Parliament is scheduled to discuss mass dismissals due to the coronavirus today, Thursday. The meeting was requested by the two opposition parties plus National Alliance (NA) faction member Christophe Emmanuel.
They used the term “illegal” because approval of the Dismissal Committee is required in most cases. Certain employers also choose to make redundancy proposals for their employees to sign in consent as was apparently done at Atrium, although it is generally wise to remain within relevant legal standards and collective labour agreement (CLA) provisions where applicable.
Those kinds of layoffs are called “voluntary,” but especially when the business involved is closed such offers become harder to refuse. Some have accused companies of wanting to abuse this sense of insecurity to pressure staff into accepting what they normally might not.
However, there is another side to this story. The island’s entire tourism economy practically stopped close to a month ago and since then hardly any income was earned in many cases.
Government is helping with payroll support, but several businesses have been excluded at least from the first round. That could force them to reduce working hours and/or pay, fire persons, or even shut down altogether, with predictable consequences regarding joblessness and crime.
Authorities will need to take great care when dealing with these kinds of situations, because too rigid an approach may have adverse effects and ultimately prove counterproductive. Dialogue between management, personnel and – if necessary – government is the preferred way to anticipate potential problems and handle them in the best possible manner.
