24.04.2024
EVERYTHING ABOUT WORKING TIME IN BULGARIA
Chapter seven of the Labor Code "Working hours and breaks" deals with the issues of working hours, the length of the working day and the working week, mandatory inter-day and weekly breaks, breaks on the working day, overtime work, night work, work with a cumulative calculation of working hours time etc.
Types of working hours
According to the length of the working day
According to his position during the day
According to compliance with the maximum amounts of working hours established by the Labor Code:
According to the specifics of calculating working hours:
The term "working time" means the time established by law, another regulatory act, a collective labor agreement or an individual labor contract, during which the worker or employee is obliged to be available to the employer on the territory of the enterprise or in another place determined by him. During this time, the worker or employee carries out various types of work and fulfills duties according to his profession, specialty and qualification in accordance with the clauses of the individual employment contract, the rules for the internal labor rules of the enterprise and the collective labor agreement. The employer is obliged to promptly provide the necessary conditions for the performance of labor duties
Working time is one of the measures of any type of work and represents a period of time during which work is carried out. It is an inherent measure of a number of rights and obligations of the worker or employee, which are directly or indirectly related to the amount of work performed.
Bulgarian labor legislation regulates various forms of working time with the aim of providing more flexible possibilities for securing employment, as well as with maximum use of the possibilities of applying for work under several employment contracts.
With item 11 to the additional provisions of §1 of the Labor Code, it is determined that "working time" is any period during which the worker or employee is obliged to perform the work for which he agreed.
Each employer has the exclusive right to determine the organization of working time in the enterprise (the organization, the company, the establishment, etc.), using the various forms of organization, distribution and reporting of working time.
This exclusive right, given by law, should be used by observing the requirements related to the rights of workers to rest during the working day, breaks during shift rotation, inter-day and weekly rests, providing the opportunity to eat, providing physiological regimes of work and rest, etc.
Normal working hours
The normal duration of working hours is established in Art. 136 of the Labor Code.
Normal is the duration of working hours, which is established for work under normal (usual) working conditions, normal intensity and without particular risks to the life and health of workers and employees, as well as in the absence of harmful effects on the working environment.
The normal length of working time is in practice the most widely applied length of working time and serves as a basis for determining working time, as well as for establishing and comparing all other forms of working time.
Wherever work is carried out under an employment relationship, the organization of working hours should be applied under the conditions of a 5-day working week with a normal length of the working day up to 8 hours and the working week up to 40 hours.
Duration of working hours at night
The normal length of working hours at night is 7 hours, and for the week it is up to 35 hours.
The normal length of working time established by the Labor Code is the so-called "full time".
When an employment contract is concluded with a worker or an employee, the working hours must be agreed in the employment contract and it must be recorded whether it is full-time, part-time, etc. In cases where it is recorded that the working time is "full", it is understood that this is the working time up to 8 hours per day (respectively 7 hours) and up to 40 hours per week (respectively 35 hours).
The distribution of working hours is established in the regulations for the internal working order of the enterprise - art. 139, para. 1 of the Labor Code.
Working hours with variable limits
In enterprises where the organization of work allows this, working hours with variable limits may be established. According to Art. 139, para. 2 of the Labor Code, the time during which the worker or employee must be at work in the enterprise, as well as the way of its reporting, are determined by the employer. Outside the time of mandatory attendance, the worker or employee determines the beginning of his working hours himself.
With the amendments to the Labor Code, promulgated in SG No. 54 of 17.07.2015, is provided for in a new para. 3 of Art. 139 in the above cases, outside the time of mandatory attendance, the worker or employee may work the unworked daily working hours on the following or other days of the same working week. The method of accounting for working hours is governed by the company's internal labor regulations.
The purpose of the change is to create a legal possibility for greater flexibility of working time for the worker or employee and to work and distribute at his discretion the full working time within the working week by introducing a more liberal regime, which also gives a good opportunity for reconciling professional and personal life.
