11.06.2020
FEATURES OF THE EMPLOYMENT CONTRACT WITH A TRIAL TERM
Concluding an employment contract with a probationary period is a common and widespread practice when starting a new job.
Its main feature is that during the probationary period, the party in whose favor (the employee, the employer or in favor of both parties) the term is agreed, may terminate the contract without notice until the expiration of the agreed term. It is clear and unambiguous enough to express it in writing.
It is not necessary for the party entitled to terminate the contract to be motivated in any way. Termination is not subject to appeal and consideration in the order of labor disputes.
During the probationary period, the employer may dismiss the employee while he is on statutory leave, e.g. sick leave, in which case the permission of the Labor Inspectorate or another body is not required.
The test period may be agreed in favor of:
- The employer - when the employer wants to check the ability of the employee to perform a certain job;
- The employee - when the employee wants to check whether the work is suitable for him/her, whether the working conditions, the atmosphere and the work team he/she likes;
- In favor of both parties. The contract shall specify in whose favor the trial period has been agreed. If this is not stated, the test period is considered to have been agreed in favor of both parties. This means that during the probationary period, both the employer and the employee may terminate the contract at their discretion.
The test period may not exceed 6 months. It does not include the time during which the employee has been on statutory leave (paid, unpaid, study, due to illness, etc.) or for other valid reasons has not performed the work for which the contract was concluded.
The law does not allow for the same work with the same employee in the same enterprise to be re-concluded employment contract with a probationary period. However, if the worker moves from one position to another, albeit in the same undertaking, it is permissible to conclude another employment contract between the same parties, with a different content and a test clause.
For example, such a case occurs when a secretary in a company moves to the position of accountant. It is important to note that during the trial period the parties have all the rights and obligations as in a final employment contract - the employee is entitled to a common basis for remuneration, agreed working hours, breaks and vacations, recognition of length of service and etc.
The employment contract is considered final if it is not terminated by the party in whose favor the probationary contract was.
Reference: Art. 70, para. 1 - 5 of the Labor Code; Art. 71, para. 1, para. 2 of the Labor Code
Everyone who wants information or consultation on the topic of interest can contact the Consultancy Center for Disadvantaged People in Berkovitsa by phone 0890943741 or by e-mail: berkpro.robg@abv.bg
11.06.2020
FORTHCOMING ANNOUNCEMENT OF PROCEDURE FOR SELECTION OF PROJECTS "SUPPORT OF MEDIUM ENTERPRISES FOR OVERCOMING THE ECONOMIC CONSEQUENCES OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC"
We remind you that (indicative date 12.06.2020) The Managing Authority of the Operational Program "Innovation and Competitiveness" 2014-2020 (MA of OPIC) will announce a selection procedure for projects "Support to medium-sized enterprises to overcome the economic consequences of the pandemic COVID-19" under Priority Axis 2 "Entrepreneurship and SME Growth Capacity", Investment Priority 2.2. "SME growth capacity".
The purpose of the procedure is to provide operating capital for Bulgarian medium-sized enterprises to deal with the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to the draft terms of application, the minimum amount of the requested grant for an individual project is BGN 30,000, and the maximum amount of the requested grant for each individual project is BGN 100,000.
The grant awarded under the procedure may be up to a maximum of 1% of the "net sales revenue" for 2019.
The duration of implementation of each project should not exceed 3 (three) months from the date of entry into force of the administrative contract for the provision of grants.
Within the procedure, applicants may submit only one project proposal.
As a result of the implementation of the procedure, the supported enterprises are expected to continue their activities for at least 3 months after the completion of the project, as well as to have kept the employment from the levels before receiving the support.
By the date of submission of the project proposal, the applicants should have already submitted an Annual Tax Return for 2019 to the National Revenue Agency, in accordance with the provisions of CITA / PITA.
According to the draft conditions for application, eligible candidates are:
Support for the procedure can not receive candidates who are:
- undertakings applying for financing an economic activity falling within the scope of Annex I to the Treaty establishing the European Community (Annex 5 to the Conditions for application);
- enterprises applying for financing activities for processing and/or marketing of forest products;
- enterprises applying for financing of economic activity, which according to NACE.BG 2008 (Appendix 6 to the Conditions for application) falls in Sector C - code of economic activity 10 “Production of food products” and code 11 “Production of beverages”.
