Job Support Scheme
23 April 2009
(Also known as the nine day fortnight.)
Helping employers retain employees who could be facing redundancy...
The Government has announced that from 27 April 2009, the Job Support Scheme will be extended to include employers with 50 or more employees. Previously only employers with more than 100 staff were eligible.
The Job Support Scheme is one of the Government's initiatives in response to the current economic situation. Work and Income has an important role to play by supporting employers and helping employees keep their jobs.
The Job Support Scheme helps employers who are facing temporary difficulty in the current economic conditions and may be looking at either reducing the size of their work force, or the number of paid hours their staff work.
The Job Support Scheme will help employers by paying an allowance to employees who have agreed to work reduced hours. The allowance will be administered by Work and Income as a direct payment to employers. It will supplement the income of workers who have accepted reduced working hours, by up to 10 hours per fortnight, for up to six months. Employers can sign up for one six-month period over the next 18 months.