05.06.2024
PROVIDE SAFETY AT A DISTANCE WORK
The employer is obliged to provide healthy and safe working conditions so that the dangers of the life and health of the employee are eliminated, limited or reduced. The bodies of the executive branch within the framework of their powers exercise the state policy on ensuring health and safety at work.
Ensuring healthy and safe working conditions when working from a distance is one of the issues that are difficult to find the right texts that satisfy employers and at the same time be in the interest of the workers.
The legislation provides for the establishment of an obligation of the employee to provide a workplace for performing work from a distance to the date of the occurrence or change of the employment relationship that allows it to be carried out without a risk to health and safety.
The premises outside the workplace in the workplace must have a sufficient area and conditions that allow the worker to perform a distance work without risk to health and safety. Given the voluntary nature of the work from a distance, it is guaranteed the possibility that the employee can assess whether he or she can provide the appropriate room from which to perform the agreed work.
It is explicitly regulated the requirement for the room to have the necessary characteristics, including sufficient area to place the necessary working equipment so that the work performed does not endanger the life and health of the worker, which in practice becomes one of the mandatory conditions for carrying out work from a distance.
It is also envisaged to regulate the obligation of the employee who performs a distance work to provide the employer with written information on the characteristics of the workplace provided by him for performing a distance work.
On the basis of the information received, the employer will be able to assess the characteristics of the employee provided by the employee and the ability to carry out the work in connection with the rules and the regulatory requirements for safety and health at work.
In this way, the employer will be able to fulfill his obligation to guarantee at the date of the emergence or modification of the employment relationship jobs to perform a distance work that meet the minimum requirements for health and safe working conditions set out in the Law on Health and Safe working conditions and in the regulatory acts for its implementation.
It is also regulated the requirement to arrange the order and manner in advance the employee to notify the employer, the immediate manager or other authorized person of any accident at the workplace. The aim is to provide the employer an opportunity to fulfill his or her normative obligations in case of an accident, as well as to guarantee the rights of the employee as a result of an accident.
30.05.2024
FIRST LAW AGAINST WORK STRESS - ELIMINATE EXTRA
In general, you are overwhelmed with tasks, you constantly worry about whether you will be able to complete them on time and with quality.
It is clear to you that there is no point in talking to the boss. He cannot cancel or postpone anything, because everything is urgent. And you can't assign colleagues to help you, because everyone is overloaded. If you're going to complain, you'll only come off as someone who doesn't properly appreciate the tense moment. You may not even meet sympathy, but anger - he and the boss are under stress, he is responsible for everything, isn't he?
Help yourself by taking half an hour to think about whether you have properly organized your own work. You may notice a common mistake - that you have not removed the excess.
In every task there are details that can easily be done without. Sometimes you don't see them because you've entered a routine, you're used to acting like that and you can't get out of the mold. But now it is required to prevent the danger of failure.
When you have enough experience, know the work well and set a goal, you can see what to remove. The result will be the same, but you will achieve it faster and with less effort. It's called efficiency.
Also, consider whether you are a perfectionist. In many cases, this is exactly why employees feel overworked. It's just that the boss who assigned the tasks did not expect that you would try so hard to complete them.
If you are a conscientious person, it is very likely that you have taken on your shoulders and those parts of the work on the particular project that should be done by other colleagues. Not as a help to you, but as my official duties.
In management, there is such a concept - delegation. It is not only for superiors who must give rights and responsibilities to their subordinates. Each person who has to work in a team must recognize what he can do alone and what a colleague must do.
If, for example, you need a financial report for the performance of the task, there is no point in doing it yourself, digging through hundreds of reports. The accounting department can do it for you much faster and qualitatively.
The colleague will probably sulk that she has to deal with this now. But you be categorical that this is part of her official duties. Give her enough time, of course. But don't burden yourself, it's not that you can do the research. You can also clean the office, but you don't, right, that's what a hygienist is for. Although the comparison is harsh, think of it this way - everyone has to do their part of the tasks, otherwise the whole thing will go into a loop.
