With theheat wave which has hit Italy, many companies are dealing with record temperatures which put normal work activities at risk. In these situations, where the suspension or the reduction of work become necessary, employers can resort to "heat redundancy fund” to support their employees. A INPS circular explains when and how to apply.
Hot, when to request salary integration
The following indications are aimed at both employers who can request ordinary salary integration treatment (Cigo), and to those who can request the wage integration allowance from the Wage Integration Fund (Fis) or to bilateral solidarity funds pursuant to articles 26 and 40 of legislative decree 14 September 2015, n. 148.
The employers they can ask for salary integration in two main situations:
- Suspension or reduction by order of the Public Authority: if an order from the public authority requires the suspension or reduction of work activity due to the heat, it is possible to request salary integration with the reason "suspension or reduction of activity due to order of public authority". In this case, in the technical report attached to the application, the details of the order must be indicated without attaching it.
- Excessive heat without ordinance: If there is no ordinance, but the heat prevents the normal carrying out of activities, a salary supplement can be requested with the reason "weather event" for "high temperatures". It is important to know that it is not possible to submit two separate requests for the same period and for the same workers, one with the reason "public authority order" and the other with "weather event". However, if there are ordinances, both the periods covered by the ordinance and those in which high temperatures were recorded can be considered.
Note important: if an application is presented with the reason "weather event" for "high temperatures" relating to periods also affected by orders for suspension or reduction of work activities, this circumstance will be taken into account during the investigation. Therefore, both the days/hours in which the actual occurrence of the adverse weather event was ascertained and, independently of this ascertainment, the days/hours for which the ordinances prohibited work can be recognized as integrating. In this case, employers will have to certify in the technical report not only the suspension or reduction of work activity due to high temperatures, but also report the details of the ordinance adopted by the public authority, without having to attach it.
Temperatures and perception calculation
For applications with the reason "weather event" for "high temperatures", it is possible to obtain the salary supplement only if the temperatures are above 35°C. However, temperatures at or below 35 degrees can however justify accepting the application if the perceived temperature is considered, which may be higher than the real one due to factors such as exposure to the sun, the use of machinery that produces heat, or the use of personal protection. Therefore, the evaluation of the integrability of the cause must consider not only the actual temperature, but also the working conditions.
How to prepare the documentation for the Hot Cig
For both situations, the documentation necessary includes a detailed technical report. This report must:
- Describe the work activity: indicate the type of work suspended or reduced and the conditions in which workers work.
- Environmental conditions: Detail weather conditions, including any impact of humidity on perceived heat. It is important to mention if the perceived temperatures are higher than those recorded, especially if the activities take place in unventilated environments or with heat-generating equipment. The use of personal protective equipment, such as overalls and helmets, can also increase the perceived temperature.
- Bulletins weather: It is not necessary to attach weather reports, as they are acquired automatically.
Timings and obligations for submitting the application
Requests must be submitted by the last day of the following month to the one in which the event occurred. Prior information to trade union representatives is not required, but it is mandatory to communicate, even after the start of the suspension, the expected duration and the number of workers involved.
Exemptions and concessions
Requests for wage supplements for objectively unavoidable events such as extreme heat are enjoyed by some exemptions:
- Seniority of work: 30 days seniority with the company is not necessary.
- Contribution additional: the additional contribution for Cigo, Fis, and Solidarity Funds is not due.
- Presentation of the application: the deadline for submitting the application is extended to the last day of the month following the event.
For agricultural companies, it is possible to request the Special redundancy fund for workers and permanent employees (Cisoa) using the reason "adverse atmospheric events" for the suspension or "Cisoa reduced atmospheric events" for the reduction of work activity.
