Community Employment
In 2017 a two strand approach was adopted for Community Employment and placements were categorised into two strands:
- Social Inclusion - which sought to provide an opportunity for those who are very distant from the labour market to work and deliver services in their local communities;
- Job Activation - which sought to provide people who are long term unemployed with employment opportunities and more labour market relevant work experience.
In January, 2019 Minister Regina Doherty, T.D. announced that an Interdepartmental Group will be established to examine the future of Community Employment Social Inclusion schemes, with a view to ring-fence Social Inclusion places and allow services within communities to be maintained. The inter-Departmental group will explore the most appropriate organisation arrangements, including which Departments should host the Community Employment Social Inclusion schemes.
In the last quarter of 2018 the Live Register went under 200,000, which brought this figure back to early 2008 levels. In November, 2018 there were 21,487 participants on CE - in April, 2008 this figure was 21,231. In the first half of 2008, 25% of people on the register had been on it for more than a year. In December 2018, even with the marked improvements in the Live Register, this ratio stood at 39.8%. In any review of this programme it will be important to remember that both strands of Community Employment provide an important access route to employment for many people who are long-term unemployed.
Employment (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill
In December, 2018 the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection, Regina Doherty T.D., announced that once enacted, the Employment (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill will commence in the first week of March 2019. The Bill seeks to address the challenges thrown up by the increased casualization of work and to strengthen the regulation of precarious employment. The main provisions of the Bill include:
- Employers must give employees basic terms of employment within five days;
- Prohibits zero hour contracts except in situations of genuine casual employment and where they are essential to allow employers to provide cover in emergency situations or to cover short-term absence;
- A new minimum payment for employees called in to work but sent home again without work;
- Banded Hours provisions: a new right for employees whose contract of employment does not reflect the reality of the hours they habitually work whereby they will be entitled to be placed in a band of hours that better reflects the hours they have worked over a 12 month reference period;
- Strong anti-penalisation provisions: The Bill provides strong anti-penalisation provisions for employees who invoke their rights under this legislation.
Jobseeker’s Benefit Changes for Workers
Also in December, 2018 Minister Regina Doherty T.D. announced that she was updating and changing regulations regarding employment rights and earnings for workers with subsidiary employment. Such employment includes seasonal, casual and part-time. The existing rate was last set in 1991 and was €12.70 a day for subsidiary work for people who take on such short term employment. The new rate will take into account price inflation and will allow workers to earn up to €7,500 over a 12 month period or €144 on a weekly basis.