Lost my job due to a fire

lauraelaine

.....

Mrs OBumble

How long were you working there? If less than two years, then you likely have no rights at all.

Iflonger, maybe chat to citizens information about the situation- for a stand down that long, you may get statutory redundancy, I'mnot sure though.

Did you have any problems in signing on?

Have you been looking for other jobs? I know this can be very hard if all your colleagues are also chasing the same jobs at the same time.

seamus

Ultimately this is a statutory redundancy. Your job is gone and your employer has nowhere to put you.

http://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/employment/unemployment_and_redundancy/redundancy/redundancy_procedures.html

If you've been there less than 2 years, you're basically out of luck. As above, I'd get in touch with citizens information to find out what the actual process is in your case. But if the premises is gone for a year or more it sounds pretty cut-and-dried that the employer can make you redundant with no obligation to re-hire you when he reopens.

livedadream

you have the 'right' to sign onto jobseekers while you look for another job.
other than that it depends if you are being made redundant or if the employer is insolvent, some compaines have insurance to cover stuff like that some dont.

infogiver

lauraelaine wrote: »

Thanks for that !

Would it be the employers choice if he makes us redundant or not?

I just have a feeling he wants us to wait on the dole until he is in a position to employ us again!

once 4 weeks have passed and your employer is not able to employ you and pay you, then you are entitled to a redundancy, but only if you had been employed there for at least 104 weeks before you were laid off.
While you are waiting for your Jobseekers payment to come through (you mustn't have had enough PRSI paid to get JSB) you can apply for an SWA from the CWO (enquire at the SW office) if you have little or no other income.

seamus

lauraelaine wrote: »

Thanks for that !

Would it be the employers choice if he makes us redundant or not?

Yes and no. In order to make you redundant the employer has to show that your job is gone and there is no other reasonable alternative he can offer.

So he can't just choose to make you redundant, there has to be no reasonable chance that he can move you somewhere else to do the same job. If a shop has burned to the ground, then it seems unlikely an employer would be able to redistribute his staff elsewhere, especially if it's a small company.

However, in the event that he has no use for you, he can still choose to keep you on - paying you even though it incurs a loss for him. Obviously, few employers are going to do this.

I would give citizens information a call. Just because the shop is gone, doesn't absolve him from his statutory obligations. In the event that a huge number of staff are being laid off, he has to do things like engage in a mandatory consultation period, and so forth. So citizens information will be able to give you better information that's specific to your situation.