Emergency Declaration - What businesses need to know about an emergency
2020-03-18
Finished
The business union "Georgian Employers' Association" issues an emergency statement in response to the severe economic situation created in the country by the spread of the Corona (COVID 19) virus.
What businesses need to know about emergencies
Labor relations in the current situation
Our recommendation echoes that of the government. In such emergency cases, the best international practice is to overcome the crisis period through a dialogue between the employer and the employees and to agree on some compromise cooperation, where the interest of maintaining jobs on the one hand and the interest of business survival on the other hand will be taken into account as much as possible. Therefore, it is desirable to temporarily change the essential conditions of the labor contract if necessary.
If necessary, the Association of Georgian Employers offers the employers to perform the role of a mediator in conducting a conciliatory dialogue and in this regard, to provide all the necessary assistance.
In the event that such an agreement could not be reached between the parties, and if a force majeure circumstance has a direct and direct impact on a specific business activity and makes it impossible for both the employer and the employees to fulfill their obligations, a decision may be made to suspend the employment relationship, only in the circumstances mentioned for the duration of existence.
At the same time, companies are obliged to continue to provide a safe working environment for employees, and are also authorized to establish special rules regarding company activities and access to company territory. It is necessary to post such rules in a place visible to employees and/or send them to employees via e-mail. Also, it is possible to impose certain sanctions in case of violation of the introduced rules.
What an emergency means for business
During an epidemic, when state authorities are deprived of constitutional powers