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The Employment Wage Subsidy Scheme has been extended until the 31st December 2021 with further supports and a new scheme announced for struggling businesses.The new Business Resumption Support Scheme will provide additional business support for businesses with reduced turnover. Further details will be implemented in September 2021Tax debt warehousing will also be extended. Read the full Press Release below;

Minister Donohoe announces further economic supports for businesses as they re-openFrom Department of FinancePublished on 1 June 2021Following the Government meeting today (Tuesday), the Minister for Finance, Paschal Donohoe, T.D., has announced the following set of measures to provide support to businesses as they re-open and resume normal trading:• The extension of the Employment Wage Subsidy Scheme to 31 December 2021;• The extension and enhancement of the Covid Restrictions Support Scheme to provide additional support to businesses upon re-opening and to give certainty to businesses still directly affected by public health restrictions;• A new additional business support scheme (Business Resumption Support Scheme or BRSS) for businesses with reduced turnover as a result of public health restrictions to be implemented in September 2021;• The extension of the tax debt warehousing scheme to allow the period where liabilities arising can be “warehoused” to be extended to the end of 2021 for all eligible taxpayers, with an interest-free period during 2022, and to include overpayments of EWSS in the scheme;• The Government agreed to the drafting of legislation to provide for these measures.These measures will provide certainty to businesses as public health restrictions are lifted and allow them to plan for the future as they re-open and resume normal trading.Employment Wage Subsidy Scheme:The EWSS continues to represent a substantial and key part of the Government response to the Covid-19 pandemic, supporting businesses, encouraging employment, and helping to maintain the link between employers and employees.As of the week ending 27 May, a total of €3.835 billion has been spent under the scheme of which €3.293 billion relates to direct subsidies and €0.542 billion relates to Employers’ PRSI foregone.For Q3, the Government has decided to broadly maintain the status quo for EWSS, including the enhanced rates of support and the reduced rate of Employers’ PRSI with a modification to widen eligibility.For Q4, the Government has approved the extension of the EWSS, however, it is considered too early yet to prescribe the precise operational parameters of the scheme that should apply for that quarter, and decisions in that regard would be taken closer to the time around the end of August / early September.Covid Restrictions Support Scheme:The Covid Restriction Support Scheme (CRSS) has been an extremely successful intervention by the Government to provide support to businesses whose customers are prevented from accessing their premises because of Public Health restrictions.The CRSS in its current form will be continued to the end of 2021 for the reducing number of businesses that are still directly affected by public health restrictions that may remain in place. The qualification criteria and payment rates will remain unchanged.The Government will also provide for an enhanced restart week payment – a single payment of three double weeks to businesses upon re-opening (subject to a maximum of €30,000). This will provide additional support to the businesses in restocking and making the necessary preparations to welcome their customers back in a safe manner.This enhanced restart payment is intended to incentivise them to exit the scheme and return to trading as early as possible.Business Resumption Support Scheme:As the economy re-opens, a further scheme is being introduced for vulnerable but viable businesses, particularly in sectors that were significantly impacted throughout the pandemic, even during periods when restrictions were eased.Businesses whose turnover is reduced by 75% in the reference period (1 September 2020 to 31 August 2021) compared with 2019 will be eligible. The scheme will not be restricted by location, rate-paying, or physical premises. It is expected that there will be a limited number of such businesses and recognised that it is important that such businesses are supported.Businesses who previously availed of other schemes such as SBASC and the Tourism Business Continuity Scheme for example as well as CRSS will be eligible to apply provided they meet the qualifying criteria.The BRSS will be administered by Revenue and will operate in a similar way to CRSS.Tax Warehousing:The tax debt warehousing scheme has provided approximately €2.3 billion of liquidity to Irish businesses at a time that they need it most. The scheme is now being extended to the end of this year, with no interest during 2022 and interest at a reduced rate of 3% thereafter.Speaking on the overall package of measures, the Minister said“The Government and I have committed on multiple occasions that there will be no “cliff-edge” to supports for business. We are now taking decisive actions to provide businesses with clarity and certainty on their situation as they reopen, as far as it is possible to do so with the uncertain situation in relation to public health.”Official link; <a href="https://www.gov.ie/en/press-release/63fc8-minister-donohoe-announces-further-economic-supports-for-businesses-as-they-re-open/">https://www.gov.ie/en/press-release/63fc8-minister-donohoe-announces-further-economic-supports-for-businesses-as-they-re-open/</a>