The change can benefit all workers and employees who work in enterprises where the organization of work allows it, and the employer takes the necessary actions to establish working hours with variable limits.
Distribution of the working day into parts
Depending on the nature of work and the organization of work, the working day can be divided into two or three parts.
The division of working time into parts is most often imposed by the nature of work.
This form of distribution of working time during the day in parts is applied where the work is not carried out continuously and allows the number of interruptions and their duration to be established in advance with a daily schedule.
When allocating the working time for the day, the legally established restrictions should be observed:
Duty and disposition
According to the provision of Art. 139, para. 5 of the Labor Code, for some positions, due to the special nature of the work, an obligation to be on duty or available to the employer during a certain time of the day may be established. The procedure for establishing the obligation to be on duty and to be available to the employer, the maximum length of time and the procedure for reporting it are determined by an ordinance of the Council of Ministers.
Reduced working hours
The reduced working hours under Art. 137 of the Labor Code, has a shorter duration than that established in Art. 136 of the Labor Code normal length of working hours.
Due to unfavorable or other specific working conditions, age limits or other physiological features, reduced working hours are used.
Reduced working hours are established for:
In these cases, the duration of working hours is reduced according to the relevant procedure established by Art. 137 of the Labor Code, and the Ordinance on determining the types of work for which reduced working hours are established.
The aim is to reduce the working time of the worker or employee in the specific conditions of the working environment and thus to reduce the harmful impact on his health or the appearance of fatigue in the worker or employee, which may have unpredictable and severe consequences for the means or the subject of work or for other workers and employees.
When applying reduced working hours, the remuneration is not reduced and all the rights of the worker or employee are enjoyed, as in the case of an 8-hour working time. These are the rights to paid and unpaid leave, benefits, respect for work experience, etc.
With the Ordinance on determining the types of work for which reduced working hours are established, the "types of work" are established, for which, if the remaining requirements are met, employees can work with reduced working hours. The enumeration of the types of work aims to cover all workers and employees regardless of the enterprise they work in, regardless of its ownership, as well as the economic activity to which it is included according to the Classification of Economic Activities.
Employees who perform the specified works in art. have the right to reduced working hours. 2 and Art. 3 of the regulation, only for the days on which they work not less than half of the normal duration of working hours established by the Labor Code.
Reduced working hours are not established by a state authority. The employer is granted the right to determine the employees who have the right to reduced working hours in his enterprise, in a separate unit or other structural unit.
The order that the employer will issue must contain all the details required by the regulations: the basis on which it is issued (from the Labor Code and the Ordinance on determining the types of work for which reduced working hours are established); the enterprise (employer); the document that establishes the consultations held with the relevant authorities - the representatives of workers and employees, the occupational medicine service; the document on the evaluation of the jobs (types of jobs); the conditions under which it will be used, established in art. 4 of the regulation; the duration of reduced working hours; a detailed listing of the types of work for which reduced working hours will be used.
Extension of working hours
The normal length of working hours cannot be extended except in the cases and according to the procedure provided for in the Labor Code (Article 136, Paragraph 4). The provision enables employers to extend the working hours on some working days at the expense of reducing the duration of working hours on other working days.
When the employer considers that there are production reasons, he can unilaterally establish an extension of working hours by written order. The workers and employees to whom this order applies are obliged to comply with it.
For the order to be lawful, the employer must comply with certain requirements of the law.
For the consultations held with the representatives of the trade union organizations and the representatives of the workers and employees under Art. 7, para. 2 of the Labor Code, some written document - protocol, written opinion, etc. should be drawn up, as a labor dispute may arise regarding the legality of the issued order to extend working hours.
The order to extend the working hours shall be issued in writing no later than 3 working days before the start of work of such mode.
Extension of working hours can only be carried out for employees who work with daily reporting of working hours. In the case of aggregate reporting of working time and work in shifts or according to a schedule, the organization of working time is completely different and it excludes the introduction of this new form.
