According to Home Front Command guidelines, in light of Israel and the United States’ preemptive strike in Iran, there will be no school, gatherings, or workplace activity, except for the operation of essential services only. At this stage, the defensive guidelines are in effect until Monday at 20:00.
Minister of Labor Yariv Levin signed an order this morning, following consultations with Defense Minister Israel Katz, stipulating that if necessary, essential workers may be mobilized and required by order to remain at their workplaces.
Employees in facilities that provide essential services are required to continue working in areas declared under a “special situation in the home front,” in accordance with Home Front Command defensive guidelines.
This refers to facilities that provide essential products or services such as water, electricity, fuel and gas infrastructure; emergency medical services (including hospitals, geriatric hospitals, dialysis centers, nursing institutions, and support services); community healthcare (health funds and support services); food supply; welfare institutions and support services; transportation services; ports; local authorities; government ministries; and facilities that support the military, among others.
Workplaces operating in a reduced format are those defined as essential facilities under emergency economy regulations. These include, for example, facilities in the areas of food, healthcare, welfare, infrastructure (communications, energy, transportation, water, and more), banking, defense industries, local authorities, and others.
How can I know if my workplace is considered essential?
Some facilities have been pre-designated by the National Emergency Authority as essential, particularly those involved in production factories, resources, services, materials, supply, and operations vital to sustaining the population, the war effort, and the national economy. In addition, certain sectors of the economy have been defined as essential. You can click the link to access the list of sectors designated as essential.
To determine whether a specific workplace belongs to the essential economy, you should contact the government ministry responsible for your field of activity (for example: the Ministry of Economy for industry, the Ministry of Energy for fuel stations, and so on). This can be checked through the official platforms of the relevant government ministries or by contacting their service centers.
What are the protection guidelines for essential workplaces?
Even in essential workplaces, the Home Front Command has instructed that activity be reduced. Essential workplaces must ensure that their alert systems are functioning properly and, in the case of mobile employees, that the Home Front Command app is installed on their mobile devices. They must also ensure the readiness and maintenance of protected spaces. Efforts should be made to provide essential services to the public through online means in order to prevent gatherings.
Essential workers must work as close as possible to a standard protected space. In essential workplaces that receive the public, it must be ensured that, during an alert, both employees and service recipients enter the best available protected space, in accordance with the highest level of protection available to them at the time.
Essential workers in open areas or outside buildings (including in the construction sector) must keep personal protective equipment within reach and, upon receiving an alert, enter the best available protected space nearby. If this is not possible and no protected space is available in their vicinity, they should wear personal protective equipment, lie on the ground, and protect their head with their hands.
Are employees required to report to work in essential workplaces?
If an issue arises with employee attendance, the responsible government ministry can contact the Emergency Workforce Authority, which will assess whether it is necessary to issue an order to mobilize workers. This order means that, if needed, employees can be called in to maintain the essential economy during an emergency. Employers at essential facilities are permitted to dismiss employees who fail to show up for work.
Is it permissible to dismiss an employee who is absent from work due to Home Front Command directives?
Under the Protection of Employees in Emergency Situations Law, an employer may not dismiss an employee who is absent from work if the Home Front Command prohibits reporting to the workplace.
Is an employee who is absent due to Home Front Command directives entitled to compensation?
In all recent security incidents, the obligation to pay wages to employees retroactively has been regulated through collective agreements and extension orders. At the same time, employers’ entitlement to receive reimbursement for these wages from the Tax Authority has been established under the Protection of Employees in Emergency Situations Law.
What if I am an essential worker but need to care for my children due to school closures?
It is prohibited to dismiss an employee who is a single parent of a child (up to age 14, or a child with special needs up to age 21) when the educational facility they attend is closed.
For non-single parents, this protection applies to only one parent, provided the other parent is not absent from work or is unable to care for the child. If the workplace provides childcare arrangements, the protection against dismissal does not apply to an employee who chooses to be absent.
In the past, collective agreements covered parents of children up to age 14 (and children with special needs up to age 21), allowing them to receive pay during their absence—but parents of older children were not covered.