Employment Wage Subsidy Scheme Extended

Employment Wage Subsidy Extended

Have you tapped into the hidden jobs market? Statistics show that the majority of jobs are not advertised. That’s worth repeating. All of the jobs advertised make up only a small proportion of total opportunities out there. A natural next question is, but why are these jobs not advertised? Well often companies already have a bank of potential candidates that have applied without advertisements. Another huge proportion of jobs are filled through employee referrals. This relates back to trust mentioned in an earlier article. Finally companies often directly target employees through LinkedIn or social media. Ok says you, I see your point but I’m not yet convinced to put in all that extra effort. Well then, let me bring out the big boys...There is a fundamental difference of character in this active approach of contacting companies rather than waiting for them to advertise positions. It’s all well and good including key character traits like proactive on your CV. It’s another thing entirely to demonstrate these traits from the get-go in your very first interaction with your potential new company. This sends a clear message to them that you are a proactive individual, ready and willing to take the reigns of your life. You’re not sitting back waiting for life to happen to you but instead going out there and making life happen.More importantly than how you’ll be perceived by employers is how you will change how you feel about yourself. Our self-image is built largely through our actions. If we build a habit of going to the gym regularly we begin to think of ourselves as ‘somebody who goes to the gym or a disciplined/healthy/fit/active person’. This perception has the potential to spread into other areas of our life and can have real impact on how we live in those other situations. By thinking for ourselves about our own values first, and then going out and finding a company or field that fits who we are, we are affirming our own inherent worth as an individual. This is a way for us to take back our power. It can be easy to feel like a small cog in a massive often multinational machine of a company. But the truth is each of us have valuable skills, character traits and strengths to offer. It’s time to reframe the inward dialogue and start seeing how lucky most companies would be to have us as part of their team. With that all in mind, how can we get a piece of that hidden jobs market pie?Put simply we need to let the companies know about us before they even know they need us. First we need to make the companies aware of us and then keep contact well before a job even arises. This might mean identifying the key person in your area of interest within the company. Send them an email telling them why you are interested in the company, how you think you are a good fit and most importantly, what you can contribute. Follow up with a phone call after two weeks to keep cultivating that relationship. This makes sure we’re in their bank of potential candidates when they start the recruitment process as soon as a position becomes available. Secondly, we should definitely make sure we are included in any of our friends&#x27; referrals. To make sure this happens, <a href="https://www.jobalert.ie/article/making-an-ask-an-unconventional-approach-to-your-next-job" target="_blank">we need to make an ask</a>. Lastly, the onus is on us to have our LinkedIn profile tailored to the specific role or industry we want to pursue. It’s important to remember these are only some ways to go about it. I’m sure you have plenty of ideas of your own. I’d be happy to hear of the creative ways you figured out yourself to build a direct relationship with companies. You can find my email above.

The Hidden Jobs Market - An unconventional approach to your next job

Paddy O' Leary

Have you tapped the huge potential in telling as many people as possible that you know personally about your job search? This is especially worthwhile in such a small country like Ireland where if you don’t already know somebody in your desired industry or job, you probably know somebody who knows somebody. This might sound like the headbangers whose claim to fame is that their sister’s fourth cousin’s uncle is the president of Ireland. But hold your cynicism for a second. Any human connection is better than no connection. People like to work with, hire, do business with people they already know including people who the people they know, know! This is about trust. Those who can be even reasonably trusted get more doors opened for them and faster. But this won’t happen by itself. First we need to make an ask. In other words, let people know we&#x27;re on the lookout for opportunities so that they can open them for us. Or they can connect us with their friends who can.People love to help. It’s important we reframe this idea of asking for help. Think of it this way. By asking for help we are giving people the opportunity to help us. When we consider how much meaning, purpose, and how much of a kick we get out of helping others, why not give this same feeling to them by asking for a hand? Of course there’s a difference between making an ask and being a pain in the ass. As long as we show initiative and don’t expect others to do all of the heavy lifting for us, people are always happy to help.In order to make an ask we first need to have a general sense of what we are asking for. We don’t even need to be specific. For example, we don’t need to know that our former colleague has a sister who could get us an interview with a company we’d like to work for. How could we possibly know that information anyway? However we do need to have a strong sense of a general direction from our side. This direction might be knowing what role we’d like to work at, what industry we’d like to start in, the people or company we’d like to work for or even the location we’d like to be employed in. All we need is one general sense of our desire. After that it’s about naturally expressing this desire with as many people as you can. Not in the sense of complaining that we are not there yet. Nobody wants to listen to or help a moaning Michael. Instead with a sense of excitement about the possibility of your desire becoming a reality. That’s all we need to do. We often underestimate the power of speaking our desire. Perhaps no opportunities arise the first few times. But each time we speak our desire, we become clearer and clearer on what it is we want. On top of that, those we talk to can help us see different routes towards our goals we might never have considered. People are inherently helpful. When we affirm their good qualities and put things out there by making an ask, we can be surprised by how opportunities will seem to unfold out of nowhere.