The extended working day cannot have a longer duration than 10 hours for employees with a normal working day length of up to 8 hours, and for those working under the conditions of a reduced working day length of 7 (respectively 6) hours, the increase can be be only 1 hour daily.
Extension of working hours is allowed for no more than 20 consecutive working days and for no more than 60 working days within a calendar year.
The compensation of extended working hours by the corresponding reduction of working hours for other periods should be done within 4 months for each extended working day.
To compensate the working time, the employer must issue a written order.
Extension of working hours is not allowed for employees who have not reached the age of 18 and for pregnant employees.
The employer must obtain express written consent on a case-by-case basis to extend the working hours of:
– mothers with children up to 6 years of age, as well as mothers who take care of disabled children regardless of their age;
- employed workers or employees, except with their consent and if this does not adversely affect their health according to the conclusion of the health authorities;
- workers or employees who continue their education without breaking away from production, except with their consent.
Part-time work
According to para. 1 of Art. 138 of the Labor Code, the parties to the employment contract may agree to work for part of the statutory working time (part-time). In these cases, they determine the duration and distribution of working time.
This is done by concluding a part-time employment contract. This employment contract can be for a certain period of time, and it can also be concluded for a certain period, to replace an absent worker or employee, etc.
When concluding a part-time employment contract, all requirements established for the conclusion of employment contracts regulated in the Labor Code shall be observed.
In the provision of Art. 136 of the Labor Code, the normal duration of working hours for the day and for the week is established. The comparison for part-time work is made against the full-time work established for the relevant reporting period.
The last para. 3 of Art. 138 of the Labor Code establishes an obligation for equal treatment of full-time and part-time employees. An exception is allowed only if the rights or obligations are related to the length of working hours, work experience, qualification held, etc.
Establishing part-time work unilaterally by the employer
In order for the employer to unilaterally establish part-time work, the following prerequisites must be met:
Establishing part-time work is done with a written order of the employer for each individual case no later than 10 working days before the date of transition to part-time work; the order explicitly states the term and the jobs for which part-time work is introduced and the duration of the working time.
Cumulative calculation of working time
Working time is calculated in working days - per day (Article 142, Paragraph 1 of the Labor Code). With para. 2 of Art. 142 of the Labor Code, the employer is given the opportunity to establish a summary calculation of the working time under conditions and according to the order determined by an ordinance of the Council of Ministers. In this case, the employer determines a period for which a cumulative calculation of working time is established, lasting from 1 to 4 months. It is possible with a collective labor agreement concluded for a certain branch or industry to specify a period for the cumulative calculation of working hours of up to 12 months. The branches and industries in which a period for the cumulative calculation of working hours of up to 12 months can be determined are established by regulation.
It is important to note that cumulative calculation of working time is not allowed for employees with irregular working hours.
The maximum duration of a work shift in the case of cumulative calculation of working hours can be up to 12 hours, and the duration of the working week cannot exceed 56 hours, and for employees with reduced working hours - up to 1 hour above their reduced working hours.
Simultaneously with the establishment of a cumulative calculation of the working time under Art. 142, para. 2 of the Labor Code, the employer is obliged to approve nominal work schedules for the period for which the summary calculation is established, which must be kept for at least 3 years after the end of the period. The employer familiarizes the workers with the established schedules before starting work on them - Art. 9a of the Ordinance on working hours, breaks and vacations.
In case of cumulative calculation of working time, a standard for duration of working time for the period is determined. The rate is determined in hours by multiplying the number of calendar working days included in the reporting period by the daily hourly duration of the working time specified in the employment contract. The nominal schedules are prepared in such a way that the sum of the working hours according to the worker's or employee's schedule for the period for which the cumulative calculation is established must not be greater than the norm for the duration of working hours. In Art. 9a, para. 4 of the Ordinance on working hours, breaks and vacations provides that when night work is performed, the sum of the working hours according to the worker's or employee's schedule is calculated after converting the night hours into daily hours for the shifts with 4 and more than 4 hours of night work with the coefficient under Art. 9, para. 2 of the Ordinance on the structure and organization of the salary, adopted by Resolution No. 4 of the Council of Ministers of 2007.
