The announcement that COVID/TERS, the UIF-backed lifeboat for employers and employees, would be extended until 15 August 2020 was well received by struggling employers and employees alike. The COVID/TERS system is plagued by a backlog for claims from April, May and June 2020, which is being systematically addressed by a cooperative effort between employers and officials from the UIF.
Due to the second banning of alcohol sales and the virtually complete closure of the tourism sector (to name two examples) it became clear that COVID/TERS could not just grind to a halt on 30 June 2020. That being said, it is not a bottomless source. Further extensions may be extremely risky and that can be seen from the Department of Employment and Labour’s communication.
The current extension will have some real changes from the first iteration, namely a specific focus on benefits for vulnerable employees and industries which are not allowed to operate under lockdown level 3. Vulnerable employees are employees over 60 years of age who are at risk of serious complications or death if they contract COVID-19 and employees with comorbidities in the sense of underlying health problems that would place them at higher risk of serious complications or death if they contract COVID-19. Employers who have to stagger or rotate shifts in order to have fewer employees in a workplace and employers who are not able to have employees working from home, will qualify too.
The specific requirements of this extension will be gazetted with an explanatory note. Please join our Facebook group (Labour Amplified) where these documents will be shared.