Making an ask - An unconventional approach to your next job

This article is the second of a series of four articles titled ‘An unconventional approach to your next job’ dropping each week for the rest of December. “What do you do?” We’ve all heard and asked this question too many times than we’d like to remember. Some might say it’s a way to get a sense of who somebody is, what they’re about. It helps in continuing the conversation when we meet new people in the hopes that what they do is somehow fundamental to who they are. While our work can be the source of great meaning and purpose in our lives, we are not our job. We are not the amount of hours we clock in, the money we’re paid or even the things we get paid for. We as individuals and our lives are not defined by how we happen to make a living. A job also doesn’t need to provide us with all we want out of life. If we are to wait around until we find the perfect job that ticks all of our boxes, we might sooner end up in a box before we find what we’re looking for. We are not saying that a job isn’t important. Of course it is. But as most of us during this last year are beginning to realize, there is much more to life than what we get paid for. So instead of asking “what do you do?”, we might ask “what do you create?”. If you find yourself or the other person giving you a knee-jerk bullshit response, in some form of “I’m not creative”, it is your responsibility to rid them of this self-limiting belief immediately. Creating or being creative is not limited to the traditional art forms and whether you are a professional at it or not. Creativity is by definition, as wide and varied as you can imagine. Some people might create delicious homemade bread, others create a loving home for their family, others still might create comedy sketches. The point is we don’t all need to become ‘professional’ for us to experience the value in the act of creating. Of course, being paid a living for these passions can be a bonus, but monetary payment doesn’t need to be the standard from which we measure the value of creating itself. It&#x27;s important to remember the great satisfaction we can get out of other areas of our lives independent from our jobs. So if we let go of the idea that our job needs to tick all of the boxes, how else are we to decide which position is right for us? There are no universally correct answers to this question. This requires an honest look at the totality of our own current life which includes our relationships, our hobbies and passions, our health and our job. In this way we can assess which boxes are or can be ticked by different aspects of our lives. This then takes the pressure off on how much a job needs to provide for us to be satisfied. For example, perhaps we’re a football coach in our local town. This will probably provide us with plenty of meaning and social value. If we already get these benefits from a hobby like coaching, we may not need to get it from our job. Instead we can really narrow down on what is currently lacking in our lives and decide upon our next job by considering which one would best provide what we want. While at the same time letting go of the imaginary notion of a perfect job which allows us to get on with the less desirable aspects and focus on the positive ones. You might have got to the end of this article now without the sense of completion inside that usually comes from finding an answer or next course of action. It might be worth repeating, we&#x27;re not giving you any answers because we trust you can do that for yourself.

You are not your job - An unconventional approach to your next job

This article is the first of a series of four articles titled ‘An unconventional approach to your next job’ dropping each week for the rest of December. What if someone was to tell you that you’ve spent enough hours racking your brain over what your life long career should be. What if we were to tell you that life long careers are complete nonsense. A rare case. You’ve better odds of winning the Irish lotto than you do of finding and keeping the same job for your entire life. Unless you get lucky and die on your first job that is. This type of thinking is a couple of generations old. In fact it isn’t even yours, so why think it? This thinking belongs to your Grandparents who grew up in a different world where resources were scarce and manifestation slow. Things happen at a much faster rate these days, companies come and go, people outgrow their jobs, have different careers at different points in their lives or change industries multiple times. So the next logical question is, where does this leave us? Or more importantly, what are the alternatives? One alternative is to think instead in terms of life stages or phases. The benefits of thinking in terms of your next project, life stage or phase is that it breaks things down into nice, easily digestible chunks. Rather than asking yourself the question ‘What do I want to do with my life’, we instead ask something like ‘What would I like to do with the next couple years of my life’ Or ‘How do I envision my dream life going 3 years from now?’ or ‘What project would I like to take on for the next six months?’ Now that’s more digestible than a three in one on a Saturday after a well earned night on the town. Can you already sense how much better these questions feel when asked? Immediately the pressure is off. We’re not talking Mount Everest, we&#x27;re talking about a tough but doable hike up the Sugar Loaf. And who knows, maybe we can get enough Sugar Loaf’s under our belt, and Everest will be within our reach. This all sounds very reasonable, you might say. But what does it actually mean? It’s up to you to decide what that could mean. We’re not here to give you all the answers. Instead our aim is to provide new questions and perspectives you may not have considered yet so that you can breathe some fresh life into your job search. The bottom line is, if you are reading this in between jobs at the moment, then you have a massive opportunity on your hands. An opportunity to reinvent yourself for the next stage of your life in whatever way you like. You may be struggling financially but you are most definitely time rich. This resource that you have in abundance can be used to get clear about how you see your next life phase. Some people like journaling, others like talking to friends to brainstorm about ideas, others again prefer to think in nature. Your preferred tool is irrevelant, your objective is everything. What will I aim at for the next six months, one, three or five years. We all know how easy it is to get stuck in a boring habit of checking any and all jobs, while we slowly lower our standards as the time we’re between jobs lengthens. It’s for this very reason it’s so important to remember the gift of freedom we have to even consider these sort of questions. If you’ve gotten this far and have realized the opportunity that lies ahead of you, there’s only one question left, what are you going to do next?

