Corona Ticker: Return to old rules planned for short-time work

News about Corona from May 13, 2023

In the case of short-time work, a return to the old rules is planned

Saturday, May 13, 3:24 p.m.: For short-time work in Germany, the rules that were set before the corona pandemic should soon apply again. Easier access to short-time work benefits will last until the end of June, but will not be extended after that. Federal Minister of Labor Hubertus Heil (SPD) told the “Rheinische Post” (Saturday) that “economic development and the situation on the labor market are currently better than we could have expected in the fall.”

First because of the Corona consequences and then because of the energy price crisis, Heil had facilitated access to short-time work benefits by regulation. The proportion of employees who must be affected by a loss of work before short-time work can take effect has been reduced – from at least one third to at least ten percent. Heil last extended this rule change in December 2022 until the end of June. It is now to be withdrawn again in the middle of the year. Companies can then apply for short-time work benefits again according to the old rules.

“Today, for example, we have the highest level of employment that the Federal Republic has ever had – despite the Corona crisis and the war in Ukraine,” said Heil. The issue now is securing skilled workers. “We will invest more money in the qualification and further training of employees. At the same time, the Federal Employment Agency must be able to build reserves again for future crises.”

There are currently only 162,000 employees on short-time work, at the height of the Corona crisis in spring 2020 there were six million. “In the years 2020 to 2022 we spent a total of 45.5 billion euros on short-time work benefits. That’s an enormous sum,” the minister summed up. But it paid off. In a study, the International Monetary Fund found that without the special regulations, unemployment would have risen by three percentage points at the peak of the crisis in the second quarter of 2020. “That corresponds to around 1.3 million people who we saved from unemployment with short-time work,” said the SPD politician. “Companies have been able to retain their skilled workers and it has stabilized aggregate demand.”

BGH on failure in Corona-Lockdown: No compensation for hairdresser

Thursday, May 11, 7:23 p.m.: The state is not liable for loss of revenue at a hairdressing business during the first six-week lockdown as a result of the pandemic. According to a ruling by the Federal Court of Justice (BGH) on Thursday, the legislature was not constitutionally obliged to regulate compensation claims for such burdens. The III. The civil senate rejected the plaintiff’s appeal and confirmed its case law. As a BGH spokesman explained, the current decision also concerned the legality of the Corona Ordinance of Baden-Württemberg.

According to the information, the plaintiff is self-employed and runs a hairdressing salon in rented premises in Baden-Württemberg. The federal state – like others – temporarily banned the operation of numerous facilities in March 2020. The woman received 9,000 euros from an emergency aid program in the country, which she had to repay. She demanded 8,000 euros from the state as compensation for the loss of earnings and operating expenses. The district court of Heilbronn dismissed the lawsuit. The appeal to the Higher Regional Court in Stuttgart was unsuccessful.

The BGH has now confirmed the decisions: the ordered closures were intended to protect the health of the population and to combat an overload of the health system, the statement said. “In doing so, the state fulfilled its duty to protect the life and health of its citizens and was therefore pursuing a legitimate purpose.” A six-week shutdown was not unreasonable given the overall economic, social and other effects of the pandemic. The BGH also ruled: “The financial capacity of the state is limited. Accordingly, in times of a pandemic, the state may have to limit itself to its cardinal obligations to protect the population.”

Federal Administrative Court examines the legality of Corona-Measures

Wednesday May 10 at 6:46 p.m The Federal Administrative Court in Leipzig is hearing this Thursday (beginning: 10 a.m.) on the legality of pandemic measures in autumn 2020. Specifically, it is about two corona protection regulations from Saarland and Saxony, with which the closure of restaurants, among other things, was ordered . The plaintiffs operate restaurants and a hotel and conference center.

In the previous instance, the higher administrative courts had decided differently. The Saxon Higher Administrative Court dismissed the lawsuit. The regulation is not a disproportionate encroachment on professional freedom, and less drastic measures to protect vulnerable groups were not available.

