Social measures related to COVID-19

1.The refund up to 80 percent of employees' salaries of 1 100 EUR in obligatory closed companies. The First Aid for companies can reach up to 200 000 EUR, however, employee must not be in notice period.

2.Compensation will also be granted to the freelancers and employees in companies that have recorded the drop in revenues, i. e. businesses that are secondarily affected by the crisis. The amount of compensation will depend on the drop in revenues and the maximum amount of compensation may be up to 800 000 EUR per year.

Business revenues will be compared with the same last year period. That means if a company records the drop in revenues more than 20 % in the period from 13 March 2020 to 31 March 2020 compared with the same last year period, the amount of the compensation paid to the freelancer / employee may reach in the total amount of 180 EUR, if the revenues drop by 40 % the compensation will be in the amount of 300 EUR, if the drop by 60 % the state will contribute with the amount of 420 EUR and if the revenues drop by 80 % the compensation of 540 EUR will be provided.

For the purpose of compensation, the affidavit will be needed, however, after the end of the crisis, these revenues will be retroactively compared and reviewed.

4.Emergency nursing is introduced. This means that a parent can receive a nursing benefit until their child reaches the age of 11, or until the child reaches the age of 18 if he or she has a long-term adverse health condition (for example, disabled). In these cases, no medical confirmation from the doctor will be required.

At the same time, nursing benefit is also being introduced in the times of crisis also to children under 16, but a medical certificate from the doctor will be required. This means that the child's health status will be examined.

The amount of the nursing benefit stay remains at 55% of the daily assessment base, with the possibility that parents will be able to take turns in receiving the nursing benefit. It is not necessary to apply for the prolongation of the benefit, only when the parents exchange in taking their nursing benefits.

At the same time, the Social Insurance Agency announces that it is not competent to confirm or notify employers that their employee is receiving or continues to receive an attending to a sick family member(OČR). This type of certificates is not even issued to the employees by the Social Insurance Agency. It is therefore, not within the Agency´s competences to notify the employer that their employee is currently not at work, due to the fact that schools, kindergartens and other school facilities are closed. The employer must therefore deal with the issue of proving obstacles at work themselves – it is the employee´s duty to notify the employer of any obstacle at work, including the fact that at the end of the month the obstacle still persists. The justification of an obstacle at work is not linked to providing of a nursing benefit.

The Social Insurance Agency warns all policyholders, who have claimed or will claim a nursing benefit due to the Coronavirus situation, that they must send a declaration on oath/declaration of honour/ to the affiliated branch. It is a statement of facts necessary for entitlement to the payment of the nursing benefit for the corresponding month. The social Insurance Agency needs to know the exact days, when a parent took care of the child.

For this purpose, the Social Insurance Agency has prepared a form:

Declaration of honour to the claim of nursing benefit in connection with the spread of Coronavirus together with the procedure of to fill the declaration in, here: https://www.socpoist.sk/opatrenia-socialnej-poistovne-v-suvislosti-s-novym-koronavirusom/68337s.

This declaration of honour must be sent to the Social Insurance Agency by each parent separately at the end of each month, for which they want to apply the benefit.

With the regards to the approaching end of March, it is necessary to send the declaration of honour as soon as possible (unless the deadline – end of month – entitlement to the payment of the benefit does not expire but will be paid only after the document was delivered).

Quarantine sickness status is being introduced. There is an adjustment of the amount of the benefit, which will be 55% from the first day of the sickness leave and it will be paid by the Social Insurance Agency.

Currently, it is stated that for the first ten days an employer pays for the sickness leave, where the first three days are based on the 25% of the employee´s daily assessment base and afterwards 55% of the employee´s daily assessment base. The entitlement is also assessed by the doctor for the new status.

5.Businesses that have suffered a more than 40-percent drop in revenues will be able to delay payroll deductions for their staff.