Newsletter June 12 2020
We are at the peak
Last year the 8th of June was a Friday. On that day YTK received a total of 15 first-time applications. This year the 8th of June was a Monday and we received 656 applications.
At the time of writing, the total number of first-time applications sent to us is already around 70,000. The majority of them have been sent during the last two months.
The number of applications tells how the unemployment rate has increased due to Covid-19. The same thing is indicated by the fact that in May YTK paid a historic amount – 75 million euros – of unemployment benefits. And we can already see that the record did not last long, because the daily allowances to be paid in June will amount to 100 million euros.
For you, however, this huge amount of money also means hope: we have managed to pay out a lot of daily allowance. Each of the 100 million euros is unemployment daily allowance for you or another applicant. The more money is spent, the higher number of people are receiving it.
Although it’s not yet time to celebrate, there is some hope in the air. Wednesday this week was the first day when the number of all types of applications for daily allowance was lower than on the preceding day. It has not happened once since the flood of lay-offs started. In addition to old hands, the hint of hope is provided by the one hundred new YTK employees who have now familiarised themselves with the Unemployment Security Act and are working at your applications at full speed.
Look ahead, we have reached the peak of the crisis!
A few words about accessibility
If you have been reading our newsletters regularly, you may notice that this letter has a new look. The update is based on our aim to act as pioneers in matters that enhance the customer experience. In this case the customer experience is linked to accessibility and that the messages and content sent by us sre available and understandable to all.
The letter should be visible to those with poor eyesight, and the content should be clear enough. It needs to be possible to read the content easily on different devices.
If you are interested, you can read about the Accessibility Directive here.
Amendments proposed to be extended
A number of temporary amendments have been made to unemployment security during the coronavirus epidemic in the spring. As a general rule, the amendments were originally valid until the summer, but it is being now proposed that their validity be extended to the end of the year.
What about the weekends, then?
Many of you have wondered what to enter in the application for weekends. If you have been laid off, it may feel strange to write that you were laid off or unemployed at the weekend. How should you fill it out?
There are many complicated aspects in unemployment security, and that’s why we need a day-by-day report. It is not uncommon that some people have working hours during the weekend.
So what should I enter in the application for the weekend? That’s simple. If you were in employment, report your hours at work. If you were not in employment, choose “Laid off” or “Unemployed”.
Additional security to leisure time for members of YTK Association
Are you spending the summer at leisure or in remote work? Are you planning a holiday trip, time at the cottage, a new hobby, or a renovation project? Anything can happen anytime, but you can prepare for accidents! Did you know that the members of the YTK Association get additional security and many useful benefits, such as a leisure time accident insurance? Read more about the insurance!
