Force employees placed on short-time work to telework? It is "illegal work", replies the Ministry of Labor which had already warned last week that this type of abuse would be "heavily punished". Faced with cases of employers asking their employees who are partially unemployed or looking after children to continue working, the ministry clarified the penalties for what amounts to "illegal work".
First, it will be necessary to "reimburse the sums paid for partial unemployment", then it will be "forbidden to benefit for a maximum period of 5 years from public aid in the field of employment or vocational training". Finally, article 441-6 of the Criminal Code, which punishes fraud against a public administration, is intended to apply and provides for two years in prison and a fine of 30,000 euros.
220,000 companies and 2.2 million employees concerned
"It is completely illegal and it will be heavily punished," warned the Minister of Labor, Muriel Pénicaud last week. In addition, while the CFDT of the telecommunications operator SFR had denounced last week a request for partial unemployment concerning 5,000 jobs, or 40% of the workforce, as a "windfall effect", the entourage of the Minister clarified that "to his knowledge SFR had not asked".
The use of partial unemployment had been requested Friday evening by 220,000 companies for 2.2 million employees in total, said Muriel Pénicaud Sunday. “As of Friday evening, we had 220,000 companies that had requested partial unemployment for all or part of their employees. It is 65,000 more than the day before, "said the Minister.
More and more partial unemployed
These requests concerned "2.2 million employees" Friday evening, or "600,000 more" than Thursday, she added. "We are in the thousands of requests per minute," she said, confirming that the device is in high demand.
"The main areas" concerned are "industry, accommodation and catering, construction and non-food trade", as "garages, which are very affected at this time," said the minister.
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- Economy
- Muriel Pénicaud
- Society
- Coronavirus
- Unemployment