Forget the question ‘What will I do with my life’

Tesco Ireland have announced that employees will be given a 10% Christmas bonus this year. &quot;Our colleagues continue to rise to the challenge of Covid 19 and we recognise that this will be a very different Christmas. In recognition of our teams on the frontline in our stores and distribution centre we will be awarding a 10% bonus for the duration of the Christmas season.&quot; &quot;I thank them sincerely for their continued hard work, dedication and resilience.&quot;- CEO of Tesco Ireland, Kari Daniels The bonus will be received by employees who have been been working with the company on or before the 1st of September 2020. Staff will be paid between November 29th and December 26th.Tesco Ireland also recently announced they will create 450 permanent jobs and 700 temporary jobs for the Christmas period. Check out all available job vacancies on their careers page <a href="https://roi.tesco-careers.com/search-and-apply/" target="_blank">here.</a>

Christmas bonus for Tesco staff in Ireland

If you&#x27;re working remotely, you may be able to claim tax relief on the additional costs of working from home, including electricity, heat and broadband.<a href="https://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/money_and_tax/tax/income_tax_credits_and_reliefs/eworking_and_tax_relief.html" target="_blank">Citizens Information</a> have detailed exactly how to go about claiming a tax relief at the end of the year. Here is everything you need to know;How much can I claim?You may have extra costs when you are working from home including heating, electricity and broadband costs. Your employer can pay you a contribution towards these costs or you can make a claim for tax relief at the end of the year.If your employer pays you an allowance towards these expenses, you can get up to €3.20 per day without paying any tax, PRSI or USC on it. If your employer pays more than €3.20 per day to cover expenses, you pay tax, PRSI and USC as normal on the amount above €3.20. You should note that employers are not legally obliged to make this payment to their employees.If your employer does not pay you an allowance for your expenses, you can make a claim for tax relief at the end of the year. You will get money back from the taxes you paid.Your refund of tax is based on:- How many days you worked from home- The cost of the expenses- Revenue’s agreed rate for calculating the cost of running a home officeRevenue’s rate for the cost of running a home office is 10% of the cost of electricity and heating. This means that you can claim 10% of the total amount of allowable utility bills against your taxes. You can also claim 30% of broadband costs for the tax year 2020. This applies for the duration of the COVID-19 pandemic.You can only claim for the days that you work from home. This does not include times you may have brought work home to do outside your normal working hours.If your employer pays you an allowance towards your expenses, the amount paid is deducted from the amount you can claim back from Revenue.ExampleMary works from home for 6 months while her office is closed due to the COVID-19 emergency. During that 6 months her household bills for heating and electricity come to €1000 and her broadband comes to €300. At the end of the year she can claim tax back on expenses of:- €100 for heating and electricity (10% of €1000)- €90 for broadband (30% of €300)- €190 in totalThe amount she gets back depends on her rate of tax. If she pays tax at the higher tax rate of 40% she will get €76 back from her taxes (40% of €190). If she pays tax at the lower rate of 20%, she will receive €38 back (20% of €190).How to applyYou can claim tax relief online using Revenue’s myAccount service. You can also access the <a href="https://www.ros.ie/myaccount-web/home.html" target="_blank">myAccount service</a> on mobile and tablet devices using Revenue’s <a href="https://www.revenue.ie/en/online-services/support/mobile-and-desktop-applications/revapp.aspx" target="_blank">RevApp.</a>To complete an Income Tax return online use the following steps:1. Sign in to <a href="https://www.ros.ie/myaccount-web/sign_in.html?execution=e2s1&amp;lang=en" target="_blank">myAccount</a>2. Click on ‘Review your tax’ link in PAYE Services3. Select the Income Tax return for the relevant tax year4. Select ‘Other PAYE Expenses’ in the ‘Tax Credits and Reliefs’ page and insert the amount of expense at the ‘Amount Claimed’ sectionYou must be able to account for each expense you intend to claim. This means keeping a record of all receipts and bills. You should keep all documentation relating to your claim for 6 years from the end of the tax year to which the claim relates.You may also need a letter from your employer stating that you work from home.More information can also be found <a href="https://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/money_and_tax/tax/income_tax_credits_and_reliefs/eworking_and_tax_relief.html" target="_blank">here.</a>Take care and best wishes fromThe JobAlert.ie Team

