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TO MAKE EMPLOYERS pay up to the first four weeks of sick pay is unfair. As it stands, the State currently pays. When an employee calls in sick they must sign onto the social welfare – and it can tend to focus the mind of the employee as to when they will be returning back.
If the Minister for Social Protection’s measures are brought in, the employer will now have to pay the staff member that is out sick and may also have to hire a temporary worker and pay that wage also. Businesses are already trying to keep their heads above water and this is a blow to businesses that many will not be able to take. If this comes into effect it will be an additional cost to the employer – one that many will not be able to afford.
The business community are resilient – we have survived five years of this downturn – who knows how many years are left. There is only so much of the burden businesses can take. The small business community will continue, but there is a need for support too. There is a lot of discussion about the government’s job initiative and while there is change, it is slow to happen – that is the main problem, but the government can’t make the changes over night either and we understand that. Businesses recognise that the country is in a dire situation at the moment, but job creation is the only way forward and this will not encourage that.
Not only is this an unfair measure to impose on businesses, for smaller businesses it will be a major administration issue. If you are a small business you will have a system in place on how you pay your staff. It could be the beginning of the month or the end of the month. If this sick pay plan is implemented, employers are going to have to start readjusting their payrolls before they can pay people.
There are other impracticalities too. If you are an employer, employing people on a part time basis – two hours here and there – you can imagine the difficulty trying to calculate the sick pay for that said worker for someone who has been missing for one or two days, not to mention for the people who may also be receiving social welfare benefits.
There has been significant reaction in the business community on this – we are not very happy about it. There has been no dialogue about it, we haven’t been given the chance to sit down with the minister and discuss the issue. She is imposing these measures and we need to discuss the practicalities if this is going to happen. The minister is quoting other systems stating that we are out of line with other countries in relation to sick pay. She is saying - well this happens in Europe or the UK – but this is simply not true, our system is totally out of kilter with what is happening in the UK, they operate differently altogether.
I’ve had times where my staff have been sick and we have had to get in additional workers to cover their work load. Why should we as the employer also have to pay. Employers and their employees already contribute significantly to the social welfare bill through the PRSI system and placing social welfare costs onto business is simply an additional cost on employment and it is completely unacceptable.
Small businesses are already struggling to maintain jobs and any measures that add directly to the cost of employment will result in job losses and will act as a strong disincentive to job creation. It may force employers to revisit any sick pay policies which they offer, its not fair.
This initiative will be the final nail in the coffin for job creation by small businesses and it will cost jobs for sure – there is no doubt about it.
A presentation to TDs and Senators on the sick pay issue took place today in Leinster House. The presentation was hosted by Senator Mary-Ann O’Brien (Lily O’Brien Chocolates) and Senator Fergal Quinn. Ian Martin is the business-owner of Martin Services and Chairman of the Small Firms Association. Speaking at the seminar today he highlighted the practical implications this proposal would have for his business.
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Another political article on behalf of the Government.
Please, Journal, be honest with people.
In the US Presidential Election, at least the media outlets declared their preference and bias.
It’s the least you owe us.
@Garry Coll: hunger strike is the only solution lol
@Paul M Doe:
Not for me.
@Garry Coll: what bias, just reporting verifies facts from meta. Please point to the bias
@Paul M Doe: I just scrolled down half a mile to get to comments,, left wing media sure make it difficult, still drying they/them eyes,
@Joe Mc Dermott: jajajaja,or you could just clicked on the thing that says comments under the headline saving your poor little fingies the trauma
@Joe Mc Dermott: Do your Right Wing Media sources publish the comments above articles?
@Garry Coll: You don’t like facts and truth if you object to this article.
@Garry Coll: Did ya not know The Journal changed their name to CNN?
@HisMastersAlibi: That doesn’t work for me on Iphone 13, takes me to the top of the article, tried other articles, same.
Sharia Fein down the drain. Vote Independent/Nationalist.
Keep Hamas/Hezbollah out of Ireland!!!
@Finian McG: isn’t it time u went to bed and stop spouting drivel…
@Clare Power: are you a misandrist? Who are you to tell a man how to live his life?
@Finian McG: You just told people to vote for a particular party!! I would think a bit more before u reply in the future…
@Clare Power: what particular party ….think a bit now….
@Finian McG: good deflection..
@Clare Power: …from you lol!…what particular party did I recommend voting for?
@Finian McG: that would be the party of racists and trouble makers…Hamas in Ireland…please…
@Clare Power: Hamas in Ireland? That party would be Sharia Fein, surely?
You still say what particular party I recommended voting for…
@Finian McG: don’t mind that Karen
SF as usual is making a concerted effort to control social media. It is obvious from the thumbs up on snide remarks about FF or FG and their standing in the polls. Now we get a picture of their spending on advertisements on social media.
@Vincent Alexander: meanwhile FFG bootlickers are up at all hours of night trolling and trying to offend as many people as possible. Never seen a classless comment from a SF supporter, you can’t say the same…
@Eoin .h: Just read the first line and you contradict your own comment
NCH 2.2 Billion..
RTE 750 Million..
Security Hut 550,000..
Bike Shed 336,000..
@Michale Kane: how many are in the pedo ring?
@Paul M Doe: Dunno… ask your hero Trump ? Or BK’s in FF & FG ? Sure maybe easier ask them all together at ur next gathering eh ! ..
@Michale Kane: you are hurting shinner, your evil cult has been badly found out :)
@Michale Kane: why are you dense?
@Lefty Cries: the desperation the FFG voters at this point. Trolling around through the night desperate to offend someone
No vote for SF never
@Lefty Cries: Vote ABSF – Anybody But Sinn Féin
@Vincent Alexander: i be voting anyone bar ff or fg. Cost living is effecting lots Irish people.
FG definitely getting my vote
@Lefty Cries: Shinners desperately spending trying to humanise themselves, won’t work lol
Sorry state of affairs, when Ivana Bacik looks better than Micheal Martin
And how money did FG spend on the journal ? lol
@Michale Kane: there are few things on this planet as enjoyable as the shinner persecution complex :D
@Michale Kane: I am enjoying myself
SF spent all that money on a failed campaign lol
@Lefty Cries: or on text messages for the youth vote
The only chance of the Shinners getting elected is if they buy their way in.
@Sam Walsh: well they have the northern bank money, one of their many many crimes
Show me a shinner and I’ll show you a sk umbag
How depressing that the country will more than likely end up with a FFFG coalition. We are now a one party state!!!
@Mike Dunne: It would be worse if we ended up being governed by a Northern Ireland party.
Do these clowns not understand that ad blockers exist?
It’s not going to happen. People may have had enough of the government. But they are absolutely fed up with SF. Party of chaos (internally regarding their own members, and externally if they got anywhere near making decisions that would affect all of us).
After reading one of the most biased articles by this Journalist on ROG & the Greens, it’s really hard to afford this article any credibility. It’s hard to decipher who to believe in Irish MSM anymore. I certainly don’t believe a thing from RTE as their Lies & Misinformation around salaries & corporate governance & their conduct around the Referendums. Irish Journalism is truly dead & in the pocket of lots of vested interests.
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