Firstly, may we take this opportunity to wish you a very Happy Easter from all the partners and staff at Walsh O'Brien Harnett. We hope you get to take a well deserved break over the next few days, and that you and your families remain safe and well.

It has been almost one month since the Government announced the first social restrictions in an effort to curb the spread of COVID-19, and during this time we have witnessed a rapidly evolving situation. Please rest assured that while our physical office is closed, our teams continue to work very closely to ensure our clients have access to the most current advice and the trusted support we hope you have come to expect of Walsh O'Brien Harnett.

We have set out below the key issues of which you need to be aware - these have been updated and expanded upon since our last communication. There is a lot of information to cover, so we have just included links to the relevant sections on our COVID-19 Business Supports Hub, which is being updated on a continuous basis. In particular we direct you to our 'Top Tips' section below, featuring advice from our team on key areas of interest; we hope you will find this practical advice helpful and informative.

As always, if you need any assistance or have any queries, please do not hesitate to get in touch.
 
Our teams' top tips
 

Our teams have put together some of their top tips for navigating the current business situation - we are continually adding to this advice, so please keep checking our COVID-19 Business Supports Hub and our company LinkedIn page for more updates as they're added.

 
 
 
Employers and employees
 

The Government is operating a range of supports to help employers and employees navigate the economic fallout from COVID-19. We have set out below the current supports available; please follow the links for full details on our website.
 
 
Banking and other financial supports
 

All banks have announced that they will offer flexibility to their customers, and they may be able to provide payment holidays or emergency working capital facilities where required. In addition, the following government facilities have been recommended as supports for working capital constraints:
 
 
Revenue
 

See our overview of updates issued by Revenue to further assist businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic. This includes:

  • Practical advice for dealing with Revenue during the COVID-19 period.
  • Information for SMEs.
  • Information for subcontractors.
  • Information on importing goods.
 
 
Tax relief on home expenses
 

Employees working from home as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic may be entitled to tax relief.

  • The relief is available in respect of expenses incurred while working from home such as electricity, heating and broadband.  
  • An employer can make a payment of €3.20 per day to employees to cover costs such as light and heat, home phone, broadband. This is known as the e-worker allowance. However, there is no obligation on employers to make this payment.
  • Revenue has issued updated guidance on the e-worker allowance and has confirmed that this may be paid to employees working from home due to the current COVID-19 situation. See Revenue guidance for reference.
  • Where an employer does not pay the e-worker allowance, an employee may make a claim directly to Revenue in relation to home costs (light and heat, phone, broadband).  Employees can make such claims by applying directly to Revenue.
  • In addition, no benefit in kind arises where employers provide equipment to employees such as laptop, printer, phone to facilitate working remotely. 
 
 
Communications
 

Communication is vitally important during this crisis. It is important to stay connected to employees, customers and suppliers. Make use of the various social media platforms to inform your contacts about major changes such as temporary closures and alternative arrangements. Consider using Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook or Instagram in order to deliver messages quickly and to a wide audience.

 

For remote working, there is a wide variety of technology solutions to enable you to keep in close contact with your clients and employees - we have outlined some of the most widely-used options here.

 

As the days and weeks progress, make sure to contact key stakeholders directly by phone, letter or email as you judge best. We should all be aware that this time is likely to be stressful for many of those we work with. Many people will be impacted in ways we could not have expected.
 
 
Insurance
 

Clients should make sure to check their insurance policies for coverage related to Business Interruption Cover, or Credit Insurance. It is important to consider the implications of any exclusions for force majeure which may or may not apply to the current pandemic and responses from governments.
 
 
Recovery
 

Preparation for the eventual recovery is very important. We are confident that this will come soon, and we should all be ready for it. Evidence from China and Singapore is showing us that business activity will pick up as quickly as it fell away. Business confidence has proven to be quite resilient in these countries. Supply chains have been interrupted to a considerable extent, and may take some time to be re-established, which emphasises the need for regular communications with key stakeholders.
 
 
WOBH support
 

Although our offices are now closed and we are working remotely, Walsh O’Brien Harnett remains open for business, and we are keen to assist our clients to navigate these choppy waters. Remote-working measures are in place for all staff to ensure continuity of service. The partners continue to be available via email and telephone as required, and encourage you to make contact.

We will update our website with the latest information as and when it becomes available.

 

Frank Walsh: 086 8304857
Andrew Kevitt: 086 8568965
Joe O'Brien: 086 0853132
Ronan O'Brien: 087 9877905
Conal Sherry: 086 3591696