How To Claim Work From Home Expenses

<h2>Further Education and Training (FET) courses </h2>FET offers a wide range of free courses for anyone over 16 who is looking to learn new skills or build upon their existing skills in order to find a job. The FET courses are provided through the Education and Training Board (ETB) network. Get started <a href="https://www.fetchcourses.ie/course/finder" target="_blank">here.</a><h2>eCollege by SOLAS </h2>SOLAS is the state agency for further education and training in Ireland, giving learners the opportunity to succeed in the workforce. Since March 2020, they have made their online training platform eCollege completely free. There is a wide range of training courses available. More information can be found <a href="https://www.ecollege.ie/" target="_blank">here.</a><h2>National Learning Network (NLN) </h2>The National Learning Network provides training and support to anyone struggling to find a job. Regardless of your circumstances, the National Learning Network can help you. Currently, NLN offers over 70 different training programmes, which include courses in computer and business skills. All courses provided by the NLN are free and you’re able to keep your benefits. A small lunch allowance is also given to students and you may be entitled to travel allowance. Visit the <a href="https://www.rehab.ie/national-learning-network/" target="_blank">NLN&#x27;s website</a> for all the details. <h2>Springboard+ Courses </h2>Springboard+ are currently offering 11,000+ free or subsidised places on courses. Upon completion of these courses, you will be awarded a certificate, undergraduate or postgraduate degree. The courses are co-funded by the Irish Government and the EU social fund, so take full advantage! More information can be found <a href="https://springboardcourses.ie/" target="_blank">here.</a><h2>Education and Training Boards (ETB’S) </h2>Further education and training courses are provided by ETB’s. As there is an education and training board for every county in Ireland, we recommend reaching out to your local training centre and see if they have any administrative training opportunities. ETB’s offer a wide range of traineeship programmes and specific skills training, with a number of courses being offered free of charge. More information can be found <a href="https://www.etbi.ie/" target="_blank">here. </a><h2>Skillnet Ireland </h2>Skillnet Ireland funds a number of upskilling courses for unemployed people in Ireland, helping job seekers acquire the necessary skills to join the workforce. Learn more on their <a href="https://www.skillnetireland.ie/about/developing-your-skills/developing-irelands-future-workforce/" target="_blank">website.</a><h2>Intreo - for jobseekers </h2>If you’re currently receiving jobseeker&#x27;s payment, there are a number of short term courses that you’ll qualify for which are provided by Intreo. <a href="https://www.gov.ie/en/directory/category/e1f4b5-intreo-offices/?referrer=https://www.welfare.ie/en/Pages/List-of-Social-Welfare-Local-and-Branch-Offices-by-County.aspx" target="_blank">Get in touch with your local branch today.</a><h2>Local employment centres/Job clubs </h2>Research and discover what local employment services or job clubs are located in your area as they may have training opportunities available. Many job clubs are active on social media so try searching for them on Facebook or Twitter to see what they have to offer. Best of luck on your career journey!

Free training courses to build your professional skills

#ad Here at KOS Ergonomics we have a wide range of home workers equipment including desk and chair sets, wireless keyboards and mice, laptop stands, kneeling chairs and more. There is something to suit everybody’s budget, for JobAlert.ie followers use code home2020 for a special discount off our homeworkers desks and chair sets. <img src="https://jobalert-blog-assets.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/image/118218958_585139565501517_6061570130702454605_n.png" style="max-width:calc(100% - 1.6rem);margin:1.6rem 0.8rem 2.4rem"/>Our Dublin city centre showroom is now open by appointment only if you would like to try and of the equipment or have one of our expert consultants find the right chair/desk for you email: joanne.mcdonagh@kos.ie to book a space with us. Shop our homeworkers range now at: <a href="https://www.kos.ie/" target="_blank">https://www.kos.ie/</a>

Work From Home Office Equipment

The world has changed in ways we could never have imagined. But despite everything, one thing that hasn’t changed is our commitment and passion to supporting our customers and jobseekers. Throughout lockdown we worked hard to support businesses that were still open and hiring, and we paused Ads for those that were closed. We also issued free Ads, so that these business can continue recruiting when it’s safe for them to reopen. We ran free Ads for the &quot;Be on Call for Ireland&quot; campaign for frontline workers and provided support and information for workers and employers that were negatively impacted during lockdown.Moving forward, we will be there for you all the way, enabling you to quickly and cost effectively fill your vacancies using the very latest technologies.If you need staff please let us know, we would be delighted to help you. If you are a jobseeker, register on our website to receive &#x27;JobAlerts&#x27;, we&#x27;ll help you to find your ideal job.About JobAlert.ieAt JobAlert.ie we use the very latest technologies to reach jobseekers directly through social media. This allows you to engage with both active and passive highly qualified jobseekers in an easy, accessible and affordable way. By passive we mean those potential candidates who may not be actively looking for a new job, but if they see an opportunity in their social media newsfeeds they will apply. This can make a massive difference, particularly for those hard to fill vacancies.We have over 400,000 followers on social media, segmented by county and we also have over half a million website visitors each month. Thousands of jobseekers have signed up to our ‘JobAlert’ on line system, where they are notified about roles that meet their selected criteria.We ensure that businesses of all sizes can attract the best talent. All you have to do is upload the details of your vacancy to our website and our system does the rest. What you can you expect when you advertise with JobAlert.ie- Your job spec is reviewed and we’ll make some suggested changes based on our experience, if you like.- An eye catching unique graphic is automatically produced for use on social media.- Each Job Ad stays live on our website for 30 days.- A digital marketing campaign begins for each Job Ad, as it is shared to relevant audiences on social media during peak traffic hours to ensure maximum exposure. - Ads are automatically monitored and pushed on social media multiple times if additional CVs are required.  - ‘JobAlert’ notifications are sent to candidates who have registered for your specific job type.- You can review, manage and respond quickly to candidates by logging into your JobAlert.ie account and using our inbuilt applicant tracking system.- You will be assigned a dedicated Account Manager who is highly specialised in recruitment and digital marketing.- You will successfully fill your vacancies!There are no hidden fees or yearly contracts, Job Ads are just €149 + Vat and for clients that advertise regularly we also have scaled rates available.We pride ourselves on our follow up service, but don’t just take our word for it, you can read some recent testimonials on our website <a href="https://www.jobalert.ie/employers?openTestimonies=true&amp;utm_source=blog&amp;utm_medium=news&amp;utm_campaign=Ad%20Costs#testimonies" target="_blank">here</a>, they sell our service much better than we can.If you have any further questions please do not hesitate to check out www.jobalert.ie or give us a call on 01 8495003.

