Bogus self-employment initiative dubbed 'an exercise in spin'

Social Protection Minister Regina Doherty

Tuesday, May 08, 2018 - 07:14 AM

Workers are being urged to check their employment status online.

A public awareness campaign has been launched about bogus self-employment, where a person appears to be self-employed but is really an employee.

Social Protection Minister Regina Doherty says anyone who is not getting their full work entitlements can contact her Department.

"All anybody can ask for an investigation to be made from our Department, either a worker or employer," she said.

"What actually happens is if it is determined that somebody is misclassified, they're put on the right classification and th payments that are due for that person are backdated to when they started working for the person that they are working for."

The Labour Party is dismissing the bogus self-employment initiative.

Party Chairperson Jack O'Connor says it is 'about as useful as an ashtray on a motorbike'.

The Government's initiative, which was announced yesterday, ironically on the public holiday of May Day, is an exercise in spin, which is designed to look as though it's something which adds up to actually nothing, direct people to a website where they can get some information and it ends at that.

Digital Desk