Employees who resigned just before the confinement linked to Covid-19, because they had a promise of employment, will be able to benefit from unemployment insurance. Muriel Pénicaud, the Minister of Labor, said on Thursday that she was "thinking" also about improving the compensation of the self-employed.
“It was a hole in the racket that was pulled up from the field. Those who had resigned shortly before confinement, before March 17, and who had a promise to hire, on CDI, on CDD, often found themselves between two chairs and frankly penalized, "she explained on RMC and BFMTV.
"With Pôle emploi and Unédic, I decided that we would take them into account for unemployment", she announced. These are people whose "new employer terminated the contract within 65 days from March 1" or whose "actual hiring could not take place, but the person has a promise to hire or, failing that, a certificate from his employer justifying the postponement of hiring, ”she said.
A third of private sector workers on partial unemployment
In addition, the Minister updated the figure, constantly increasing, of the employees for whom their company asked for partial unemployment: they are now 6.9 million, a new record, out of nearly 20 million private sector employees. In total, 628,000 companies have used this system, which allows the employee to be compensated up to 70% of gross salary and 84% of net salary.
The cost, shared between the State and Unédic, the organization that manages unemployment insurance, "will be very significant, more than 20 billion euros," said the minister. "It is a worthwhile investment" because it avoids mass layoffs, she said.
Partial unemployment: Muriel Pénicaud believes that "it's an investment that is worthwhile" pic.twitter.com/8BhszkP9OH
- BFM Eco (@bfm_eco) April 9, 2020The minister called on big companies to show "good citizenship", "when they are strong," and not to ask for a reimbursement from the state when they use short-time working, giving the example of Schneider Electric .
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The director of cabinet of Muriel Pénicaud, Antoine Foucher, quoted by this site, affirmed Wednesday that the partial unemployment, the deferrals of charges, the tax reductions and the possible bankruptcies of companies will have a cost “for the French nation. It will be historic and more than 100 billion euros far, far away. ”
No ban on dismissals
Muriel Pénicaud, asked about a possible ban on dismissals, as claimed by the unions, explained that "history has proven that it does not work at all, otherwise it quickly becomes a refusal to hire" from the employer.
The minister also indicated that the government was considering improving the compensation of the self-employed, who can currently already use the solidarity fund. "We plan to go beyond the 1500 euros in compensation for them, because for some, it is very difficult".
She also clarified that she was working on an additional decree, which will specify the compensation framework for parents forced to stop to look after their children. With this system, employees keep 90% of their remuneration (50% paid by health insurance, 40% by the employer). However "there were some failures" in the payment of compensation. With the complementary decree, "parents will be able to receive daily allowances a posteriori if they have not already had them," she promised.