When preparing the work schedules for the cumulative calculation of the working hours, the requirements for ensuring the minimum amount of breaks established in Art. 152 and 153 of the Labor Code.
According to Art. 152 of the Labor Code, the worker or employee has the right to a continuous interday break, which cannot be less than 12 hours.
The special feature of the cumulative calculation of working hours is that the continuous weekly rest is not less than 36 hours (Article 153, Paragraph 2 of the Labor Code). In addition, when changing shifts when calculating the total working time, the continuous weekly rest may be less than the specified amount, but not less than 24 hours, in cases where the actual and technical organization of work in the enterprise requires this (Article 153, Paragraph 3 of the Labor Code).
The hours worked by the worker or employee, which at the end of the period for which the cumulative calculation of working hours is established, are more than the hours set as the norm for the period, are counted and paid as overtime.
Overtime
According to Art. 143, para. 1 of the Labor Code, overtime work is work that is performed by the worker or employee on the order or with the knowledge and without the opposition of the employer or the relevant supervisor outside of the established working hours.
In this regard, it is important to mention that, in principle, overtime work is prohibited (143, paragraph 2 of the Labor Code). However, there are cases in which it is permitted as an exception and they are explicitly listed in Art. 144 of the Labor Code. And the limitations for the duration of overtime work are strictly defined in Article 146 of the Labor Code:
The duration of overtime work in one calendar year for one worker or employee may not exceed 150 hours.
With a collective labor agreement under Art. 51b, a longer duration of overtime work may be negotiated under para. 1, but not more than 300 hours in one calendar year. The duration of overtime cannot exceed:
The restrictions under para. 1 and 3 do not apply in the cases under Art. 144, items 1-4.
24.04.2024
FORUM "BUSINESS AND THE REGIONS: NORTHWEST BULGARIA - THE PERSPECTIVE" WILL BE HELD IN MONTANA
"BGLOBAL" magazine gathers representatives of companies and municipalities from Montana, Vratsa and Vidin at a regional forum "Business and the Regions: Northwestern Bulgaria - The Perspective". It will be held on April 29 at the Zhytomyr Hotel in Montana at 1:30 p.m. The forum is part of BGLOBAL's national initiative "Business and the Regions", which the magazine's team has been developing for four years. Partners are the National Association of Municipalities, the Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce and the Institute for Market Economy, the magazine reports.
The discussion will take place in two main panels:
- "Directions of development" - how the North-West can develop faster and more successfully. National and local policies. Opportunities to improve the business environment, successful practices and options for their multiplication.
- "Investments in people" - opportunities for education and qualification of young people in the region. Local policies for attracting and retaining investors and personnel. Education policies at local and national level.
Participants and panelists are managers of leading companies from the region such as Kozloduy NPP, Emko, Monbat Group, Compass; the mayors of Montana, Mezdra and Belogradchik; representatives of the executive branch.
At the beginning of the discussion, the executive director of the Institute for Market Economy, Svetla Kostadinova, will outline the economic profile and potential niches for accelerated growth of the Northwest region.
23.04.2024
WHAT RIGHTS DO EMPLOYEES HAVE WHEN WORKING ON PUBLIC HOLIDAYS?
Although in 2024 the public holiday May 6 - St. George's Day coincides with the fourth day off from the Easter holidays - Monday, it is not compensated by an absent day.
According to the Labor Code, only on official holidays that coincide with Saturday and/or Sunday, the first or the first two working days after them are absent.