The Saarland Higher Administrative Court, on the other hand, had agreed with the plaintiffs. The Corona Protection Ordinance was not based on a sufficient legal basis. The Infection Protection Act in the version at that time was not sufficient. Federal lawmakers only changed it in November 2020.

So far, nine people have had their corona fines back

Sunday, May 7, 10:24 a.m.: Of 348 applications for reimbursement of corona fines in Bavaria, only 9 have been successful so far. As the Bavarian Ministry of Health announced at the request of the German Press Agency, 142 applications were rejected by May 2nd. The rest is still in progress.

The main reason why so many applications were rejected is that people only get the fines back if they left the apartment during the first corona lockdown, for example to go for a walk alone or with members of their own household, and were prosecuted for it. The Federal Administrative Court in Leipzig had declared the corresponding rules in the exit restrictions from April 1 to 19, 2020 in Bavaria to be disproportionate and ineffective.

During this period, around 22,000 fines were imposed across Bavaria for violating the exit restrictions – but only a small part of them because those affected left their homes “to stay outdoors alone or with members of their own household,” according to the Ministry of Health formulated. For example, anyone who met people from other households and therefore had to pay fines cannot hope for a refund. The Federal Administrative Court did not object to this rule.

The ministry spokesman could not say whether the money had already reached those affected in the nine approved cases. The counties and the urban districts are responsible for this. “We assume that the repayment will be made quickly,” said the spokesman.

Bavaria’s Health Minister Klaus Holetschek (CSU) emphasized that the repayment procedure was “designed to be as citizen-friendly and simple as possible”. Those affected only have to send an informal letter, for example an e-mail, to the respective district office or city administration and attach a copy of the fine notice or a court decision.

Nevertheless, the Ministry of Health does not assume that significantly more Bavarians will reclaim corona fines. “Those affected have been able to submit applications for around two months,” said the ministry spokesman. So far, however, the number of applications has been “within a manageable range”. There are currently no indications “that this could change significantly in the foreseeable future”.

Corona worries accompany Giro start – Kämna wants to be in the top ten

Saturday, May 06, 09:37: The 106th Giro d’Italia starts on Saturday with some corona worries. Shortly before the opening time trial over 19.6 kilometers from Fossacesia Marina to Ortona, several professional cyclists were out due to corona infections, including three helpers from cycling star Primoz Roglic. The Slovenian and World Champion Remco Evenepoel from Belgium are going into the race as favorites for overall victory. The German hopes rest on the former Junior World Champion Lennard Kämna, who is tackling the overall ranking in a Grand Tour for the first time and wants to finish in the top ten.

Lesson learned from mask deals: opposition calls for anti-corruption offensive

Friday, May 5, 2:56 p.m.: As a consequence of the controversial mask deals during the corona pandemic, the SPD, Greens and FDP are calling for an anti-corruption offensive and a transparency offensive in the Bavarian state government. “The internal audits must be increased so that the anti-corruption guidelines can also be filled with life,” said the vice-chairman of the mask committee, Florian Siekmann (Greens) on Friday in Munich. In the future, there will need to be more sensitivity to business offers if these are communicated via political channels. The final debate on the committee is expected to take place in the plenum on May 23.

The conclusion of the SPD, Greens and FDP on the extensive work-up in the committee of inquiry is in clear contrast to the arguments of the state government and also the government factions of the CSU and Free Voters. “The CSU mask deals should never have been completed. But in the middle of the crisis, the Amigo system of the Söder government blossomed – made possible by long-standing CSU structures,” was the summary of the three opposition factions.

The committee’s particular aim was to clarify the state government’s mask business in the corona pandemic, possible involvement of politicians and sometimes high commission payments to MPs – with the commissions coming from the companies involved. In the past few months, the committee had met for around 240 hours, evaluating 150 witness statements and two million pages of files.

You can read older news about the corona pandemic on the following pages.