Even if you are convinced that you will do a job better, which is generally the duty of another colleague, do not take it upon yourself. It is not meant for you as a time and resource. By taking it, it is your own fault. There is nothing to complain about overloading.
There may be another reason for your stress - you allow colleagues to waste your time. It often happens from too much good manners and politeness. Bilyana from the neighboring department calls you on a work matter, but because she is angry with her boss, she complains to you for 5 minutes. Ivan needs help and is hanging over your head to advise him on how to cope.
You must learn to politely but firmly turn such people away. If Bilyana is your friend and is not crying hysterically because of a scandal with her boss, postpone her complaints, offer to meet during the lunch break so that she can tell you what happened. Help Ivan, if it will be done quickly. If he has a habit of abusing you and making you do his work, refuse him directly.
It is imperative to weed out those toxic personalities that exist in every office - grumblers, gossipers, braggarts, under-committed employees looking for company. In addition to wasting your valuable minutes, they probably stress you out with their pessimism, meanness or self-indulgence.
Although they are people, feel free to put them in the "redundant" column and cross them out. If you let them keep you busy, you will have to stay after hours every day to do your own work commitments.
Focus on what's important to reduce stress. Otherwise, you run the risk of making a mistake because of it, no matter how hard you try.
29.05.2024
HOW TO PROTECT OURSELVES IN CASE OF UNLAWFUL RELEASE FROM WORK
No worker is insured by an incorrect employer. In the world of employment, subordinates are the more vulnerable country. There are no cases where the boss decides to release his subordinate without reason and even without notice. In some cases, the employer does not even serve an order for termination of employment and does not return the employment record.
Fortunately, workers are becoming more and more aware of their rights and prove to employers that uncontrolled power harms themselves and their business. The legislation provides for a number of rules and rules that protect employees from unfounded and sudden dismissals.
If this happens to you, know that you have the opportunity to refer to the Labor Inspectorate and/or the Court to protect your legally guaranteed rights. The complaints of the Labor Inspectorate are intended to control and sanctioned the employer. The actions carried out through the court are aimed at protecting and realizing the rights of employees themselves, injured by unlawful actions of employers.
Grounds for termination of employment
The employer has the right to terminate the employee's legal relationship only on legally established grounds and in accordance with certain procedures. The reason for dismissing a specific subordinate, which is regulated by law, must be in accordance with the factual circumstances.
The termination of an employment relationship is by an order of the employer, which is in accordance with all the requirements of the law. The order should be issued by a competent authority and in the form prescribed by law. Otherwise, the dismissal is considered insignificant.
The relationship itself shall be terminated from the moment the order is served on the employee. If he does not want to receive it, this circumstance is certified by the signatures of witnesses. Without the order, the legal relationship continues to exist and if the employer does not allow the subordinates to the job, he should pay him compensation on the grounds of Art. 213, para. 1 of the Labor Code.
When a notice is provided for the specific type of termination of a legal relationship, it must be respected. The employer has the right to terminate the legal relationship before the expiration of the notice, but is obliged to pay compensation for the not complied with the notice period.
For some categories of employees (employment, mothers with children, persons on leave, etc.), enhanced protection for dismissal, regulated in Art. 333 of the Labor Code. In these cases, in order to carry out the dismissal, a preliminary permission of the Labor Inspectorate is required. Some subordinates categories require the prior consent of a trade union body. Ie Prior to the issuance of the order, the employer must verify that the worker/employee concerned is not a person who enjoys such protection.
When the dismissal is disciplinary, the employee must be requested written explanations before the issuance of the dismissal order. If the termination of the contract is due to the redundancy of the state, the employer is obliged to make selection (Article 329 of the Labor Code) among all workers holding the same or similar position and then to issue an order for termination.
The employer may not force the employee to terminate the legal relationship on his initiative. He may propose the termination of the contract, paying four gross wages, but the termination is set depending on the consent of the worker (Article 331 of the Labor Code). In this option, the termination is at the initiative of the employer, but it is not unilateral. In addition, if the agreed compensation is not paid within one month after the termination of the contract, the grounds for termination are automatically eliminated.
