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CBC
20-05-2025
- Business
- CBC
Expansion of rent subsidy expected to help 2,500 households
The province is boosting its direct-to-tennant subsidy program by $21 million. The program, which is intended to help people working part time or in lower-paying jobs, already provides direct assistance to 6,100 households across the province.
Irish Times
16-05-2025
- Business
- Irish Times
Germany-based saleswoman given `ultimatum' to work full time or retire wins €124,000
An Irish-based tech firm which invoked German law to get rid of a 67-year-old sales executive after she refused an 'ultimatum' from her boss to either retire or go back to working full-time hours has been ordered to pay her just under €124,000. The Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) said cybersecurity company Integrity360 Europe Ltd acted in 'flagrant' breach of legal protections for part-time workers when it dismissed the worker, Helen Holland, last April – as well as discriminating against her on age grounds. She told the WRC she was made to feel 'old, irrelevant and unimportant' and 'a nuisance' by a new manager brought in following the 2023 buyout of her original employer, Advantio Limited by Integrity360. Ms Holland joined the firm in a sales role in 2017 and was promoted to key account manager in 2020, covering a territory in mainland Europe and the UK. She lived and worked chiefly in Germany, received her salary into a German bank account, paid German taxes and took German public holidays, the tribunal heard. READ MORE In April 2022, Ms Holland reached the age of 65, which was referred to in her contract of employment as the company's retirement age. However, the evidence before the WRC was that the retirement clause was not triggered at that time. Ms Holland's position was that this was an agreement that she would work on, with no set retirement date. The former managing director of the firm wrote in a March 2023 email that it was 'too much of a risk to let Helen retire' within six months, the tribunal heard. Following the July 2023 buyout of Advantio, Ms Holland got a new line manager, Matt Tomlinson, in November that year. The WRC concluded that in discussions about her position with Mr Tomlinson, Ms Holland was 'given an ultimatum and told that if she did not return to full time working ... then she would have to retire'. She was terminated 'without cause' on 30th April last year, a move the company's lawyers submitted had been 'pursuant to German law'. The firm argued that the WRC ought to reject jurisdiction on the basis that Ms Holland's job contract referred to both Irish and German law, and that this 'ambiguity' required the claim be heard in Germany, where Ms Holland lived, rather than in Ireland, where the company was registered. Adjudicator Pat Brady concluded Ms Holland had the right to choose, and 'had chosen Ireland'. He wrote that the company had been 'open and blatant' about the termination of Ms Holland's part-time contract and ruled its actions a 'flagrant breach' of the Protection of Employees (Part-Time Work) Act 2001, awarding €88,800 for the breach. He awarded a further €35,000 for age discrimination in breach of Employment Equality Act 1998, he awarded Ms Holland a further €35,000 – bringing the total awarded in the claim to €123,800. Tiernan Lowey BL appeared for Ms Holland, briefed by Hayes Solicitors. Michael McCormack BL was instructed by William Fry for the employer.
CNA
14-05-2025
- Business
- CNA
Singapore businesses dust off contingency plans following recent increase in COVID-19 cases
SINGAPORE: A recent spike in COVID-19 cases has spurred some businesses to implement additional measures to deal with labour shortage and ensure customer safety. These include hiring more part-time workers, engaging sanitisation services and putting in place protective equipment for staff and customers. Singapore's health authorities said on Tuesday (May 13) that the estimated number of COVID-19 cases rose to 14,200 in the week of Apr 27 to May 3, up from 11,100 cases in the previous week. With more people falling ill, businesses like restaurants and transport firms told CNA they are looking to ensure they have adequate labour for their operational needs. EXTRA HANDS IN THE KITCHEN A seafood restaurant said two of its chefs fell ill from COVID-19, leaving the dining establishment understaffed ahead of the busy Mother's Day holiday period last week. The House of Seafood, located in Punggol, looked to hire experienced part-time chefs to help cope with a full house of patrons as it battled an employee shortage. Ms Feng Ying, a supervisor at the restaurant, told CNA that they sought temporary chefs that had similar experience to the ones that were ill. She said this is to ensure that customers do not notice a drop in the quality and taste of the dishes sold by the restaurant, known for its crab offerings. The supervisor added that it was not easy to find such skilled part-time staff during this hectic season. 'We need to raise the salary, by about 50 per cent more than usual, in order to hire them," said Ms Feng. Other measures taken by the seafood eatery to deal with the rise in cases include extra sanitisation and disinfection efforts. The House of Seafood has engaged sanitisation services to perform deep cleaning of kitchen equipment and common locations with a high volume of contact, like toilets and door handles. It has also doubled the disinfection frequency for its premises to four times a day. FLEXIBLE SCHEDULING Meanwhile, transport firms like SG Bus Charter Travel & Tours have also increased sanitisation efforts and worked to ensure its drivers wear personal protective equipment. The firm's director Dinesh Dhillon said the company has experience operating services during the pandemic, which began in 2020. 'We were actually involved in the transportation of people coming back from overseas, going for quarantine,' he said, recalling how drivers had to wear face shields and gloves in addition to other personal protective equipment. Mr Dinesh added that their drivers currently wear N95 masks, a practice maintained since the pandemic. He said these N95 masks are 'more than enough' for the present situation, and the company does not intend to install air purifiers onboard the buses for now. The company's buses and vans are also sanitised twice a day. With staffing levels a consideration in case of illness, Mr Dinesh said the company has flexible work protocols for its employees, such as requiring administrative staff to work from home if they are ill with COVID-19. He said there is also a contingency plan should drivers also fall ill, allowing for quick workforce adjustment. "We have a schedule on a day-to-day basis. When … two or three or maybe four or five drivers come down … we'll just reshuffle the whole schedule,' added Mr Dinesh, who said any reshuffling will not add more shifts to the company's drivers.
