📋 Tender Overview
The government is proposing to introduce a new wage support scheme for December and January. The scheme is aimed at companies that are hard hit by national infection control measures. The purpose is to make it easier for employees to remain in work rather than being laid off.The goal of this government is to keep as many people as possible in work. As an alternative to redundancy we are proposing a wage subsidy scheme. Many of the companies that are now hardest hit by the infection control measures are the same companies that have had the most demanding part of the entire pandemic. With this scheme companies can offer employees other relevant work tasks. This is an opportunity to keep their employees in work even if the normal operation is not maintained says Minister of Finance Trygve Slagsvold Vedum Sp.The wage support scheme will apply to companies that are strongly affected by national infection control measures that limit activity such as number restrictions requirements for table placement bar restrictions or the like. Examples of this are hotels and restaurants bars theaters and cinemas.I have visited several companies in recent days that have been hit hard by the infection control measures and understand very well that the situation is difficult. We have been impatient to put in place an arrangement with the parties. Therefore in a few days we have made a wage support scheme that will help keep more people in work and create more security towards Christmas says Minister of Trade and Industry Jan Christian Vestre Labor.The scheme will suit some companies but not all. Companies must choose whether they want to use the redundancy scheme or wage support. The wage support scheme is planned to be a short-term scheme to help companies retain employees who would otherwise have been laid off.The support shall be based on the company having wage costs for employees who would otherwise have been laid off as a result of the strict infection control measures. The scheme therefore applies to employees full-time and part-time to whom the company has a fixed salary obligation both permanent employees and temporary employees on fixed-term contracts.Support is provided for employees who are registered in NAVs AA register as of 30 November 2021. In principle companies cannot both lay off and receive wage support in the same period but exceptions are made for those who were laid off after 30 November provided that they will be returned to work by 21 December. In this way those who have now responded to the infection control measures by laying off can take the employees back and receive wage support in December. It gives companies insurance and the opportunity to look at the situation and the employees greater security.