Covid-19 How we Responded

<h2>How business can help with supplies and services to respond to COVID-19</h2>Since COVID-19 arrived in Ireland, organisations have been contacting government bodies to offer to supply or donate goods and services. We are creating a central database of these offers on behalf of the whole of the public service, including the HSE.Goods and services required by the health services are currently a priority but this may change as the situation develops.This form can be used by business as well as publicly-funded and voluntary bodies, (including educational institutions) who wish to offer goods or services to assist in Ireland’s response to COVID-19.If your organisation is already supplying goods or services to the government, you do not need to do anything as normal arrangements will apply.Anything you donate or sell as part of this fight against COVID-19 will not be considered in any future government procurement.<a href="https://offersofsupport.gov.ie/offers/new" target="_blank">Submit details of your offering to the government here.</a>

Can your business help with supplies and services to respond to COVID-19?

What is the Guinness Fund?€1.5 million fund to provide support to bar staff and communities<h3>Supporting licensed venues 24/7</h3>The Guinness FundGuinness announces the establishment a €1.5 million fund to provide support to bar staff and communities during the COVID-19 crisis. With outlets temporarily closing their doors in Ireland, our aim is to reach as many affected bar staff as possible through the fund.How it worksGuinness is providing 10,000 x €/£100 pre-paid Mastercards to bar staff that need them most. The fund will be open on the MyDiageo website from 10:00am April 1st and close 10:00am April 3rd 2020. We are asking our customers to play a part in the process by applying for the cards on behalf of their bar staff.More informationThere will be high demand for the cards and we only have a limited amount to share but we will do our best to allocate as many cards per outlet as possible based on demand. Once processed, the cards will be delivered by post to customers to distribute to bar staff directly.GUINNESS IRELAND FUND TERMS AND CONDITIONS<ol><li>In order to be eligible to make an application for the support offered by this fund, on your employees’ behalf, you must be a Diageo customer, with a live Diageo ship to number in ROI and/or NI (‘Eligible Customer’).</li><li>Guinness has pledged a fund of €1,100,000 (the ‘Guinness Ireland Fund’) to support bartenders across Ireland who have been impacted by the Covid-19 crisis (the ‘Intended Purpose’). In order to administer the Guinness Ireland Fund, Guinness will make available a total number of 10,000 x €/£100 prepaid MasterCard gift cards (the ‘Gift Cards’). It will be open to Eligible Customers to apply for a Gift Card (or Gift Cards) on behalf of their impacted employees that need this support most.</li><li>The Gift Cards will be preloaded with €/£100 and may be used anywhere you see the Mastercard acceptance mark including in supermarkets and online.</li><li>Eligible Customers must submit their application through the MyDiageo.com website. It will not be necessary for Eligible Customers to have registered on MyDiageo.com previously in order to apply for the Gift Cards, but you will need to provide all the required information, through the platform, in order to be considered for an allocation of Gift Card(s). The Gift Cards will be non-transferable.</li><li>Applications will open through the MyDiageo.com platform from 1st April 2020 and close on 3rd April 2020, at 10am.</li><li>Eligible customers may apply for any number of Gift Cards for a given outlet but may only make one application per outlet.</li><li>The Gift Cards will be issued and allocated entirely at Diageo’s discretion, and you may not receive the total number of Gift Cards you have requested in your application.</li><li>Once the information submitted by Eligible Customers has been reviewed and verified the Gift Cards to be issued to You, at Diageo’s discretion, on behalf of your impacted employees, and will be sent to you by post to the postal address provided.</li><li>Diageo will aim to process applications in a timely way but it may take a number of weeks to validate and sort through the applications, and then for the Gift Cards to arrive for distribution by you amongst your bar staff.</li><li>If successful in receiving an allocation of Gift Card(s) on behalf of your employees, you will be expected distribute the Gift Card(s) to and amongst your bar staff fairly and equitably, limiting one Gift Card per employee, prioritising and helping those most in need of support in furtherance of the Intended Purpose. If Diageo becomes aware that you have not used the Gift Card(s) for the Intended Purpose or abused the application process, Diageo will reserve the right to reclaim the sum preloaded on the Gift Card directly from You.</li><li>You will also be responsible for documenting receipt of the Gift Cards by your employees.</li><li>Eligible Customers who submit an application for Gift Cards consent to being contacted to take part in publicity for the Guinness Ireland Fund in future.</li><li>Diageo reserves the right to withdraw or amend the terms of the Guinness Ireland Fund in the event of any unforeseen circumstances arising outside of its reasonable control.</li><li>Diageo reserves the right to terminate or temporarily suspend the Guinness Ireland Fund in the event of technical or other difficulties that might compromise its administration.</li><li>Diageo will only use the personal data provided by you for the purpose of carrying out the Guinness Ireland Fund and for no other purpose, unless Diageo obtains your consent. The personal data provided by you may be shared with trusted third parties as part of the administration of the Guinness Ireland Fund and will at all times be kept confidential and in accordance with the EU General Data Protection Regulation (Regulation (EU) 2016/679). Diageo’s privacy policy can be found here: <a href="https://footer.diageohorizon.com/dfs/assets/www.diageo.com/PrivacyPolicy_en.html?locale=en-gb" target="_blank">https://footer.diageohorizon.com/dfs/assets/www.diageo.com/PrivacyPolicy_en.html?locale=en-gb</a></li><li>The Guinness Ireland Fund and these terms are governed by the law of Ireland and subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the Irish courts.</li><li>Participant outlets are deemed to have accepted these terms and conditions by participating in the bartender pledge.</li></ol> <a href="https://www.mydiageo.com/s/login/" target="_blank">APPLY HERE.</a>

