Pandemic Special Recognition Payment
Government decision on the 19th January 2022 directed the Department of Health to provide special additional financial recognition to those eligible frontline health care workers based on the particular additional risks they faced in the performance of their normal duty during the pandemic.
Who is eligible?
Employees who, between 1st of March 2020 and 30th of June 2021, worked in an environment which warranted their inclusion in Sequence Group 1 and 21 for the Vaccination programme (see link below). This only applies to those directly employed by the HSE or Section 38 Agencies and those eligible in Vaccination and Testing Centres.
It should be noted that only those who were properly included within the sequence for the Vaccination Programme above, are eligible, and it does not apply to those who may have received a vaccination out of the intended sequence, who would not have fulfilled the criteria.
General Features of the Recognition Payment
The ‘Pandemic Special Recognition Payment’ full value is worth €1,000, free of all taxes. Eligible employees must have been employed between 1st of March 2020 and 30th of June 2021 and have been identified as working in COVID-19 exposed healthcare environments. For part-time employees, the payment will be pro-rated on the following basis:
1. Employees whose contracted hours are equal to or greater than 60% WTE for their grade shall receive €1,000;
2. Employees whose contracted hours are less than 60% WTE for their grade shall receive €600.
Employees who worked less than 4 weeks in the specified period are not in scope.
Applying for the Recognition Payment:
It has been advised by Dept of Health and DFHERIS that TCD does not fall under HSE / S.38 Employer criteria for the payment. Hence any employees and students who were doing work for the HSE / S.38 organisation during the eligible period who are employed by Trinity should fill in the self-declaration form and submit it to the host organisation (HSE / S.38 org) to request payment. This should be submitted by the 30th June 2022.
Further queries should be directed to the Department of Health or the HSE who are administering the payment. The National HR Helpdesk is available to take queries from individual employees Tel: 1800 444 925 Email: ask.hr@hse.ie
HSE Circular which may be of help https://www.hse.ie/eng/staff/resources/hr-circulars/hr-circular-012-2022-pandemic-special-recognition-payment.html
Note:
Please be advised that the Hospitals are waiting for direction from Department of Health and HSE on the process of making payments to certain categories of claimants which include any eligible TCD Employees. Hence the date for these payments is yet to be confirmed and once they receive this communication they will provide an update on payments to the claimants. At this time they do not think that this payment will be made in July and they will be in touch as soon as they receive further updates.
Due to the large number of queries we received re the pandemic special recognition payment, TCD HR Team have also contacted the National Employee Relations Team at HSE seeking further information. This content will be updated and information will be communicated to all impacted Employees should we receive any further information or updates on these payments.