Challenge
You have a legal right to challenge the dismissal to the employer himself in writing. He can cancel himself the dismissal until a claim in court - then the issue is necessarily resolved by the court. But in the judicial phase, the employer may recognize the claim and the proceedings to complete. However, challenging the dismissal to the employer is rarely applied in practice, since it is a relatively ineffective way to the court order.
In case of unlawful termination of the legal relationship, the employee has the right to request the court to be recognized as illegal and to be overturned. The challenge of any unlawful dismissal is by filing a claim against the employer in the district court at its registered office/address.
The claim can also be brought in the place where the worker/employee is usually working. The application should be filed within two months of service of the dismissal order (Article 358 of the Labor Code). It should be borne in mind that this period is limitation - ie. The court does not ex officio monitor whether the term is respected, but will only be activated if there is an objection from the other party.
The law has provided four claims for the protection of the employee in case of unlawful dismissal, regardless of the reason for the dismissal. They are regulated in Art. 344, para. 1 of the Labor Code. These claims may be joined and if claimed and aims to achieve the result on each of them, the relevant claim explicitly brought in the application. The goals of the claims are:
- recognition of the dismissal as illegal and its cancellation;
- restoration of previous work;
- compensation for the time during which the person is out of work due to dismissal;
- Amendment to the ground of dismissal entered in the employment record or in other documents.
Report to Labor Inspectorate
To protect your rights, you must report to the Labor Inspectorate. It is also good to present a copy of your employment contract. The alert should contain your name and address, the nature of the signal, date and signature. Electronically, the alerts are equated to written ones. If you have an electronic signature, you can send your signal via an electronic form.
A check shall be carried out within 15 days and a letter of response is sent. During these 15 days, if you know the address of the company's headquarters, you can send a registered letter with a return receipt, in which you will request all the documents related to your employment relationship and explicitly indicate that you want to receive them by mail.
If you have not received anything after the 15-day period, you should contact a lawyer to whom to submit a copy of the complaint to the Labor Inspectorate and a copy of your letter to the employer. In this way you will be able to file a case of incorrectness to the employer and request everything due to you to be paid, including compensation under Art. 224 of the Labor Code for unused paid annual leave and salaries due plus court and lawyer's expenses.
Labor cases against an employer are free of charge for the plaintiffs (employees) - they are exempt from the payment of state fees. This payment was transferred to the employer if it is indeed established that the dispute that was filed by the plaintiff was triggered by the employer. Or the employer has issued an unlawful order under which the labor case was instituted.
When further expertise is required regarding the conduct of the cases, the employees are exempted from these fees. But only if the claim is upheld by the court. The plaintiff only pays the lawyer's fee, and during the case he has the right to ask him to be reinstated.
Labor cases are rapid proceedings, that is, the court is obliged to order its decision within a specified time. Usually the term is one -month, but it can be extended if there are changes in circumstances. If the plaintiff dies in the process, the production may be continued by the heirs.
Do not leave “by mutual consent”
The employer may try to force you to sign an order to terminate the employment relationship by mutual agreement - do not agree! This will lose the right of your benefits. Instead of signature, write, "I disagree."
In the event that you are offered to leave under Art. 325, para. 1 of the Labor Code (by mutual agreement), you have the right to refuse. If the employer threatens you with disciplinary dismissal, consult a lawyer as it is very likely that there will be not enough grounds or they will be dropped to court. Do not manipulate yourself and fight for your rights.
If you withstand these "attacks", the employer may try to release you under Art. 331 of the Labor Code, which guarantees you at least four gross salaries as compensation. You may require more - there is no limit. The termination on the grounds of Art. 331 of the Labor Code remains a preferred release from the employer and the worker. Here's what you need to know about it:
- Art. 331. (1) The employer may offer at his own initiative to the employee/employee termination of the employment contract against compensation. If the subordinate does not rule in writing on the proposal within 7 days, it is considered that it is not accepted;
- (2) If the employee/the employee accepts the proposal under para. 1, the employer owes him a compensation of not less than the four-fold amount of the last monthly gross wage, unless the parties have agreed to a larger amount of compensation;
- (3) If the compensation under para. 2 is not paid within one month from the date of termination of the employment contract, the grounds for termination shall be considered to be dropped.
