CMS Expert Guide to government support for employers and workers

Germany, Austria and Switzerland have an instrument called Kurzarbeit (“short-time working”) according to which employees’ working time is reduced (often to “zero”) during a crisis and the employer receives state or governmental subsidies for a certain proportion of the salary paid during this period. This instrument is intended to avoid redundancies and earned praise during the 2008 financial crisis.

This expert guide explores the ways different governments have attempted to alleviate the stress the pandemic has imposed on both employers and workers and ensure business continuity. The guide answers these six questions for each jurisdiction included:

• What government scheme(s) are available in your country to help employers and workers in the current COVID-19 crisis and for how long?
• What payments are made under the scheme(s) and how/by whom?
• Which employers and workers are covered?
• What procedure(s) does an employer have to follow to be able to take advantage of the scheme(s)?
• Are there any other important eligibility criteria?
• Are the employees covered by the scheme(s) protected from dismissal?

We are confident this expert guide will help you get a good overview of government measures put in place to support for employers and workers. If it encourages you to seek more detailed information, please contact employment@cmslegal.com and we will be happy to provide further advice.