- Support for the procedure cannot be received by applicants who are companies applying for financing economic activity in the fisheries and aquaculture sector, including processing of fish and aquatic organisms.
- Support under the procedure cannot be received by applicants who are enterprises applying for financing of economic activity falling within the financial sector (sector K "Financial and insurance activities" according to NACE.BG-2008).
Eligible under the procedure are the costs necessary to overcome the shortage of funds or lack of liquidity resulting from the COVID-19 epidemic, as follows:
Expenses for purchase of raw materials and consumables intended for use in the activity for the purpose of production or services;
Expenses for external services (incl. Overheads);
Staff costs (including gross salary costs and costs for social security and health contributions at the expense of the employer). Remuneration costs are eligible for staff employed under an employment contract or under a management and control contract. The amount of expenses (including social security and health contributions at the expense of the employer) in respect of remuneration under management and control contracts must not exceed BGN 2,000 per month.
The procedure envisages fully electronic submission and evaluation of project proposals, which will be carried out through the Information System for Management and Monitoring of EU Funds in Bulgaria (UMIS 2020).
The deadline for submitting project proposals is 30 days from the date of announcing the procedure.
The Berkovitsa Consultancy Center helps the interested persons: by phone 0890943741 or by e-mail: berkpro.robg@abv.bg
10.06.2020
THE FORMS OF SERVICE IN THE LABOR OFFICES ARE BEING RESTORED IN STAGES
The Employment Agency informs its current and future clients that some of the measures for the work of the Labor Offices, introduced during the state of emergency, are still in force. At the same time, from June, the temporarily suspended forms of service are gradually restored, including the present meetings with the labor intermediaries, the mobile labor offices and the group events with job seekers and job offers.
In this regard, the Employment Agency draws attention to the fact that the reception of clients in its offices will continue to be carried out in compliance with all restrictive measures for social distance. The ban on servicing citizens who have not complied with the mandatory 14-day quarantine period after return from countries for which this requirement has not been abolished, as well as those who do not have personal protective equipment, is in force.
Those wishing to register as unemployed, as well as to submit an application for unemployment benefits, can do so through the electronic and remote services of the Employment Agency and the National Social Security Institute. The submission of these applications can also be done on paper upon registration on site at the Labor Office. All ways and steps are described in detail here.
For registered jobseekers who have already visited the employment office and have an individual action plan, it is important to know that the established communication links with employment agencies to report and plan the steps of their plan will be combined so that a mandatory minimum every two months, jobseekers should visit the employment office. During the rest of the time, they will be able to continue to receive telephone consultations, as well as to receive by electronic means (through the secure electronic service system) referral letters to employers who have announced suitable vacancies for them.
Although the present forms for conducting selections, including group ones, are being restored, the possibility will continue for the unemployed to be directly sought by employers to whom the Labor Office has provided appropriate profiles for the announced vacancies.
Clients who have a personal e-mail address can also communicate with their employment agency through the application "Personal profile of a job seeker" to plan and report on the implementation of the agreed steps to search for a suitable job or training.
In June, all registered electronically or remotely unemployed persons who have not yet visited the employment office and have not submitted the required documents for education, qualification, etc., will be invited to appear at the office where they have registered for holding a meeting with the labor mediator and preparing their individual action plan. This will not apply in settlements with COVID-19 outbreaks.
In order to facilitate the registered unemployed, the Labor Offices will resume the provision of services in remote settlements through Mobile Labor Offices and outsourced jobs, after coordination with the local municipal leadership. The schedules for conducting Mobile Offices will be published on the website of the Employment Agency.
The holding of group events in the Labor Offices, aimed at professional counseling, support, motivation and job search, as well as job fairs, employer's days and other forms of direct meeting of employers and job candidates is gradually renewed. A schedule and up-to-date information on the planned and conducted job fairs and group events with jobseekers and job seekers will continue to be published on the website of the Employment Agency.
Employers can also continue to use the remote and electronic forms introduced during the state of emergency to advertise vacancies and select candidates for them. In addition, the rhythmic activity of mobile teams for working with key employers, as well as joint campaigns and information events will be gradually restored.