Guinness is providing 10,000 x €100 pre-paid Mastercards to bar staff

COVID-19 Income Supports Employer &amp; Employee Guidance Answers to Frequently Asked Questions Updated 01.04.2020Table of ContentsSection 01OverviewSection 02Illness/Self-IsolationSection 03Temporary Lay-off/UnemploymentSection 04Frequently Asked QuestionsOverviewThe Government announced a number of new measures to provide financial support to workers affected by the COVID-19 crisis. As part of these measures, the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection is administering a number of emergency income support payments. These schemes/payments enable employees, whose employers are affected by the pandemic, to receive significant supports during the period of the pandemic.This document provides employers and employees with additional information on the operation of these temporary supports. It also presents a number of detailed Q&amp;A and scenarios to assist employees, self-employed and employers at this challenging time.It should be read in conjunction with the individual scheme information available on our website at gov.ie/deasp.This information may be updated, and any updates will be published on our dedicated COVID-19 website at gov.ie/deaspcovid19.In considering how to respond to questions employers and employees are directed in the first instance to the public health advice issued by the HSE, available on their website www.hse.ie. It is essential that all individuals and employers abide by this advice  Frequently asked questions on the Pandemic Unemployment Payment/Illness PaymentsQuestions Answered:<ul><li>What is the best way to apply for a COVID-19 unemployment or illness payment?</li><li>How do I know if I am eligible for the COVID-19 unemployment payment?</li><li>What do I do if I have already claimed the payment but am not eligible?</li><li>I made a claim for the COVID-19 payment but have received nothing. What should I do?</li><li>I am an Irish resident worker, but I use an overseas or international bank account. How can I get a payment?</li><li>I am a worker who has been asked by my employer to stay at home, but she/he is still paying me some or all of my wages. What should I do?</li><li>I am a worker who has been asked by my employer to stay at home, but she/he cannot pay me anything. What can I claim?</li><li>I am a self-employed worker whose trade has ceased or fallen away.</li><li>I claimed a COVID-19 jobseeker payment but now my employer is paying me. What should I do?</li><li>I am a worker who was also in receipt of a social welfare payment while at work. What is my position?</li><li>I am a worker who works on one side of the border with Northern Ireland but lives on the other. What are my rights?</li><li>I am a worker aged over 66 who has lost my employment income am I entitled to a payment?</li><li>I am in employment and am concerned I might catch the virus from colleagues. Can I leave work and claim the COVID-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment?</li><li>Part-time/casual jobseekers who lose their employment – do they qualify for the €350 Pandemic Unemployment Payment?</li><li>How will employees’ PRSI contributions be affected if employer avails of the temporary Wage Subsidy Scheme or a worker claims the COVID-19 emergency payment?</li><li>How does the COVID-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment/COVID Wage Subsidy Scheme impact Maternity/Paternity/Adoptive leave?</li><li>I am a person who is required to ‘cocoon’. How can I collect my social welfare payment?</li><li>I am a worker who needs to self-isolate or who is ill with COVID-19. What should I do?</li><li>I am not an employee or self-employed worker but I do receive a social welfare payment. What should I do?</li><li>What happens when I finish my period of self-isolation or when my illness clears up?</li></ul><a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fassets.gov.ie%2F72299%2F8548595821b442bfb16c50bd01ea7588.pdf%3Ffbclid%3DIwAR0IKiG7ZKAcVOyOs6B4ZC1MQutGBGcNoT_IrJRCfdszC89HitS3ie6Y53E&amp;h=AT3woRoaTkd0rf3vWgEhfwJX-SoQpaC5hEe5H7wnymWO78XH7wXFPonJAlQlwTiZAKdyNYcVQ68yR-BsNHON00xMpH5sI3SKdRfDO63eMLdG94rBuHoZcsRU7MZ25Buxhhm70QaGBBVciT7uUSn1fAwHyQoPj6kepaPk1OhTCC6gARzllS3546pwkheIN7HsBN-kojgSsjHP1i_TaAscbA6E60tLCfu_kwELbXaESDtlRvE41iH_PgjT6Yu-BjaMo_qA6Psd8W_o4jqRcgn9BbHEGvbOhu5ekUOeMmbO4M2O1gkMOMaK1qKB521uyy5wW7vv1c3IrcYYnaSqSULG8GcYxC5ZYfc8K9r_FBBR8WNjdrAUmW05S788qxoPJWdPJ9vDRR9k_kzOC_4zB_zrmKv90tKJCGBq-4Dmk4JMN1H2Cg5jETxNjgH1QAww9MvJ4TQ5mEzTrs1zgkHxNpTgn58wr282t9QzMLzZPD-pUCaopsxphD1Q5fXqVDQoUZfATqS0dXbhmEprudldyycmxGVYXSh51upv7UnVozQthyqes2EnnA90mT6dm3u4-h9Ij_RH9wRI95D_USroejg1zKrCAfFF9OjE8wwNNob_rsmYe7uKy5Eb4H7qMlucclTuB3VyGAg" target="_blank">Download the complete question and answer document here.</a>Also - if you need more information on the Wage Subsidy Scheme, the Revenue have released a question and answer document too.<a href="https://www.revenue.ie/en/employing-people/documents/pmod-topics/guidance-on-operation-of-temporary-covid-wage-subsidy-scheme.pdf" target="_blank"> Click here to download. </a>For any further queries - The Covid_19 Income Support Phone-Line is open from 9am to 5pm: 01-248-1398 / 1890-800-024. Take care.