The four Easter bank holidays are also excluded from this provision, as they are always from Friday to Monday and are not legally compensated by additional days off. Given the lack of grounds for extending the Easter holiday in 2024 with absence days, the first working day after it is Tuesday - May 7.
The Labor Inspectorate reminds that according to the Labor Code, the four days off for Easter - from May 3 to May 6 inclusive - are declared public holidays, therefore the employer owes a minimum double increase for their work conditions. If the work is also overtime, it is also paid with an additional 100% increase.
For those working on an irregular working day or with daily accounting of working hours, the work done during public holidays, as well as on days off and days of absence, is always overtime.
Overtime work must be assigned by order of the employer, with which the workers must be informed at least 24 hours before the start of the overtime work.
For those working on a schedule - when calculating working hours in aggregate, working on a public holiday is not overtime and their wages should only be increased by 100%. Already with the introduction of the summary calculation of working hours, the employer is obliged to prepare a named schedule for the entire period, which cannot be longer than 4 months.
In the month of May, public holidays according to the Labor Code are Easter (03.05 - 06.05.2024), May 1 (Labor Day), May 6 (St. George's Day) and May 24 (Day of the holy brothers Cyril and Methodius, in the Bulgarian alphabet, education and culture and of Slavic literature).
In order to protect their labor rights to the fullest extent, the Labor Inspectorate advises workers and employees to have written evidence that they have worked on holidays and non-attendance days, such as the overtime order or the roll call schedule.
If they believe that their rights have been violated, on the website of the Executive Agency of the Main Labor Inspectorate, in the section "Administrative services", detailed information on how to file reports is published.
During working hours, citizens can also contact the Agency's national telephone number 0700 17 670 for consultations.
22.04.2024
UNEMPLOYMENT IN OUR COUNTRY AT THE END OF MARCH WAS 5.77 PERCENT
The administrative statistics of the Employment Agency reports an increase in the number of unemployed persons who started work with the assistance of the labor offices - in March they were 14,205, which is 1,721 more than the previous month. During the month, 378 pensioners, students and employed people found work with the support of the labor offices.
The representatives of the risk groups who found their employment in March through subsidized jobs are 317 - 34 under employment programs and measures and 283 - under projects of the Human Resources Development Program 2021-2027. 34 unemployed and employed people are included in various trainings, and 190 people have completed the training started in previous months, having acquired a new profession or key competence. In the month of March, 5,452 vouchers were issued for employed and unemployed persons for digital training under the project "Component 2: Training for DI-GI skills and competences" under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan.
The level of registered unemployment in the country in March was 5.77%, and a decrease of 0.07 percentage points was reported on a monthly basis. The number of registered unemployed persons at the end of the month was a total of 163,635, with a decrease compared to last month by 1,950 persons.
During the month, 19,946 new unemployed persons were registered at the labor offices, with a minimal increase (0.2%) compared to February. Another 686 people from the groups of jobseekers employed, students and pensioners also registered with the employment offices during the month. This group saw a decrease compared to the previous month in the demand for the Agency's services - by 15.7%. As a result of the work of the Roma and youth mediators, as well as the labor mediators in the labor offices, more than 4,500 persons inactive on the labor market were activated during the month.
The number of vacancies on the primary market registered in the labor offices also increased - in March they were 14,706 compared to 10,494 in the previous month. In the real economy, the largest number of vacancies are in the hotel and restaurant industry (30.2%), processing industry (17.6%), trade (8.9%), state administration (7.8%), followed by agriculture, forestry and fisheries (7.8 %) and education (4.8%).
The most sought-after occupations by businesses in March are: personnel employed in the field of personal services; sellers; workers in agriculture, forestry and fisheries; drivers of motor vehicles and mobile equipment; waste collection and related workers; staff caring for people; workers in the mining and processing industries, construction and transport; food preparation assistants; machine operators of stationary machinery and equipment; cleaners and helpers etc.
