The civil service National Shared Services Office (NSSO) has temporarily suspended its HR and payroll helpdesks with immediate effect, on foot of An Taoiseach’s ‘stay at home’ announcement last Friday.

Staff at the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection (DEASP) completed the processing of just over half a million individual payments up to the end of last week.

Fórsa has amended its advice to members to say they should stay away from workplaces on public health grounds unless their employer has told them they need to attend work. Until now, the union has advised staff to go in unless told otherwise. The union says much of the dust has settled since the An Taoiseach’s ‘stay at home’ announcement last Friday (27th March), and that most employers have now given clear direction to staff.

Fórsa has updated its advice on coronavirus-related work issues for civil servants and staff in the wider public service. The advice covers attendance at work (including for pregnant workers and those with health vulnerabilities), salary protections for those self-isolating, temporary staff transfers, childcare and more. Read it HERE.

Fórsa has supported calls by the Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU) for the Government to implement stronger measures to avoid an economic depression as a result of the Covid-19 crisis.