Breaking News: TERS (2020/08/12)
Breaking News: TERS Extended to 15 August 2020
2020-07-21Employment Equity Reporting 2020
2020-08-13The way is cleared for applications for TERS for July and August
The Minister of Employment and Labour published a new Directive today (which has been placed onto the Department of Labour Website) extending the TERS benefit to the 15th August 2020 in terms of section 4 (10) of the Regulations issued in terms of the Disaster Management Act. There are a few other notable changes to the Scheme:
- TERS can be applied for when vulnerable employees are unable to return to work, i.e. they have comorbidities or health issues which place them at a higher risk of complication or death should they contract the virus
- Employers can apply if:
- They are not permitted to commence operations either partially or fully by the Regulations
- They are unable to make arrangements for vulnerable employees to work from home
- They are unable to fully employ staff because of economic, technological, structural or similar needs caused by compliance to regulations
- They are required to limit the number of employees at the workplace through rostering, staggering of working hours, short time or the introduction of shift systems.
The Directive has been back dated to 27 June 2020 and remains in operation to 15 August 2020.
We expect the website to open for applications this week.
DISCREPANCY TAB
A new functionality has been added to the system which allows for employers to correct information for an employee that they consider has been incorrectly paid through the TERS. Called the Discrepancy Tab it will allow for that employee to be reassessed.
THE EFFECT OF TERS
In a media briefing published on 3 August 2020, it was announced that to date the fund has paid out R37 Billion (R37 133 662 558.77) for 693 561 applications benefits 8.3 million (3 298 307) employees. This is within the budgeted R40 Billion announced in April.
The Commissioner said “it is quite clear that these disbursements have made a real difference to millions of people dependent on the workers who received these cash injections. As the Fund, it is an honour of us to have played this part and will do so until August 15, armed with learnings from the past three months”