COVID-19 FAQ’s & Support Questions

Last Modified: 12th June 2020 - 15.30

Please contact us with any questions you may have and we will add them to the list below, or indeed to discuss any of the below or indeed your own situation with us so we can best advise. We will put the newest questions or indeed updated ones to the top of the page.

I am used to my records being collected what do I do?

Updated 12th June 20 @ 15.30
Due the increased risk of carrying Covid19 from store to store collections are still suspended till further notice we ask that you post the records to the office from 12th June 2020 as some of most of our team are back in the office from Monday 15th June.

Royal Canal Financial Control Services
Office 1, Eastwae Retail Centre
Kinnegad
Co. Westmeath
N91 V593

Revenue Tax Liabilities and Warehousing of Taxes, what is this entail and about?

Updated 25th May 20 @ 21.20
We have created a dedicated page with this detail and what periods of taxes you can “Warehouse”. This page can be found here

My staff member has come to me and said “Id be better off getting €350 per week from Social rather than my normal wage” What do I tell the staff member?

Updated 10th April 20 @ 15.00
You need to stress to the employee that we are in this all together and that this scheme is for those who lose their jobs and that that they are not being laid off from your business. Yes they can apply and possibly get it, but when Social Welfare do the checks later they will seek it back and if you or we are asked then we will tow the hard line of that they were not laid off.

All you need to do is that if you are claiming the subsidy wage that you do not claim provided you are aware, if you are not told then nothing you can do but be truthful later on when asked.

Wages submitted online to Revenue are shared with Social Welfare as they always had and they have systems to cross check. I have had heard of one employee in a clients business receiving a letter stating the person should not be working and claiming the Covid19 pandemic payment.

Remember we all will be paying for the cost of this in our taxes for years to come, so think of it coming out of yours and your families pocket.

#we are in this together

Can I speak to someone in the office now everyone is remote working?

Updated 10th April 20 @ 14.50

Yes from 6th April we have put in a cloud phone system with an app on the staff phones to act as the office phone/extension please visit the following link for further information and up to date list of available extension numbers.

https://royalcanalfcs.ie/telephone/

I normally post my records to the Royal Canal FCS office, what do I do now for the period of the “lock down”?

Updated 30th March 20 @ 12.45
Please arrange for post to be posted to our temporary address below during Covid19 as our offices are currently closed, we will then arrange for this to be forwarded to the team.

Ronan Duffy
15 Radharc An Mhuilinn
Rathwire Lower
Killucan
Co. Westmeath
N91 CD82

Wage Subsidy Scheme- where Revenue pays % of wages what is this about and do I qualify for same?

Updated 30th March 20 @ 00.16
This scheme is currently set up for 12 weeks from 26th March 2020 and Revenue have issued further guidance over the week, We have summarised this on a specific page which can be found here

If you believe you meet the criteria laid out on the above page, please contact us to discuss your situation and assist apply for this support from Revenue.

Staff asked to isolate, what are they entitled to?

Updated 29th March 20 @ 23.23
If a staff member has been asked to self isolate as requested by their GP and/or HSE, they are entitled to the “Enhanced Illness Benefit” from Department of Employment and Social Protection.

The rate of payment is €305 and will be paid for 2 weeks and they have been diagnosed with Covid-19 will be extended for a maximum of 10 weeks.

Please visit the Gov.ie website here for more details on this Citizens Information here

Staff member can’t come to work because they have no childcare, what do I do here?

Updated 29th March 20 @ 23.30
If the business is still open, then none of the other options are available.

If there is not enough annual leave, compassionate leave or able to change shifts then the staff member can apply for Parental Leave.

Parental leave normally needs 6 weeks notice but the employer can wave this requirement due to the situation of Covid-19.

If the employee is on Parental Leave and you cannot pay them, you can direct them to claim for the Parents Benefit, link for further information on applying and rates can be found here

I never signed up for Cashflow forecasting, I wish to do so now, am I too late?

Updated 29th March 20 @ 23.30
No it is not too late, if you wish to sign up for this, even if it is just for the period of the pandemic then that is OK, please contact us so we can discuss the options and costs for this service with you.

Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment- What is this?

Updated 29th March 20 @ 23.55
This is for employees who have lost their job due to the situation. Employees can qualify for the scheme if they are laid off due to the pandemic, either through a reduction in trade/enforced closure by government regulation.

The rate of payment is €350 per week from 24th March.

It is not open for an employee to resign or choose to stay at home themselves and seek to claim this benefit & this is clearly stated on the DEASP website when they go to claim for this. This is commonly know as the “Yellow Form”

Please note that the minister has stated in the Dail debate that “This is a solidarity payment. If people are defrauding their fellow citizens by claiming dishonestly, the full force of the lay will be applied”

– The Employer does not have to supply a letter to the employee
– The Employee is responsilbity to claim for this and it can be done online
– Paid for six weeks and the staff member must then apply for Job Seekers with the DEASP in the meantime
– If your staff member is one adult and one or more dependant children they should claim a Jobseeker’s Payment instead of the COVID-19 Pandemic Payment.

This scheme is only for staff whom have been laid off and you the employer is not operating the Wage Subsidy Scheme for choice or does not meet the conditions for same.

Further details can be found here

Is Royal Canal FCS still open?

Updated 29th March 20 @ 15.30
Our physical office is closed.
Our our team are working remotely as they have been since March 16th.
Please email the team and they will respond to you as soon as they can. You can still contact Joe Bingham or Ronan Duffy directly on their mobiles.

Payroll for my business, will this be still run?

Updated 29th March 20 @ 15.30
Yes,
Please email your payroll to the normal person by Tuesday 1pm to allow sufficent time to process, especially that the team are remote working and our quality control of checking has to be done remotely too.

Stock Takes, what happens now?

Updated 29th March 20 @ 15.30
Please contact your stocktaking company for an update on whether they are going to go ahead or not.

If you do the stock takes internally, please review this and possible delay this for now and focus your staff on serving your customers.

Staff layoff – what are they entitled to and what do they need to do?

Updated 29th March 20 @ 15.30
Please visit the Citizens Information Page found here for further details.

Are Accountants exempt from the lock down?

Updated 29th March 20 @ 15.30
Yes but only when we are serving those that in the essential service category. However given the pandemic and national emergency we are all in, we will not be travelling un-neccessarily to meetings, stores or to the office and we will continue to remote work and remote meet with our clients. Should the “lock down” extend further we will review this internally.

The directors will be able to attend the office in emergency, for IT support that cannot be done remotely or restore computers and servers if there is a power cuts for example.

SCBI Covid 19 Working Capital Loan Scheme

Updated 29th March 20 @ 15.30
Please click here to our dedicated webpage

Staff calling in not wanting to work when really able to work – What are they entitled to and/or claiming to be sick?

Updated 29th March 20 @ 15.30
This situation is not a layoff nor a Covid-19 support payment as their job is still there.
If staff claim to be sick, they must follow your sick leave procudure and could be disiplined later on if found to be not following this or taken advantage.
In order to be entiled to anything they must be within HSE guidelines and requirements.

My question is not listed here?

Updated 29th March 20 @ 15.30
Please email or contact us with your query and we can answer and update our list.