19.04.2024
WHAT BENEFITS ARE FAMILIES WITH CHILDREN ENTITLED TO THIS YEAR?
From this year, more families with children are entitled to benefits, as from 1 January 2024 the required income was raised, where you can receive child benefits for example. They are also the most familiar and widespread benefits that parents receive for raising a child until the completion of secondary education, but not more than 20 years of age.
Starting this year, the average monthly income of a family member for the last 12 months to receive the aid has been increased by BGN 200 - from BGN 510 to BGN 710. For example, a family with one child must have an average monthly income of less than BGN 2,130, or both parents must receive up to BGN 1,065 per month for the last year.
If you have such an income, you can receive the full amount of the aid, which for one child is 50 BGN per month, for 2 children - 110 BGN, for 3 children - 165 BGN, for 4 - 175 BGN, and for each subsequent amount grows by BGN 20 each. In the case of twins, the amount of assistance is BGN 75 for each child.
If the family has an average monthly income above BGN 710, but not higher than BGN 810, the amount of the aid is 80% of the monthly amount depending on the number of children – for example, for one child it is BGN 40.
This aid is paid in two ways - in cash and in kind. In-kind assistance is provided when the mother is under 18 years of age, as well as in cases where the parents do not take care of their child/children and do not use the assistance as intended.
The money is granted by the "Social Assistance" Directorate at the current address of the family, depending on the family status, on the basis of a submitted application-declaration form, to which you must attach the following documents:
Pregnancy help
In order to receive this type of assistance, the pregnant woman must meet several conditions, such as the average monthly income of a member of her family being less than or equal to BGN 810 for the previous 12 months. This income is calculated by adding up all the monthly incomes of all family members and dividing by the number of members. Family members include a spouse or the person with whom they live and raise a child without being married, children under the age of 18, children up to the age of 20 if they are still studying and not married. The pregnant woman must not be insured for general sickness and maternity or be insured but not have reached the 12-month insurance period at the start of the pregnancy and childbirth leave, and live in Bulgaria for more than 183 days within 12 months.
In order to receive the aid, an application-declaration must be submitted to the "Social Assistance" Directorate at the current address within 45 days until the date of birth, and if the child is born before this period - within 3 months from the date of birth.
Last year this aid was BGN 150, but this year it is now BGN 225 and is paid once.
Childbirth assistance
Mothers of a live-born child have the right to it, when the child is not placed to be raised outside the family. In 2024, the amount of the aid is BGN 375 for the first child, BGN 900 for the second, BGN 450 for the third and BGN 300 for each subsequent child. In the case of twins, it is BGN 900 for each of the children. Until the child is 3 years old, the mother can receive this assistance, for which she must submit a declaration with the birth certificate to the "Social Assistance" Directorate at the current address. All this can also happen with a Personal Identification Code from the National Insurance Institute or the National Revenue Agency electronically.
If by the time the child reaches the age of 2, permanent disabilities of 50 and over 50 percent are established, the mother is paid an additional one-time benefit in the amount of BGN 100.
Help for a student mother
Mothers who follow full-time studies as students can benefit from a one-time grant of BGN 2,880. It is paid in two parts. It is applied until the child turns one year old. The mother must provide a note of enrollment in the following semester to receive the second part of the aid - this prevents the vicious practice of enrolling to study formally without actually studying, just to take the money.
Motherhood
What we generally call "maternity money" is two types of benefits:
From 45 days before the due date until the child turns 1 (or a total of 410 days), pregnancy and childbirth benefits are paid. Its amount is determined based on the mother's insurance income for a period of 24 months before the start of the benefit. In simpler words - income and insurances 2 years ago compared to 45 days before the due date are taken into account. The monthly benefit represents 90% of the average daily insurance income or gross remuneration for this period, and it cannot be less than the minimum wage, which for 2024 is BGN 933, and higher than the net remuneration received. The estimated amount of this compensation can be calculated through the website of the National Insurance Institute.
