Employees who resigned just before the confinement linked to the coronavirus because they had a promise of employment will be able to benefit from unemployment insurance, said Thursday Muriel Pénicaud, the Minister of Labor, who is also "thinking" about improving compensation freelancers.
"It was a hole in the racket that was lifted from the field. Those who had resigned shortly before confinement, before March 17, and who had a promise to hire, on CDI, on CDD, found themselves often between two chairs and frankly penalized, "said the minister on RMC and BFMTV. "With Pôle emploi and Unédic, I decided that we would take them into account for unemployment," she announced.
6.9 million short-time workers
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 employees. In total, 628,000 companies have used this device, 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 Ms. Pénicaud. "It is a worthwhile investment" because it avoids mass layoffs, she said.
The minister called on big companies to show "good citizenship", "when they are strong", and not ask for a refund from the state when they call partial unemployment, giving the example of Schneider Electric.
According to the AEF info social information site, the government is considering exemptions for these companies. 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. "
Improve compensation for the self-employed
Asked whether the government was considering banning the dismissal, as claimed by the unions, she said that "history has proven that it does not work at all, otherwise it quickly becomes a refusal to hire" 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 1,500 euros in compensation for them because for some, it is very difficult".
The minister also specified that she was working on a complementary 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, "the parents will be able to have the daily allowances a posteriori if they have not yet had them", she promised.