The Employment Agency draws the attention of employers in the agricultural sector that in the period of active work in this sector and the opportunities provided for concluding one-day and short-term employment contracts with unemployed persons, in their favor are the services of Labor Offices places they are looking for seasonal workers.
Unemployed people who enter into an employment contract for seasonal agricultural work need to notify the labor office, regardless of whether their employment contract is for 8, 6 or 4 hours, for a few days or for a few months. In this way, they will ensure the preservation of their rights, including monthly social benefits.
The Employment Agency calls on its clients to continue to be responsible for their own health and the health of others, but also to perform their duties to the employment office correctly so that they can exercise their rights and the opportunities provided.
10.06.2020
THE TERM OF THE EMERGENCY EPIDEMIC SITUATION IS EXTENDED UNTIL JUNE 30
The Council of Ministers of the Republic of Bulgaria today adopted a Decision to extend the duration of the emergency epidemic situation declared by Decision № 325 of 14 May 2020 until 30 June 2020. The COVID-19 pandemic continues to be a severe public health emergency in national and global. The data accumulated so far in the country show that the introduced measures regarding early detection, isolation and treatment of patients, as well as timely detection and quarantine of contact persons helped to locate and limit the spread of the disease to local outbreaks. The implementation of anti-epidemic measures has contributed to slowing down the development of the COVID-19 epidemic in the country and reducing the pressure on the healthcare system. The prolongation of the emergency epidemic situation will help through the application of temporary anti-epidemic measures, incl. and quarantine of persons entering the country, to slow down and limit the spread of the COVID-19 epidemic, to create sustainability in the implementation of basic measures, to improve the preparedness of the health and social system for response to a subsequent wave and to create an opportunity for a change in the scope and content of the measures with the emergence of new scientific data on the causative agent, routes of transmission, methods of protection and treatment.
09.06.2020
NEW OPPORTUNITIES FOR FINANCIAL SUPPORT FOR EMPLOYERS AND THE UNEMPLOYED PEOPLE
Nearly BGN 3,500,000 are the funds redirected at the suggestion of the Employment Agency from programs and measures to stimulate employment, which due to the state of emergency and the epidemic situation did not start on time or in full. As of today, the new financial preferences through the labor offices in the country can be used by employers and registered unemployed under various programs and measures to stimulate employment and/or employability.
The Employment Agency directs the realized savings to forms of employment sought by both employers and the unemployed. The aim is with funds from the state budget to support the employment of not only the planned for the year 8,500 unemployed, but also another 2,431 representatives of the so-called vulnerable groups on the labor market, incl. people with permanent disabilities, long-term unemployed or pre-retirement age. These are the people who, in the conditions of increased labor supply, experience more difficulties in finding a suitable job.
A part of the redistributed funds is directed to the employers who have announced vacancies in the labor offices. They will be able to take advantage of them if they hire an unemployed person - a representative of a target group under a program or measure of the Employment Promotion Act, for which the labor office has free funds to conclude a new contract.
Through the preferences provided, employers can receive subsidies not only for hiring the unemployed from the above groups, but also for dual training of the unemployed, training for the acquisition of key competencies of the hired staff, as well as for professional training of the unemployed. for work in the respective enterprise.
At the same time, the Employment Agency provides financial preferences to the unemployed, which stimulates their mobility or entrepreneurship.
The unemployed can apply for and receive financial support in the amount of 50% of the daily expenses for intercity transport to and from the workplace, or up to BGN 200 per month to cover accommodation and other expenses when starting work in a settlement over 50 km away from their place of residence. Starting your own business can also be supported on the basis of an approved business project by receiving the unemployment benefits at once or providing a lump sum for starting a business, which this year has been increased to BGN 4,000. Measures may also be provided for other services accompanying the start-up of the business.
The preferences provide different opportunities and a variety of forms of financial support in terms of period, type and amount of subsidy, as the specific parameters of the financial incentives under the individual programs and measures are defined in the National Employment Action Plan for 2020. For example, the subsidy period varies from 3 to 24 months, and the amount of monthly funds provided for basic remuneration - from BGN 350 to BGN 650, and in most cases funds are provided for additional remuneration and social security contributions at the expense of the employer for any unemployed employee under the terms of the relevant program or measure.
