Ireland is completely out of line with European norms in not requiring employers to continue to pay a worker’s wage if sick and unable to work, writes Dr Laura Bambrick.
Sick and injured gardaí have already been moved to lower rates of sick pay as changes in legislation reduce the amount of time they can receive the full rate.
Three quarters of companies with occupational sick pay schemes said the potential impact of a statutory scheme would result in a revision of existing sick pay and benefit entitlements.
The government has made it clear that it isn’t happy to keep footing the bill for employee sick pay – so we’ve asked Sinn Féin, TASC and IBEC what they think should be done about it.
Last week the minister circulated a briefing document criticising Minister Joan Burton’s proposal to increase the number of sick pay days an employers pays.
The Small Firms Association and the Irish Business and Employers Confederation have condemned the government’s plans to shift the burden of sick pay on to employers.
That is according to the business owners who took part in a survey for ISME, who said that mandatory sick pay of four weeks will have a “disastrous effect” on businesses.
Retail Ireland has called on the government not to increase excise duty and not to shift the payment of sick leave onto employers in the Budget next week.
A BAN ON “all forms of advertising” by betting companies before the 9pm watershed has been recommended by the Oireachtas Justice Committee.
A report published by the committee said around 3,400 15 and 16-year-olds are “engaged in problem gambling in Ireland”.
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“Stakeholders emphasised, in particular, the need for a pre-watershed ban on all forms of gambling advertising.
“They pointed out that a cultural shift had resulted in advertising on cigarettes being banned and advertising on alcohol being curtailed and recommended that the same approach be applied to gambling advertising,” the document states.
In terms of online adverts, the report notes that gambling ads are typically aimed at people over the age of 25. However, stakeholders noted “it can be challenging to prevent all websites from showing adverts to those underage”.
The report was compiled as part of the pre-legislative scrutiny of the Gambling Regulation Bill, which is expected to pass next year.
What do you think: Should all gambling ads be banned before 9pm?
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