Counter harassment at work
There are no cases where an employer tries to get his employee to leave through indirect psychological pressure, such as conducted poor treatment by a manager or colleague. In this situation, it is important to maintain your composure and act wisely.
In the event that someone submits false information about your work, they should serve you a report or punishment if there is a violation. In this situation, you must answer in writing and be sure to enter the answer. It is important to keep all the evidence (such as email correspondence) that are in your favor.
If you are a victim of mental harassment, file a complaint about mental harassment at the workplace to the employer with an incoming number. Describe in detail which person is exercising and what this harassment is expressed and ask for assistance in his termination. This complaint will also serve you as evidence if you may be dismissed or missed.
Given that you come to court and the court decision is to return you to work, you are probably worried about a bad attitude on the part of the employer. At this point, many people succumb to pressure and forcibly "agree" to leave. You have the right to take the case to the court again and to prove the bad attitude through witnesses.
In any case, if it comes to release or even simply a warning, consult a labor law lawyer. Consultation costs are nothing compared to the potential losses you may suffer.
Read carefully everything you give you to sign, and if you are actually terminated your employment contract, you already know that you have the opportunity to protect your rights by court order and request the employer to return you to work and pay you the compensation.
Right to compensation in unemployment
Upon termination of the employment relationship, the employer is obliged to hand you within three days the documents stamped and listed in order not to lose your right to register within 7 days at the Labor Office.
The persons for whom social security contributions have been paid or due to the Unemployment Fund for at least 12 months in the last 18 months before termination of insurance are entitled to the right to unemployment benefits.
The first step in receiving unemployment benefits is to register within seven working days of interruption at the Employment Agency. This is done in the District Directorates of the Labor Office according to your permanent or current address. Then, within 3 months, you must submit an application for granting unemployment benefit to the territorial division of the National Social Security Institute.
The daily unemployment benefit is 60% of the average social security income for which contributions have been paid in the last 24 months before the termination of insurance. If you have worked in Bulgaria and in another EU Member State, only the periods of unemployment and income through them in Bulgaria are taken into account when calculating the compensation. The compensation may not be less than the minimum amount determined in the state budget for each calendar year.
28.05.2024
A TEN-YEAR FORECAST FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE LABOR MARKET WILL BE PREPARED ACCORDING TO A PROJECT OF THE MLSP
Updated forecasts for the development of the labor market according to an advanced methodology, which will represent the demand for labor in a ten-year period, will be prepared under the project of the Ministry of Labor and Social Policy "Addressing the challenges of the labor market" BG05SFPR002-1.015 - 0001. The forecasts will provide information on labor market challenges, expected labor demand and expected labor market imbalances. A nationally representative survey will also be conducted among employers in the country to determine the emerging and disappearing professions and jobs, as well as the search for new skills related to the digital and ecological transition. The complementary information on expected labor market changes from the forecasts and the survey will support action to improve the targeting of education, training and employment policies.
Estimates of the net effect of the ongoing active labor market policy, financed with funds from the state budget, are also planned to be prepared under the project, which is financed under the "Human Resources Development" Program 2021 - 2027, co-financed by the European Union. The results of the assessments will support the process of planning and implementing the active labor market policy and directing resources to highly effective measures and programs.
The project also includes conducting a study to identify and map the available skills and attitudes for development of those working in thermal power plants and coal mines affected by the low-carbon transition in the regions of Stara Zagora, Kyustendil and Pernik. The information collected will serve employers to develop, plan and provide appropriate measures for career support and upskilling and retraining and development of workforce skills.
Partners of the Ministry of Labor and Social Policy on the project, which has a budget of BGN 3.7 million, are the National Statistical Institute, the Confederation of Independent Trade Unions in Bulgaria, the Confederation of Labor "Podkrepa" and the Employment Agency. The main goal of the activities carried out under it is to increase the effectiveness and purposefulness of the active labor market policy, as well as to improve the information provision of the decision-making process in the field of the labor market.