Each labor office in the country has funds under some of the various programs and measures to promote employment, providing preferences to employers or the unemployed. The current opportunities for applying for them are until the free financial resources are exhausted and are published on the website of the Employment Agency, in the section "Announcements for financing by regions", structured for each of the 9 Directorates "Regional Employment Service" /DRES/ in subheadings "Incentive measures for the unemployed" and "Incentive programs and measures for employers".
The free funds are also announced on the information board in each labor office.
Berkovitsa Consultancy Center will publish on the web platform full information about the opportunities, terms and conditions for providing preferences for the unemployed or employers by the Labor Office - Berkovitsa as soon as they are announced.
08.06.2020
15 MISTAKES THAT SHOULD BE AVOIDED WHEN STARTING A BUSINESS
According to data provided by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, 20% of new businesses fail in the first two years after starting a business, and approximately half of all businesses do not survive until the fifth year. So how do you successfully grow your company?
Experts from BusinessNewsDaily contact hundreds of small business owners, financial advisors, legal experts and business consultants and compile a list of the biggest mistakes that entrepreneurs make when starting a company.
"The biggest mistake you can make is to be afraid of failure. It is key to your success and you should not be afraid of it. After each fall there are new peaks to climb”.
"Too many companies start without a master plan and that's why they fail. Every start-up company must have a clear business plan. It should include how much the operation costs, what sales are expected, who the products are aimed at and why", said Deacon Hayes, financial expert and founder of WellKeptWallet.com.
"Good organization is key. Running a small business is like running a circus. It is normal for dozens of things to happen at once. All tasks must be arranged in a list to follow. Prioritize them”.
"A common startup mistake is not taking the time to find out what customers you are targeting your products and services for. Many companies are targeting a market that is too small to start a big business." - George Deglin, co-founder and CEO of OneSignal
"The biggest mistakes that start-ups make is that they do not register it and do not protect their intellectual property."
"Unfortunately, many entrepreneurs allow themselves to think that they are alone and try to work independently without seeking advice from those more experienced than them." Surround yourself with reliable and experienced advisors to discuss your business ideas, strategies and challenges.
"An important piece of advice that entrepreneurs need to know before starting a business is that their investors are more than just financial backers. You need to be sure what their goals are. Once the companies have gone through the initial financing, they start working with investors who need to be interested in the growth and sustainability of the business”, said Krish Subramanian, co-founder and CEO of Chargebee.
"One of the biggest mistakes a business owner can make is not fulfilling contracts. No matter how good a relationship you have with the people you work with, everything has to be legal", said Michelle Colon-Johnson, founder of 2 Dream Productions.
"Hiring full-time employees too quickly is not necessary since your business is not yet so developed and you can hire people on a part-time basis."
"Improper handling of money is almost a death sentence for start-ups with limited access to capital. I made the mistake of hiring too many people instead of the right people and spending too much money without a well-organized financial management process”, said Thomas Aronica, founder and CEO of Biller Genie.
"It's often easier to set a salary for a new employee than for an owner. Whatever you decide, make sure your salary and those of your employees are as adequate and well-deserved as possible", said Diana Santaguida, co-founder and creative director of SEOcial.
"Don't value yourself too much, but don't underestimate yourself. Many entrepreneurs start with the best of intentions and give things away for free or donate to charity. Be very careful with this, don't risk going bankrupt in the beginning." James Chittenden, business consultant at OneClickAdvisor.
"You need to make a plan for how you will get your first user, the first 10 users, the first 100 users, and so on. This is where you need a detailed marketing strategy that covers the initial acquisition of customers, the transformation of those customers into regular customers to attract more", said Sam Shepard, co-founder of Cabana.
"When you start hiring, make sure you have hard-working and diligent partners who will do whatever it takes to get you together," said Devin Miller, a lawyer, founder and CEO of Miller IP Law.
"One of the biggest mistakes is rushing. Once you've set up the company and started attracting customers, make sure your systems and processes are in place, such as payment terms, contracts, appropriate communication channels, while you can still maintain your marketing strategy. Once everything is in order, then get down to business”, Gems Collins, online course creator, business trainer and CEO of Gems Collins LLC.
Conclusion:
Successful start-up of a company will not be realized if you do not have partners - surround yourself with experts to help you with the necessary advice. Mistakes are inevitable.
