Employees who are laid off on a temporary basis are able to claim the social welfare benefits to which they are entitled. Under the redundancy payments scheme, operated by my Department, employees may be entitled to a redundancy payment from their employer if they have been laid off for a certain period (usually for four consecutive weeks). Such action does have the effect of terminating the employment contract. The employer has a right to give counter notice if there is a reasonable expectation that employees will, within four weeks of lodging their redundancy claims, enter on a period of at least 13 weeks' unbroken employment.
My Department does not propose to take any specific additional action to assist these or other employees who are temporarily laid off.