27.05.2024
WHAT TO DO WITH THE UNEMPLOYED
Among the more interesting news was the new estimate by the Employment Agency of the total number of inactive people of working age – over 1 million people. Although a full analysis of inactivity and its characteristics by the Employment Agency is not yet available, we can highlight several directions for reforms that could help with the activation of this large group, which seems increasingly important against the background of low unemployment and the increasingly difficult finding of personnel, the economists from the Institute for Market Economy point out.
The data of the National Statistical Institute allow a relatively detailed view of people outside the labor force. Among them - a total of 1.05 million people between the ages of 15 and 64 - more than half have a secondary education, and of them - 200 thousand people have a professional, which means that they have at least the necessary base and sufficient literacy to be trained in skills relevant to the needs of the labor market. However, with another almost 450 thousand people, the education is basic and lower, which means that their activation also implies an element of additional education. The serious preponderance of women – 594 thousand people – is striking, which reflects their role in the family, raising children and household work. From the point of view of urbanization, the large number of inactive people - 713 thousand - are in the cities, where almost all new and vacant jobs are concentrated, the analysis says.
According to the Institute for Market Economy, the bad news is that among those over 1 million people, 928 thousand are unwilling to work. The main reason for this is participation in some form of education, with 423 thousand people in this category. To the extent that those currently inactive will enter the labor market in the near future, with higher or at least secondary education, special measures and approaches to them are probably not necessary. Illness or incapacity hinders 140 thousand people, and this is the group for whom the Bulgarian labor market remains extremely difficult to access. Family work and personal reasons deter 235 thousand people, more than 2/3 of them are expected to be women.
The characteristics described in this way clearly demonstrate that a unified approach to the inactive is impossible, and that activation seems almost impossible for some of them - such are, say, housewives in high-income households. However, this does not mean that there are no measures that could at least to some extent reduce inactivity and direct additional human resources to the labor market. First of all, the inactive must be found and identified, and in this direction is the register of the inactive, which contains their characteristics, peculiarities and individual needs, proposed by the Employment Agency, according to the economists.
According to them, finding involves an active approach – while the unemployed direct themselves to the employment offices, the inactive need a nudge towards additional qualifications or a job search. This will require additional effort both on the part of the employers who fail to find the workers they are looking for, and on the part of the state – for mediators, information campaigns, training. For this reason, it is appropriate to think both about transferring the focus of active labor market policies from creating subsidized employment to career guidance and training, as well as about incentives for employers willing to train workers and inactive ones.
Increasing the flexibility of the labor market is of key importance - as we have seen, a significant part of the inactive are housewives and people with disabilities. These groups can benefit most from the creation of more part-time and telecommuting opportunities that allow them to combine employment with their other life roles. For now, Bulgaria remains at the bottom of the EU in terms of advocating these work models. Working fewer hours could also lead to the activation of part of the students and pupils, who form almost half of the inactive today. As an encouraging change, we can accept the increase in the number of employment permits for persons up to the age of 18, issued by the General Labor Inspectorate in recent years.
The regional approach to activation is no less important - the profile of the inactive in different parts of the country differs, and it is possible that the employment they desire can be found elsewhere. We cannot fail to mention the failed integration of the Roma, who make up a significant part of the inactive, and face one of the most serious obstacles to finding a job in the light economy.
Finally, it is not impossible for some of today's inactives to enter the labor market without outside help. This would be a logical result of the growth of wages and the improvement of the standard of living of the workers, in the course of convergence with the average European level of economic development. The creation of more well-paid jobs is among the factors that can "by itself" generate more supply of labor for which the "right" price has not yet been reached, concluded the Institute for Market Economy.
23.05.2024
"I'M SICK OF IT" AND OTHER ALLEGEDLY HARMLESS, BUT FORBIDDEN REVELATIONS AT WORK
If you don't feel like saying "I'm fed up" at least once a day, then you are one of the lucky ones who have the perfect job. However, it is more likely that you are one of those who have no shortage of reasons for this phrase: a boss who does not know exactly what he wants, a colleague who did not fulfill his duties on time and interferes with you, a capricious client, an impudent partner, etc.
