5 most asked questions by Hospitality Employers in Curacao on Corona

1. Do I have to pay the salary of my staff, now that my business is closed by the Government?

Unfortunately, you must continue to pay the wages of the staff, it does not matter whether the contract is for a definite or indefinite period. This usually does not apply to on-call workers (0 uren / oproep): you do not have to continue to pay them.

2. As an employer, am I obliged to use the support measures from the Government?

No you're not. On the other hand if you do want to use the support from the Curacao Government, there are some important conditions, one (for instance not to fire any personnel). 

3. Can I fire staff because of the Corona crisis?

Not immediately, you will still need permission from SOAW or the Court of Curacao. Although the government wants to prevent layoffs, applying for a layoff due to Corona and the loss of income is a legitimate reason. Contact me if you need meer information on firing staff.

4. I have already indicated to an employee with a temporary contract that the contract will be extended. Can I still cancel that offer?

Yes you can (unless the offer already has been accepted by your employee!). Mail your employee that circumstances have changed and that - unfortunately - an extension is not an option now. 

5. Do I have to continue to pay wages if my employee is in quarantine?

Yes, unless you have strongly advised the employee not to travel to certain areas.

For further questions text or mail me at bannenbergbvb@gmail.com

Disclaimer: although I did my best to sort all the questions out as good as possible, due to rapid changes in legislation and measures, you cannot derive any rights from this information.