HOW IT WORKS

 

1.0 It has been announced in Government Programme 2015-2019 that the “Back to Work (BTW) will be implemented to facilitate women wishing to take up or resume employment”. To address this gender gap, the Ministry of Labour, Industrial Relations, Employment and Training will implement a "Back to Work" Programme for women who wish to rejoin the labour force. This will consist of special training schemes to prepare them for at least 15 occupations.

 

2.0 Objectives
The objectives of the BTW which is financed by the Ministry of Labour, Industrial Relations, Employment and Training (MLIRET) are, inter alia, as follows –

  1. to ensure that the Mauritian women above 35 years of age find placement and training in private enterprises or with individual employers;
  2. to help women gain back their self-confidence and learn to integrate or re-integrate the labour market by undergoing a training programme designed to build or re-build self-awareness, self-esteem, social responsibility and entrepreneurial skills and to strengthen interpersonal and communication skills; and

  3. to arrange for the placement and training of unemployed Mauritian women in private enterprises or with individual employers in the economic sectors listed in the Annex.

3.0 Criteria for Eligibility of women

  1. The Employer shall select such number of Mauritian women to be employed from the register of unemployed Mauritian women above 35 years of age, kept and maintained by the MLIRET.
  2. Mauritian woman selected under subparagraph (a) shall exclude a woman who has joined the Workfare Programme under the Employment Rights Act or who is in receipt of any social aid under the Social Aid Act or who is benefitting from any other Employment and Training scheme set up by the Government of the Republic of Mauritius.

 

4.0 Payment of salary/stipend
MLIRET shall through the HRDC contribute for the payment of salary and training costs for the persons selected under paragraph (6) of the agreement during a maximum period of 1 year as follows –

  1. A maximum monthly stipend of Rs 5,000 per woman for a maximum of 1 year placement. Employers will pay the monthly stipend and they will be refunded by the Ministry of Labour, Industrial Relations, Employment and Training through the HRDC.

  2. Normally a maximum training cost of Rs 7,500 per woman. Employers will pay the training cost and will be refunded by the Ministry of Labour, Industrial Relations, Employment and Training through the HRDC. The training must be MQA approved.

     

5.0 Refund to employer

 
  1. Every claim by the Employer for contributions shall be made to the HRDC in such form and manner as may be determined by the MLIRET.
  2. On receipt of a claim under subparagraph (a), the HRDC shall, on being satisfied that the claim fulfils the requirements of the Agreement, proceed to effect payment of the contributions to the Employer.

 

The HRDC shall effect payment of the contributions within 15 days after submission by the Employer of the claims duly supported by all relevant documents.

 

Where any payment made pursuant to paragraph (11) of the agreement is subsequently found to have been made by error or mistake or it is found that the Employer was not eligible to the contributions, the HRDC shall immediately –

  1. recoup the amount so paid; and
  2. notify in writing the matter to the MLIRET for any action the Ministry deems appropriate.

The Employer shall, in respect of the persons recruited under the BTW-

  1. ensure that they work under supervision;
  2. ensure that the relevant tools and equipment are made available to them;
  3. arrange for an insurance cover for them;
  4. not later than 15 days from the date of termination of placement of a person, notify in writing the MLIRET, of the event and the reasons thereof;

  5. make available, on demand by the MLIRET, any record, document or information for the purposes of ensuring the implementation of the BTW;

  6. participate in any survey conducted by the MLIRET;

The parties may, by mutual consent, amend the terms of the Agreement. For more details, please refer to the Agreement.


Any breach of any of the terms of the Agreement by the Employer may result in the termination of the Agreement and the disqualification of the Employer from further participating in the BTW.