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24.06.2022

The end of relaxed temporary unemployment: what next?

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The simplified procedure for temporary unemployment due to force majeure as a result of the Corona and Ukraine crisis will definitely come to an end on 30 June 2022. If as an employer you are still confronted with a lack of work or a situation of force majeure, you will have to rely again on the classic procedures as from 1 July. But what are these classic procedures and what is the difference with the temporary arrangement? 

 

The system of temporary unemployment 

If you, as an employer, experience a lack of work, you will be able to invoke the classic procedure of temporary unemployment due to economic reasons. Is there any unforeseen circumstance which prevents the work from being performed, then you can invoke the classic procedure of temporary unemployment due to force majeure.  

The major advantage of the relaxed regulation that ends on June 30 was that, as an employer, you could immediately place your staff on temporary unemployment, without having to go through a prior procedure or report the file to the NEO.  

As of July 1, therefore, employers will once again have to give advance notice of the procedure and comply with the usual form conditions while using it.   

 

... but some relaxations remain (for now) 

However, a number of relaxations introduced during the corona and Ukraine crises remain temporarily in place, including:  

  • Thus, workers who are temporarily made unemployed on the basis of lack of work due to economic causes can be admitted to the right to unemployment benefits without first having to prove a number of days of work in employment for a certain period of time. Specifically: Your Thus, employees no longer have to go through a waiting period after (initial) hiring to be put on temporary unemployment.  

 

  • Until 31.12.2022, the employee is completely exempted from the use of a control card C3.2A and therefore, as an employer, you do not have to issue it to the employee who is temporarily made unemployed, regardless of the reason for the temporary unemployment. Since control cards do not have to be issued, they also do not have to be entered in the validation book (electronic or paper). Specifically: the employee is not required to keep or submit a check form.  

 

  • Until 31.12.2022, as an employer, you do not have to issue a so-called ASR Scenario 2 if the employee has to file a benefit claim, and only issue an ASR Scenario 5 at the end of the month. Specifically: the formalities involved in applying for the benefit are somewhat eased.  

 

  • As far as temporary unemployment due to economic reasons for blue-collar workers is concerned: in principle, as an employer you must first send an electronic notification of the anticipated economic unemployment to the NEO. This notification must normally be sent 7 days in advance. However, this period is being shortened from 7 to 3 calendar days from 01.06.2022 to 31.12.2022. Specifically: the waiting period before workers can be put on temporary unemployment is shortened, so the system is more flexibly applicable.  

 

The disappearance of the relaxed scheme means that temporary unemployment will not be able to be switched on immediately, but a number of aspects of the traditional systems are being relaxed a lot for both the employer and the employee. 

 

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