Don't be afraid of failure. Instead, learn and focus your business model on your needs.
08.06.2020
NEARLY 7,000 UNEMPLOYED PEOPLE WILL BE INCLUDED IN TRAININGS ON PROJECTS OF THE SOCIAL PARTNERS
The Executive Director of the Employment Agency Dragomir Nikolov signed contracts with the social partners for the implementation of projects under the National Action Plan for Employment in 2020. The projects will provide an opportunity for 6,857 unemployed people to participate in training to acquire professional qualifications and key competence, and at least 42% or 2,910 of them will be included in internships and employment thereafter.
In 2020, the projects will be implemented in 115 small and large settlements across the country. The trainings are in a wide range of professions: builders, cooks, salesmen, office workers, computer operators, tailors, social workers, welders, foundries, cashiers, guides, welders, electricians and others, and are in response to stated specific needs of employers from the real and the public sector.
It is expected that the planned trainings will fully meet the current needs of business personnel during its restart and development, despite the significant changes in the economic and social situation due to COVID-19. The skills possessed by the labor force are becoming more and more important for the employers, due to which a large part of the unemployed persons included in the projects are trained to acquire public and civic competencies, initiative and skills for entrepreneurship, digital or mathematical competence, etc.
Priority will be given to unemployed persons up to 29 or over 50 years of age, with low education, without professional qualification or with one not in demand on the labor market, people with disabilities, inactive persons and others. They will be subject to a comprehensive approach, including the consistent provision of training, internships and employment for a period of at least 3 months in the primary labor market or in state-subsidized jobs.
The projects of the social partners, which are implemented in 2020, are:
RESTART 2020 PROJECT of the Industrial Capital Association in Bulgaria envisages inclusion of 964 unemployed persons in training for acquisition of key competencies and vocational training, and at least 386 persons will be included in employment.
Under the LABOR DEVELOPMENT PROJECT of the Bulgarian Industrial Association, trainings on “Team work skills” will be held for 260 unemployed persons and for the acquisition of “Public and civic competencies” on the topic “Multicultural and social aspects in customer service” of 280 unemployed persons. A total of 1,060 unemployed will acquire professional qualifications in 19 different professions, and 424 of them will be provided with employment in the profession acquired by the trainings.
The activities of the CLASSIC-PRO PROJECT of the Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry envisage the inclusion of 1,080 unemployed persons, primarily in the regions with higher than the national average unemployment, in training in the professions "Sales Consultant", "Cook", “Financier”, “Financial Accountant”, “Office Secretary”, “Internet Application Organizer”, “Small and Medium Business Associate”, “Cosmetician”, “Computer Operator” and “Cashier”. 432 people will be provided with a minimum of 3 months of employment in the profession acquired by the trainings under the project.
The project "NEW SKILLS - NEW OPPORTUNITIES" of the Confederation of Independent Trade Unions in Bulgaria includes training in key competencies on "Learning Skills" for 105 unemployed people and training in the professions "Computer Operator", "Assistant Educator", " Nurse” and “Social Assistant” to a total of 1,071 unemployed persons. 31 months of employment will be provided to 591 unemployed people.
Under the "HORIZONS 5" project of the Confederation of Labor "SUPPORT" will be held trainings on key competencies on "Public and civic competencies" for 355 unemployed people and on "Learning skills" for 463 unemployed people. A total of 818 people will acquire qualifications in the professions "Computer Operator", "Tailor", "Construction Assistant", "Cook", "Security Guard", "Office Manager", "Office Secretary", "Operational Accountant", "Assistant educator”, “Social assistant”, “Assistant road builder”, “Baker-confectioner” and “Operator of steam and hot water facilities”. Employment or internship will be provided after successful completion of the trainings for 328 people.
The PROSPERITY PROJECT of the Union for Economic Initiative will enable 801 unemployed to undergo training in key competencies. The included persons will have the opportunity to undergo vocational training in one of the planned 14 professions. This will give a chance to at least 321 of the trained persons to be placed in suitable jobs, applied by employers - partners in the project.
Under the PROJECT "NEW BEGINNING FOR WORK - 2" of the Confederation of Employers and Industrialists in Bulgaria will be held training in key competencies for 1,063 unemployed, who will be able to undergo vocational training in one of the planned 19 professions. This will provide employment for a minimum of 428 of the trained persons.