However, psychologists say that in the office you should avoid seemingly harmless remarks that show emotional instability. "I'm fed up" is from them.
When you frequently say such negative phrases, you probably think you're letting yourself off the hook. But with them you achieve two negative effects.
The first is that they start to think of you as someone who can't handle pressure. I.e. reputational damage.
The second effect is that you burden the colleagues you are complaining to. And the damage to your reputation, because no one likes whiners.
Also, it's a little doubtful that you're really relieving yourself by regularly declaring "I'm fed up" and the like to the public.
Let's say there's something you're fed up with. The colleagues to whom you say it can understand you in a specific situation. You are tense, de-stress. They show sympathy, they listen to you. But this is rather a condescending sympathy, from which your self-esteem will not rise.
When you complain a lot, colleagues will not only stop paying attention to you, but they will also start to avoid you. Because you seem irritable and unable to bear the pressures that accompany your job. Therefore, the bottom line is that you are not for this place.
If the advice of experts to try to keep negative emotions to yourself seems excessive, think about what will happen if the colleagues you complain to reciprocate in the same way. You say "I'm fed up" and pour out what. One by one they reply "Oh, if only you knew how fed up I am" and also pour buckets of complaints. Finally, it becomes so dismal and hopeless that the only reasonable way out will seem to be to immediately take your hats and go looking for another job.
By the way, a very reasonable question that you should ask yourself first is, if you very often want to scream "I'm fed up", what are you still doing in this workplace? When one feels unhappy, one does not complain incessantly, but does something to change the situation.
You don't do well with the line "I don't care" either. It doesn't matter what it was caused by - by a remark of the boss, by the fact that you did not get something you wanted, by the failure of a task. In any case, the phrase is from the so-called passive-aggressive, shows nerves, poorly suppressed anger, in other words, emotional instability.
According to psychologists, it also betrays immaturity. A sane adult rarely cares when something bad happens to him at work because he realizes that it could hurt his career. You want to appear stoic to your colleagues, but you're actually damaging your reputation again.
Specialists advise not to make demonstrations of nepukism, but on the contrary - that you realize the failure. But it doesn't paralyze you because you can analyze why it happened and learn how to never let it happen again.
Like "I'm fed up" and "I don't care" begs the question of what else you're doing here once you've stopped caring whether you succeed or fail at your job.
"Anyway" is a third bad phrase for the boss and colleagues. It can carry an aggressive message, in the sense "Whatever you say to me or whatever I say to you, we will not get along". It can also be uttered in a tone that betrays annoyance or resignation, meaning "Do what you want, I don't care". You keep showing toxic behavior, which again damages your professional reputation, the experts point out.
They advise throwing these phrases out of your vocabulary and never uttering them publicly in the office.
If you think you're going to really calm down, go outside and call your loved one, your friend, your mom. Before each of them you can say these phrases as many times as you want without worrying. You can also meekly sit at your desk and type on your phone several times "I'm sick, I'm sick" or "I don't care, I don't care". But don't come off as emotionally unstable in front of colleagues and especially in front of the boss.
IS IT POSSIBLE TO INCREASE THE SALARY WITH A BACK DATE
Is it possible for a worker or employee's salary to be increased retroactively, and if so, what should be done?
Yes, it is possible. The law gives the right to the employer to increase the labor remuneration of the worker or employee unilaterally with a corresponding order. In such cases, it is not necessary to conclude an additional agreement between the worker or employees and the employer. This is because the increase in wages in this way takes effect from the date specified in the employer's order. In this regard, from the same date, the insurance income of the worker or employee, on which insurance contributions are due, also increases.
I remind you that according to the law on labor relations, the worker or the employee is obliged to perform the work for which he agreed and to observe the established labor discipline, and the employer - to provide the worker or the employee with conditions for the performance of the work and to pay him remuneration for the work done.
The employer is obliged, within the established terms, to charge wages to employees for work performed by them, to pay the agreed wages for the work performed and to issue, upon request from the worker or employee, an extract from the wage lists for the paid or unpaid wages and benefits.
