemployment benefits for those who are laid off. At the same time, the requirement to reduce working hours in order to receive unemployment benefits during layoffs is reduced from 50 percent to 40 percent. 
• Changes in the pension rules so that current retirement pension does not fall away or be reduced by voluntary or ordered service for health personnel in connection with the corona outbreak.

jdsupra.com (16.03.2020) If the activities of the company are strongly affected by COVID-19, employers can apply for a permit for a reduction in working time (werktijdverkorting) at the Ministry of Social Affairs and Employment. This means that employees will temporarily work reduced time. Employees can receive a temporary unemployment benefit for the hours not worked, while they remain fully employed by the Employer. The permit is valid for a period of maximum 6 weeks and can be extended for a maximum total period of 24 weeks.

Employers must meet the following conditions:

• The company has been affected by a situation that does not fall under the normal business risks (such as COVID-19);
• It is expected that during a period of 2 to 24 weeks sales are at least 20% lower than normal due to the effects of COVID-19 and the measures taken.

pmo.gov.my (11.03.2020) UTRAJAYA. The Perikatan Nasional (PN) government today launched a special fund which will give financial aid to those directly affected by the COVID-19 infection. Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said for a start, RM1 million had been channelled into the fund to help COVID-19 patients and those under 14-day quarantine but not holding any jobs. “We don’t want their lives to be affected. So, this is one type of humanitarian aid we are giving. “If we can raise funds from the people, whatever we collect will be given to those eligible for the aid,” he told a press conference after chairing the first Cabinet meeting of the PN government at Perdana Putra here today. The fund, which is managed by the National Disaster Management Agency (NADMA), covers those placed under 14-day home surveillance as well as COVID-19 patients being treated at hospitals.

straitstimes.com (04.03.2020) Some 2.3 trillion won will be allocated to medical institutions and fund quarantine efforts, with another 3.0 trillion won going to small- to medium-sized businesses struggling to pay wages to their workers, and child care subsidies, the finance ministry said. Loans will be made on relaxed terms to affected exporters while people who have lost their jobs will be re-trained.

europapress.es (16.03.2020)  Brasil inyectará 26.705 millones por el coronavirus. Se destinarán hasta 83.400 millones de reales (15.140 millones de euros) a la población más vulnerable, un total de 59.400 millones de reales (10.778 millones de euros) al mantenimiento de puestos de trabajo y al menos 4.500 millones de reales (816 millones de euros) a la lucha directa contra la pandemia. Esta partida presupuestaria se une a algunas medidas que el Ejecutivo de Jair Bolsonaro ha adoptado durante las últimas semanas. En concreto, el Gobierno del país ya anunció la anticipación de paga para jubilados y pensionistas del Instituto Nacional de Seguridad Social de agosto a abril.

(14.03.2020) As part of the response, the House passed H.R. 6201, Families First Coronavirus Response Act. Here are some of the highlights in the bill:

• - Tax credits for paid sick and paid family and medical leave, including for the self-employed
• - Health plan testing coverage
• - Funding for nutrition assistance programs
• - Funding for the Senior Nutrition Program in the Administration for Community Living (ACL)
• - Emergency transfers for Unemployment Compensation Administration
• - Job-protected leave
• - Funding for the Department of Veterans Affairs
• - Reimbursement for COVID-19 diagnostic testing

Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives (16.03.2020) Reforming EI to protect more workers. This paper examines how well protected Canadian workers are now and what else should be done to better insulate them from these risks.

KPMG China (15.03.2020) Hubei Province : Between February and June 2020: All enterprises enrolled in China Social Security Schemes are exempt from making employer contributions to pension, unemployment and work-related injury insurance schemes. 

National Post (13.03.2020) Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced changes to Canada’s sick-leave benefits under employment insurance Wednesday, to respond to concerns about COVID-19

japantimes.co.jp (06.03.2020) Amid mounting criticism over the low number of people who have been tested for COVID-19 in Japan compared to its neighboring countries, screenings are being covered from Friday by the national health insurance in an effort to increase testing.

citizensinformation.ie (March 2020) COVID-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment is a new social welfare payment for employees and self-employed people who are unemployed or who have their hours of work reduced during the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic. This includes people who have been put on part-time or casual work. It will be paid for up to 6 weeks and has a simple one–page application form. The new payment aims to get a social welfare payment to unemployed people quickly. If you have been diagnosed with COVID-19, or have been told to self-isolate by your GP, you should apply for Illness Benefit.