UPDATED: COVID-19 Income Supports - Frequently Asked Questions

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The Chairman of the Revenue Commissioners Niall Cody has urged more businesses to sign up for the government&#x27;s Covid-19 wage subsidy scheme, which will see employees receiving between 75% - 100% of their wages rather than laying people off.He assured employers that they will not be deemed insolvent if they avail of the government&#x27;s Covid-19 wage subsidy scheme, in fact he said it will be a “Mark of honour for employers who did the right thing&quot;.Concerns had emerged that an unpaid wages declaration would effectively be an admission that employers were trading while insolvent.The key criterion is an employer&#x27;s declaration that disruption brought about by the pandemic has resulted in sales being cut by 25%.The Chairman of the Revenue Commissioners Niall Cody said that he does not believe it will be a challenge for employers to prove that their income has been reduced by more than 25% during this crisis.Chartered Accountants Ireland has recommended that employers keep any supporting records to demonstrate the negative impact so they can clarify issues with Revenue, should they arise.The Revenue Chairman has however urged employers to be careful when filling out applications for the Government&#x27;s Covid-19 wage subsidy scheme to ensure that they fill their details in correctly. Niall Cody said there are 26,000 employers in the scheme already but there is still a small number, in the hundreds, that entered incorrect bank details. Mr Cody said this means Revenue is &quot;sitting on money&quot; that it wants to pay out to companies. He told Morning Ireland that €8m was paid to the scheme yesterday and €9m will be paid today.He added that he believes that number will continue to rise. Niall Cody said employers should not worry about being published on the list of companies who applied for the scheme and as mentioned previously he said it will be &quot;a mark of honour for employers who did the right thing&quot;. Mr Cody said Revenue guidelines show that even if a company has cash reserves for debt or future expansions they can still qualify for the scheme. The purpose of the scheme, he said, is to support employers and leave them in a position to be a valid business when the recovery comes.Mr Cody said businesses applying for the scheme will have an ongoing relationship with Revenue and he does not anticipate that many businesses will need to be reviewed at the end of the scheme.The purpose for the scheme is to leave companies in a position to be a viable business when we get through COVID-19.  Hear his full interview on this link <a href="https://www.rte.ie/news/business/2020/0331/1127480-revenue-on-wage-subsidy-scheme/" target="_blank">HERE</a>

Employees