Human Resources
Photo taken with Isabella’s Google Pixel 4a
Good morning! Luke and I have made it to Portugal! We have set up our utilities and bought bits and pieces for the apartment. Our stuff arrives this weekend and then this place will start feeling a little bit more like home. We’ll just be missing the dogs and Loki, but we’re hoping to go back for them by 17th March latest. Fingers crossed it all goes to plan!
Anyhow, today’s post is a reminder to apply for your tax back on Revenue.ie, especially if you’ve left the country to work elsewhere in the middle of the tax year! (Lookin’ at all of you in the UK, Australia and New Zealand). Remember you can apply for tax back for the last 4 completed tax years - so 2019 to 2022 inclusive. Also, remember they’ve introduced a Rent Tax Credit from 2022 to 2025 inclusive, and you can get up to €1000/year for jointly assessed civil partners or €500/year for single persons.
Today’s post is also a reminder for anyone who has not received their €1000 Pandemic Special Recognition Payment to make a claim for it. If you worked in a frontline Covid-exposed clinical environment for at least 4 weeks between 1/03/2020 to 30/06/2021, you are eligible for the payment - even if you have since left Ireland to work elsewhere. I will try to save you a lot of hassle by telling you exactly where to go. But first, here’s a summary of the shenanigans the Human Resources (HR) department put me through:
I worked as an Intern during the period recognised by the Recognition Payment, so I reached out to the HR department in GUH who deal with the ‘Acutes’ employees and asked if they could approve me for the payment. They told me that because I had worked in Psychiatry for 2 weeks after my intern year, I would have to contact Psychiatry HR.
They sent me contact details for Merlin Park Psych HR, who told me they were not responsible for employees working in the Adult Acute Mental Health Unit in GUH. Merlin Park Psych HR did not have contact details for GUH Psych HR.
Both Switch (the phone operating service in GUH) and the GUH Psych administrative office had to go routing for contact details for GUH Psych HR - who are supposedly located in Tuam (I cannot confirm this). While I was on hold, I could hear the admin staff talking about how difficult it is to reach the Head of HR in Psychiatry - at least that’s what I took from the muffled chatting in the background.
Psych HR in GUH did not pick up the phone or respond to my voicemails or emails. I still haven’t managed to speak to a Psych HR employee, nor have I had any sort of correspondence from them.
So I tried Cpl Healthcare. Cpl responded very quickly and apologized for not being able to approve the payment (because I was not eligible for it while I was employed with them) and told me that the Acutes HR department in GUH should be able to approve the payment because I worked for them during the entire recognised period.
So I went to the HSE National Employee Relations Office, who also sent me back to GUH HR - who were adamant they were not responsible.
What resulted were nearly 3 months of emails, phone calls and voicemails and me being sent around in circles between HR departments.
When I had had enough, I went back to the HSE National Employee Relations Office, re-explained my situation and made it very clear that I am not currently employed and so do not currently have an HR department to go to, and to my great relief, they approved the payment for me. I then received an email from GUH ‘Acutes’ HR asking if my bank details had changed. Looks like the HSE National Employee Relations Office contacted the same people I spoke to at the very beginning.
This entire experience was incredibly frustrating and disheartening and, honestly, a little embarrassing. I felt like I was grovelling for a bit of money. But this payment is a gift from the government thanking us for our efforts during an incredibly demanding time and risky PANDEMIC. I couldn’t believe I had to go to such lengths to claim a GIFT. After a couple of months, it felt insulting that I seemed to be the only person making an effort to see this thing through. I understand this may not be how everyone else would feel, but the point is, if you’re eligible for this payment, you deserve it.
So, please, claim that payment! We worked in chaotic conditions with constantly changing protocols, and at the very beginning of the pandemic, we didn’t even really know the risks. It was scary and messy and we were putting our families at risk, too.
So finally, here’s how I suggest you do it:
First, contact the last HR department you worked for during the period recognised. If they refuse to help you, contact the HSE National Employee Relations Office.
Please do it even if you left for the UK, New Zealand or Australia (or elsewhere) during or after the period recognised. You’re entitled to that money. Remember how terrible the working conditions can be in the HSE (read my two previous ‘pebbles’ posts if you need a reminder) and accept that you deserve this little gift from the government.
Good luck! I hope I’ve saved you a whole lot of hassle.
Isabella
