Health ministry to extend redundancy claim window

The health ministry has agreed to extend the window for filing claims for redundancy pay to 24 months, it emerged on Tuesday.

The relevant regulations will be voted on during the last plenary before parliament breaks for summer.

Employees who have been working for at least 104 weeks for the same employer and are made redundant before pensionable age are entitled to a redundancy payment from the redundancy fund.

In 2016, the total amount approved for payments from the fund was €42.7 million.

Currently, applications must be filed within three months of employment being terminated or, where there is reasonable cause for delay, within 12 months.

Under the new regulations, the deadline for filing will be extended to 24 months, provided the applicant shows reasonable cause.

Also during the last plenary, MPs plan to vote through a bill introducing paid paternity leave.

House labour committee chair Andreas Fakondis said the ministry is insisting on the original provision whereby fathers must use their paternity leave during the 16 weeks of maternity leave.

But Akel will table an amendment stipulating that paternity leave can also be used immediately after maternity leave ends.

Under another bill, the labour ministry will be establishing a ‘task force’ of labour inspectors to crack down on undeclared work.

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