Anshin Immigration & Social Security (27.02.2020) 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.

Gov.ie (12.03.2020) The Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection are introducing measures to provide income support to people affected by COVID-19 (Coronavirus). 3 major changes have been announced:

• the current 6-day waiting period for Illness Benefit will not apply to anyone who has COVID-19 (Coronavirus) or is in medically-required self-isolation
• the personal rate of Illness Benefit will increase from €203 per week to €305 per week for a maximum of 2 weeks medically-required self-isolation or for the full duration of absence from work following a confirmed diagnosis of COVID-19 (Coronavirus)
• the normal social insurance requirements for Illness Benefit will be changed.

Une enquête vise la plateforme de livraison de repas, soupçonnée d'exécution de travail dissimulé à l'encontre de plusieurs personnes et de recours abusif à des CDD.

Selon le Congressional Budget Office (CBO), les fonds auraient perdu au total 2 000 milliards de dollars en quinze mois (20 % de leur valeur). Les célèbres CalPERS et CalSTRS, dédiés au financement des retraites des fonctionnaires et professeurs de Californie, ont fondu de 26 % et 10 % depuis fin juin.

Federal Government (10.03.2020) The spread of the coronavirus is a major challenge for the economy and the labour market. To address this effectively, the German government has adopted a bill that will facilitate access to short-time work allowance.

ameli.fr (13.03.2020) Un téléservice, « declare.ameli.fr », est mis en place par l’Assurance Maladie pour permettre aux employeurs de déclarer leurs salariés contraints de rester à domicile suite à la fermeture de l’établissement accueillant leur enfant, sans possibilité de télétravail. Cette déclaration fait office d’avis d’arrêt de travail.

bruegel.org (12.03.2020) 'Whatever it takes' needs to be the motto to preserve lives and reduce the impact on the economy of the epidemic.

businessinsider.fr (13.03.2020) Face à l'épidémie de coronavirus, qui gagne chaque jour un peu plus de terrain en France, le président de la République, Emmanuel Macron, a annoncé toute une batterie de mesures jeudi soir, lors d'une allocution télévisée.

politico.eu (13.03.2020) Here's a roundup of the latest measures the 27 EU countries and the U.K. have taken so far in response to the pandemic — from the most to the least affected countries — according to publicly available information from national authorities and media reports.

El aislamiento o contagio derivado del coronavirus será considerado accidente laboral para el autónomo, tras la publicación del Real Decreto-ley 6/2020 de 10 de marzo, que incluye medidas urgentes en el ámbito económico y para la protección de la salud pública.

Según informa el texto oficial, tanto el aislamiento como el contagio serán considerados como accidente de trabajo, también en el caso de los trabajadores por cuenta propia. Esto tiene especial relevancia en el cobro de las prestaciones derivadas de dicha baja. En el caso de ser considerado enfermedad común, el autónomo sólo cobraría a partir del cuarto día, y tan sólo un 60% de la base reguladora para la que esté cotizando. Esto significa que en los casos de profesionales que cotizan el mínimo (más del 80%), cobrarían 19 euros por día de baja. 

Sin embargo, con la nueva medida sobre la mesa, el autónomo que se vea afectado por esta circunstancia pasa a cobrar el 75% de la base reguladora, y lo hará desde el día siguiente a la  baja, tal y como marcan las directrices de la Seguridad Social, en el caso de las bajas derivadas de enfermedad o accidente laboral. Siguiendo con el ejemplo de empleados por cuenta propia que cotizan por la mínima, esto supondrá cobrar 23,61 euros al día, desde el día siguiente a la mencionada baja.

El único requisito, tal y como establece el artículo 5 de este Real Decreto Ley, es estar dado de alta en la fecha en la que se produzca el hecho causante.