The amount of the basic and additional wages of a permanent nature, as well as the periodicity of their payment, are determined already at the conclusion of the employment contract. These are mandatory elements of its content and the amounts for them should be agreed upon and indicated separately from each other.
Labor remuneration is paid in the enterprise where the work is performed. The remuneration is paid in advance or in full every month twice unless otherwise agreed.
The different terms for the payment of labor remuneration can be agreed by the parties in the labor contract or determined in the internal rules for the wage of the enterprise, but in all cases the employer owes the entire amount of the labor remuneration, as a prerequisite for the application of this rule is the worker or that the employee performs his work duties accurately and in good faith.
The remuneration is paid personally to the worker or the employee according to the payroll or against a receipt or at the written request of the worker or the employee - to his relatives. At the written request of the worker or employee, his remuneration is transferred to a deposit in the bank specified by him.
In the case of conscientious performance of labor duties, the worker or employee is guaranteed the payment of labor remuneration in the amount of 60 percent of his gross labor remuneration, but not less than the minimum wage for the country. The difference up to the full amount of the remuneration remains due and is payable additionally together with the statutory interest.
Labor remuneration is paid in money. Additional labor remuneration or a part thereof may be paid in kind if this is provided for in an act of the Council of Ministers, in a collective labor agreement or in the employment contract. This means that it is not possible for the employer to unilaterally change these conditions, including that it is not possible to pay the entire amount of remuneration in kind, thereby avoiding payment of the wage in money.
21.05.2024
IT IS PROPOSED TO LEGISLATE STRESS IN THE WORKPLACE
A directive aimed at eliminating stress at work must be a priority for the next European Commission if it is serious about improving mental health in Europe.
This appeal is made by the European Trade Union Confederation in relation to psychosocial risks in the workplace during the current European Mental Health Week.
Europe's stress and burnout epidemic is worsening due to a combination of poorly organized work, overwork, the expectation of permanent placement, insecure work and new practices of employer surveillance and high-pressure work, the European Trade Union Confederation warns.
In the last mandate, the European Parliament called on the Commission to present legislation on psychosocial risks. The European Trade Union Confederation is calling for a directive on psychosocial risks, as well as swift progress on the legislative process currently underway for a directive on teleworking and the right to break.
However, there is still no EU legislation dedicated to psychosocial risks, although:
– Time pressure or work overload jumped from 19.5% to 46% between 2020 and 2022.
- 44% of workers agree or strongly agree that they are experiencing more work-related stress as a result of the Covid 19 pandemic, according to the EU-OSHA barometer.
– Over 40% of depression cases in the EU and UK are due to psychosocial factors in the workplace.
- People who regularly work from home are six times more likely to work in their free time and twice more likely to work 48 hours.
– Less than 40% of workplaces in the EU have action plans to prevent psychosocial risks at work.
- The European economy loses €620 billion a year due to work-related depression alone.
The General Secretary of the European Trade Union Confederation, Esther Lynch, commented: “Stress cannot be ignored. People who care about their work often don't get the time, equipment or support they need to do it right. It is stressful for a teacher or nurse not to be able to do their job the way they know they should. The data shows that, unsurprisingly, there is a huge spike in work-related mental health problems. We will hear a lot of well-intentioned words about mental health from politicians this week, but the real test of their commitment will be whether the EU adopts a directive to tackle stress at work.'
20.05.2024
NEARLY 10,000 UNEMPLOYED PEOPLE WILL START WORK UNDER THE NATIONAL EMPLOYMENT ACTION PLAN IN 2024
The government adopted the National Employment Action Plan in 2024. It foresees 9,926 unemployed people to start work under programs, projects and measures, and over 9,000 people to be included in training to become more competitive in the labor market . The financing of the planned activities will be within the approved funds from the state budget for active labor market policy - BGN 88 million, which is BGN 15 million more than in 2023.
As a result of the implementation of the actions, programs, projects and measures set out in the plan in 2024, the unemployment rate is expected to decrease to 4%, and employment in the 20-64 age group to reach 77%.