In order to receive such compensation, the mother must have had 12 months of previous insurance experience and, accordingly, have been insured for general illness and maternity. A social security status check can also be made on the website of the National Insurance Institute with the PIN and PIC.
After the child reaches 6 months of age, the mother can transfer the use of the pregnancy and childbirth benefit to another family member - father, grandmother or grandfather, provided that this person works in a labor or service relationship. The amount of compensation that the father, grandmother or grandfather will receive until the age of 1 is 90% of their average insurance income for the previous 24 months.
If the mother returns to work before the end of this one-year period and does not transfer her maternity leave to another family member, she continues to receive 50% of the monthly amount.
Additional leave to look after a child up to 2 years of age - begins after the expiry of the benefit period under the previous point, i.e. it is about the money that is received in the second year of motherhood. For 2024, the amount remains unchanged - BGN 780 per month. If the mother returns to work before the end of this period, she continues to receive 50% of the intended benefit, i.e. BGN 390.
Aids for a child with a disability
Monthly benefits for raising a child with a permanent disability are provided regardless of the family's income, provided that the child lives permanently in the country and is not placed to be raised outside the family. The amount of the aid was increased from this year, after not being changed since 2016. The amount is:
Support for foster families remains lower, although it has also been increased. For a child with a 90 and over 90% degree of disability, the amount will be BGN 620, for a child with 70 to 90 percent it will be BGN 530, and for a child with 50 to 70 percent - BGN 450.
After reaching the age of majority, the aid is transferred to the law on people with disabilities, where it is determined based on the poverty line, which this year is BGN 526.
The largest amount for disabled adults is the amount for those with over 90 percent disability with certain foreign assistance, who receive social disability pension, military disability pension, civil disability pension, inheritance pension - 57% of the line of poverty, i.e. about BGN 300 for 2024. Together with the social disability pension, the maximum amount of which is BGN 442.62 and will remain at this level until July 1, and also with the foreign aid supplement, which is currently BGN 207.48 BGN, a person can receive about BGN 900. However, there are also people with over 90% disability, for whom the amount will be only BGN 131.50.
Allowance for a child up to 1 year
If the mother is not entitled to compensation for pregnancy and childbirth in the first year of the child and the average monthly income of a family member is no higher than BGN 810 for the previous 12 months, she is entitled to a monthly allowance for raising a child until the age of one year in the amount of BGN 200 per month. Assistance is also provided to a single father or a foster family if they meet these criteria.
Aids for students
The one-time aid for students can be received by children enrolled in I, II, III, IV and VIII grades, regardless of whether they study in a public, municipal or private school. The amount of the aid is BGN 300, which is paid twice - BGN 150 in the first academic term and BGN 150 in the second. There is no income criterion, and applications are submitted to the "Social Assistance" Directorate at the current address at the beginning of the relevant academic year by October 15.
Pocket money for students placed in a health and social service for residential care
This aid is received if the child is:
student from 1st to 12th grade with refugee/humanitarian status or you have temporary protection
The student has the right to receive pocket money in the amount of BGN 90 every month until the completion of secondary education, but no more than reaching the age of 20.
Monthly assistance to cover the initial needs of young people from 18 to 21 years of age
You are entitled to such help if you are a young person aged 18 to 21 and until reaching that age you were placed in a social or integrated health and social care residential care service and you are leaving it for the first time.
To receive this monthly allowance you must:
An identity document/temporary protection registration card must be attached to the application, as well as a document certifying the date on which he/she left residential care, where the information cannot be collected by official means. The aid is granted for a maximum of 3 consecutive months, starting from the month following the month of registration at the Labor Office. The amount of this aid for 2024 is BGN 526 per month. If you want to receive this assistance via bank transfer, you must have a bank account in a Bulgarian bank in your name.
