FAQs for Employers

Is my business eligible to take part in the scheme?

Your business must be based on the Isle of Man and/or the work offered through the scheme must be undertaken locally. You must also meet the conditions outlined above for employers.

How do I apply?

Individuals will shortly be able to register on-line for the Scheme. In the meantime, they can contact the Employment Services Team by email to reskill@gov.im

Where does my application go?

Your application will be received by the Social Security team who will check you are eligible to take part in the scheme.

What happens next?

An officer from The Treasury’s Employment Services Team will contact you, and once they understand your requirements they will then match potential employees to your vacancy and provide you with a selection of CVs to review. You will then be able to select the chosen employee via your normal recruitment process.

Will I know what the potential employee’s illnesses or disabilities are?

The potential employee will have undergone an occupational health assessment, but it is up to them how much of the occupational health report (if any) they share with The Employment Advisor and any potential employer, and you cannot insist on this being shared.

You may ask them if they have any specific work that they cannot undertake as a result of any illness or disability they may have, or any workplace adaptations that would support them in work.

If you want to discuss your options in confidence, you can contact the Manx Industrial Relations Service for advice on +44 1624 672942 or email: iro@mirs.org.im.

How much do I pay my employee and how much can I claim back?

Provided it is at least the IOM minimum wage rate for the employee’s age, you can pay them whatever rate you want. But note that you will only be able to claim Reskill Payments (rebates) from the Treasury for wages/salary up to the hourly living wage.

You will be able to claim Reskill Payments (rebates) for up to 100% of their wages or salary for the first 6 months of their employment, 75% for months 7 – 9 and 50% for months 10 – 12.

Unlike the Manx Restart Scheme, employer’s NI costs cannot be claimed back in the Reskill Scheme.

You can pay more than the living wage if you want to, or if the job warrants a higher level of pay, but your Reskill payments will be limited to the relevant proportion of the living wage or the actual pay, whichever is the lower.

How many hours can my employee work?

You can offer as many hours as you like, but you will only be able to claim support from the Scheme for up to 35 hours per week.

What happens if things don’t work out with my employee?

We would encourage you to work closely with The Treasury’s Employment Services Team in relation to any issues as early as possible to give the best chance of resolving them, so that the employment can continue.

The individual will be a direct employee of yours and so should be treated with the same level of fairness and understanding as a regular team member. You will need to comply with Manx Employment Law and your own internal policies.