Updated March 31 2020: The proposals have been approved by Parliament

The Government has proposed (HE27/2020) that if the layoff started on 16 March 2020 or later, those who have been laid off would be entitled to an unemployment benefit while the law is in force, without being prevented by the provisions of chapter 2 of the Unemployment Security Act about applying for a full-time job, work done outside an employment relationship, as well as being employed as an entrepreneur or in your own work. The provisions of chapter 2 of the Unemployment Security Act on the effects of studying and the requirements on young people without vocational education would not apply to the right to receive an unemployment benefit, either.

The provisions of chapter 2a of the Unemployment Security Act on refusing to take a job or neglect related to the re-employment plan or a plan or service that replaces it would not apply to the right of laid-off people to receive an unemployment benefit, either. If the person refused work that the employer offered them individually, the provisions in chapter 2a on refusing work would still apply to the jobseeker’s actions.

Due to the proposed law entering into force, a labour policy statement that makes it possible to pay an unemployment benefit based on a layoff would be given until the end of July 2020 at the latest. If the layoff continued after that, the TE Office would find out if the jobseeker fulfils the other requirements of receiving an unemployment allowance and give the party paying the unemployment benefit a new labour policy statement. The new statement would apply to the right to receive an unemployment benefit starting from 1 August 2020.