Еveryone who wants information or consultation on the topic of interest can contact the Consultancy Center for Disadvantaged People in Berkovitsa by phone 0890943741 or by e-mail: berkpro.robg@abv.bg
04.06.2020
SOLIDARITY DURING A PANDEMIC
Author: Sultanka Petrova, Deputy Minister of Labor and Social Policy in Bulgaria
How to attract the Roma population, this hidden reserve in the labor market
The learned helplessness with which some Roma used to justify their unemployment will no longer work.
We will definitely remember 2020. We are hit by a global pandemic from COVID-19, which brought with it an unprecedented closure of the world and blocking of economies.
But how mature and strong a society is speaks volumes about how it reacts in severe crisis situations. So far we can proudly note that the Bulgarian society reacts adequately both to the urgent and timely measures taken by the government and the activities of the National Operational Headquarters, as well as to the responsible behavior of the Bulgarian population.
On the agenda is the important question of whether we, as a democratic and, above all, solidary society, will be able to get out of the crisis and restart life in the country as a whole. This is particularly significant for the economy, because the crisis is pervasive and affects, to one degree or another, almost all sectors in it.
At the same time, experts in our country analyze the acute shortage of labor, both highly and medium and low-skilled, which did not allow the economy to use its full growth potential during its positive cycle before the pandemic. In the period of economic recovery, this will again appear as a problem. And here I see two reserves that we must use. One is to be able to attract at least some of the 200,000 Bulgarians and Roma who returned from abroad at the start of the pandemic. The second reserve is definitely the Roma population, which has a young age structure. In a period of recession, when consumption can hardly fulfill its function as a driver of growth, the dominant economic doctrine recommends increasing investment in infrastructure projects as a source of opportunities for industrial development and stimulating economic activity. At the same time, these conditions depend no less on the homogeneity, qualifications, skills and experience of the workforce, most of which have long-established work habits and productivity. It is these people, these workers, who are at the heart of the results achieved in terms of competitiveness, income, security and GDP. The investments in the available labor reserves and their gradual but lasting integration into the modern Bulgarian society have the potential to cause the necessary change and qualitative improvement of the business climate in the country.
Another time it was a question that they are the hidden reserve on the labor market in our country. According to official data, the Roma in Bulgaria are about 350,000 people or about 4.5% of the total population. In Bulgaria, however, ethnicity is determined by the "principle of self-determination." And it is a well-known fact that the Roma have the so-called "preferred ethnic self-consciousness", i.e. very often, if they live on the territory of the Bulgarian ethnic group, they self-identify as Bulgarians and even more often, if they profess Islam, they self-identify as Turks. According to expert estimates, the real number of Roma in our country is between 750 and 800,000 people, or about 11.5% of the total population. According to experts, while maintaining the current demographic trends in the country, by 2050 the Roma will number between 1,100,000 - 1,200,000 people and will be about 22-23% of the population. I think it is clear why their integration into our socio-economic life is so important. The biggest problem so far is the educational level of this population, because currently only 0.5% of Roma have higher education, 9% have high school, which means that over 90% of them have lower than secondary education. Unfortunately, as many as 21.8% are completely illiterate. In the last three years, the Bulgarian government has made great efforts to include the Roma population in the education system.
Now on the agenda is the issue of including this population in the labor process, and it is important to understand what the Roma population will do to fit into the socio-economic and social life in Bulgaria and show their solidarity with all others in overcoming the consequences of the pandemic and economic crisis. Integration is a two-way process and cannot take place without the will and actions of both parties. The learned helplessness with which some Roma justified their unemployment, low income and low standard of living, that the state is obliged to do something for them, will no longer work. The time has come for them to do something for the state in order to improve both their social status and to help our country.
As the territorial distribution and localization of the Roma population is different in different parts of the country, a differentiated approach must be taken according to the specifics of the regions, their economic profile and the respective Roma subgroups that inhabit them. While in the big cities the Roma can be attracted mostly in the construction industry, which already has the most serious shortage of labor, in Northwestern Bulgaria and the Upper Thracian lowlands they can be of great help to agriculture, which also suffers severely from a shortage of workers. We need to be more flexible in engaging the Roma population in the work process, especially now that Bulgaria will need all its demographic resources to get out of the post-pandemic crisis faster.