Key employment policy priorities in 2024 include promoting employment and reducing unemployment, including among disadvantaged groups in the labor market. An important focus is increasing the quality of the workforce in the context of the digitalization of the economy and the just transition to climate neutrality.
The wages of the unemployed included in full-time subsidized employment will be in line with the minimum wage and will be increased from BGN 780 to BGN 933. The wages of young people included in the "Start a Career" program will also increase (from BGN 920 BGN per BGN 1,100); of youth and Roma mediators (from BGN 950 to BGN 1,140); of psychologists and case managers working under the National Program "Activation of Inactive Persons" (from BGN 1,070 to BGN 1,280).
In 2024, the implementation of the incentive measure under Art. 36 of the Employment Promotion Act. According to the order of the measure, employers are encouraged to hire unemployed persons from disadvantaged groups in the labor market, by providing funds for labor remuneration, social and health insurance, funds for vocational training and funds for a responsible person (mentor). This measure envisages employment for up to 9 months for 1,000 unemployed and training for 100 people.
According to the Regional Employment Programs of the 28 regions, 1,950 unemployed people are expected to start work. Under the "Beautiful Bulgaria" project, 300 people will be employed in the field of construction.
17.05.2024
A 3 WEEK VACATION EXTENDS LIFE, 4 DAYS - MELTS STRESS
Don't think that your otherwise healthy lifestyle will compensate for too much work and lack of recreation. If you haven't already for this year, take a break. A vacation can extend your life.
Trust yourself. These are the words of specialist in aging medicine with professional interests in the effects of stress Prof. Timo Strandberg from the University of Helsinki. He uttered them last year to the participants of the European Society of Cardiology congress, and behind the statement there is a 40-year study. It turns out that vacations not only create memories for years to come, but also add years to our lives.
People who take less than 3 weeks of vacation per year have a 37% greater risk of premature death. And this probability is real, although in everything else the person may live according to a textbook for centenarians.
The study included 1,222 middle-aged men in middle and senior management positions. All had at least one risk factor for cardiovascular disease (smoking, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, elevated triglycerides, blood sugar problem, overweight).
The volunteers were divided into two equal groups: one subjected to planned effects by the researchers - interventional, and second, control. Participants in the intervention group received oral and written advice at 4 months to perform aerobic physical activity, eat a balanced and moderate diet, maintain a healthy weight, and stop smoking.
When health advice was not effective, they also received drugs recommended at the time to lower blood pressure and lipids. The men in the control group received usual health care and were not further counseled by the researchers. The only thing that was common to all was that the data on the duration of work, sleep and vacations were regularly filled in for all participants.
What is happening?
Thanks to the healthy life of the first group, the risk of heart and vascular diseases was reduced by 46% compared to the control group by the end of the study in the first 5-year phase. However, after 15 years there were more deaths in the intervention group. Extending follow-up to 40 years based on death registries, the researchers found that mortality was almost consistently higher in the closely monitored group than in the control group. Behind the paradox is a peculiarity. Despite the fact that the participants in the "healthy" group had a useful lifestyle in general, they spent less time for real rest. Those who took less than 3 weeks of vacation were 37% more likely to not live the average life expectancy of their peers.
"In our study, men with shorter vacations also worked more and slept less in their day-to-day lives - this stressful life may have canceled out the benefits of the good stuff. On the other hand, just keeping up with all the demands of a healthy life may also have added stress. It is important to get this right: our results do not show that health education is harmful. They report that stress reduction is an essential part of programs aimed at reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease. "Lifestyle advice should be judiciously combined with modern drug treatment to prevent cardiovascular events in high-risk people," explains the scientist.
In many countries, the possibility of paid leave of more than 21 days, especially in bulk, is an unthinkable luxury. According to global studies, countries such as France, Italy, Spain, Monaco, Scotland are rather exceptions, where paid long vacation is a legal right and it is considered common to take 1 month off in the summer. At the other extreme is the United States, the only developed economy that does not have guaranteed paid leave for its workers.
Studies on the effect of shorter but more frequent long weekend vacations can have "magical" effects. For example, if you used the days off around Easter to relax, those 4 days off made you more stress-resistant for the whole month.