Here we must draw on the experience of countries such as Hungary, Finland and Slovakia, which to one degree or another manage to integrate part of their Roma population into the labor market. In Hungary, for example, the Roma National Academy "Kali Yag" is very popular, where parents and children study mathematics, history, languages and computer literacy together.
In Finland, the state also provides tax relief to employers who employ Roma in permanent employment. Social enterprises are also being built and social entrepreneurship is being stimulated, oriented towards employment and realization of the gypsies and towards improvement of their social and living conditions.
In Bulgaria, the positive examples are related to the engagement of Roma labor in the industrial zone "Trakia" near Plovdiv, as many employers offer free transport for Roma from neighboring villages, and also provide such for their children to attend school.
Another positive example is the introduced "Icelandic model" for dealing with aggression and early dropping out of the education system in the Roma school "St. St. Cyril and Methodius ”in the town of Straldzha. The average attendance of children at school increased by 40% in just one year, engaging them in extracurricular activities - football and boxing for boys, volleyball and cheerleading for girls, playing wind and percussion instruments and folk dances. Once they have succeeded in the town of Straldzha, this success may become ubiquitous, and with this demographic situation in the country and the pandemic crisis, it is vital.
In the last two months, we have witnessed spontaneous, impulsive gestures of empathy and care aimed at helping disadvantaged people. The pandemic has taught us that solidarity is not just a gesture, but compassion, empathy, sympathy, real understanding of the situation. These kind gestures that we have witnessed prove that solidarity is the guardian of the social in our society.
I support the words of a famous Roma mayor Laszlo Bogdan from the village of Cherdi in Hungary, who for two terms radically changed the appearance of the village and successfully integrated the Roma population in the labor process: European country”!
Yes! Really, what a miracle! This must become the norm. It is time for all of us to be in solidarity, to assess the new challenges and to support the Bulgarian economy with the human resource it needs at the moment - in construction, agriculture, services, trade and others.
Good solutions to the problems related to the Roma population and accumulated during the years of transition are reflected in the concept of Mr. Krasimir Karakachanov, which provides specific proposals for socialization of the Roma community.
It is clear that neither the individual countries of the world will be able to get out of the crisis on their own, nor the individual ethnic groups within one country. Global solidarity, national unity and responsible behavior are needed by all so that life can return to its normal rhythm.
04.06.2020
THE UNEMPLOYED WILL RETAIN THEIR SOCIAL BENEFITS IF THEY INCLUDE IN SEASONAL AGRICULTURAL WORK
Unemployed people who sign an employment contract for short-term seasonal agricultural work in accordance with the amendments to the Health Act, which came into force on May 14, will retain their right to monthly social benefits. They will also be entitled to heating allowances if they meet all other conditions and requirements for receiving them. The preservation of the right to support is guaranteed by amendments to the Regulations for the Implementation of the Social Assistance Act, which were approved by the Bulgarian government.
According to the amendments, until 31 October 2020, wages and related payments from concluded employment contracts for short-term seasonal agricultural work will not be considered as income when determining the amount of social benefits. This guarantees the unemployed who have started such work that they will not be deprived of the monthly social assistance they have received so far. If they submit an application-declaration for targeted heating aid, the excess of the income limit as a result of the received remuneration will not be a reason to deny them the aid.
The amendments create conditions for promoting the labor activity of the unemployed and their inclusion in the labor market, as well as for increasing their incomes without losing their right to social assistance. At the same time, farmers are being helped to make it easier to find workers during the harvest season.
04.06.2020
THE MEASURE 60/40 REMAINS UNTIL SEPTEMBER 30
The measure, known as "60 out of 40", will run until September 30. Unemployed people registered with the Labor offices can now be hired under it, confirmed the Minister of Labor and Social Policy Denitsa Sacheva.
She pointed out that some of the requirements for support under this measure will be dropped.
"There will be no need for the companies to have stopped working, nor for the employees to be part-time, but there will be a need to prove this, respectively a drop in revenues. And, of course, those employers who have benefited so far will also be able to benefit from the sequel."
According to Minister Sacheva, the goal is no longer to pay compensation, but employment subsidies, for which a new notification will be requested from the European Commission.