Families with children who receive child allowances should also receive a one-time grant of BGN 300 for transport costs this year. However, it is not yet clear when the money will be paid. The reason is that the required amount has not yet been transferred to the Ministry of Labor and Social Policy from the Power System Security Fund.
17.04.2024
COMPENSATION FOR BEING UNEMPLOYED WHILE SICK
Bulgarian legislation provides that in the event of illegal dismissal, the worker or employee has the right to compensation from the employer in the amount of his gross remuneration for the time during which he was out of work due to this dismissal, but for no more than 6 months. When during that time he worked in a lower paid job, he is entitled to the difference in wages. The worker or employee who was illegally transferred to another lower paid job also has this right.
When an illegally dismissed worker or employee is reinstated and, after appearing at the enterprise to take up the job to which he was reinstated, is not allowed to perform it, the employer and the guilty officials shall be jointly and severally liable to the worker or employee in the amount of his gross labor remuneration from the day of his appearance until his actual admission to work.
It is not uncommon for a person to become temporarily incapacitated in a situation of unemployment. This situation actually means that the person is in hospital, as it is popularly and colloquially accepted to be called.
Is unemployment benefit payable during sick leave?
Unemployment compensation is not due for the period in which the employee was temporarily unable to work. This is so, because for the time for which he received compensation for temporary incapacity for work, the worker or employee could not also receive labor remuneration, since he was not able to work.
In reality, the nature of the compensation in the case of illegal dismissal and in the case of non-admission to work of a reinstated worker or employee is arranged to compensate the worker for a certain type of property damage - lost benefits for realizing income from the work that the same worker would have put in if the fact of illegal dismissal. When there is no causal connection between this fact and the lost benefits, unemployment compensation is not due.
This is also the case when the employee has started another, better-paid job with another employer under an open-ended employment contract and this contract is terminated within the six-month period. In this case, the employer, who committed an illegal dismissal, does not owe unemployment compensation, since the causal link between the illegal dismissal and the missed benefits to realize income from labor under the contract, which was illegally terminated, is broken.
The case in which the worker falls into a state of temporary incapacity for work within the six-month period after dismissal is similar. During this leave, the worker does not miss an opportunity to realize income from his work, since he is initially in such a state that does not allow him to work. The causal link between the illegal dismissal and the damages is broken. For this period in which he is temporarily unable to work, the worker is entitled to compensation for temporary incapacity to work, and not to remuneration. Accordingly, in cases where he received such compensation and was illegally dismissed, the worker is not entitled to benefits in case of illegal dismissal and in case of non-admission to work of a reinstated worker or employee for the period of temporary incapacity.
Reference:
Art. 225 of the Labor Code
12.04.2024
A BULGARIAN PLATFORM ASSESSES HR SOFT SKILLS THROUGH GAMES
A Bulgarian platform offers assessment of the skills of job seekers through games.
The idea for Pleggi was born from the desire to find something that shows our qualities and strengths, said Tsvetelin Nikolov, co-founder of Pleggi. The idea was born in the student years of its creators, who had difficulty finding a job because they had no experience. Thus, they develop a platform that evaluates candidates based on their skills, helping to understand whether they are suitable for the position, for the culture of a given company and the team.
We realized already in our student years that taking tests is not the most pleasant, so we decided to bet on experience, on games, said Nikolov.
Pleggi shows candidates' strengths through short scientific games, evaluating a player's behavior in a given situation, Nikolov explained. The platform creates an upgraded CV that gathers all the information such as experience, education, languages, etc., but augments it with assessed behavioral and personality characteristics known as soft skills. The key is that it pulls out information about the candidate's top five values, he added.
Currently, Pleggi meets almost entirely the competencies of all office activities. The soft skills that the platform evaluates correspond to many positions, adds Nikolov.
Pleggi is available to both companies and job seekers. Candidates have the opportunity, through a button open for work, to fall into the lists of vacant positions of companies only for which they are suitable.
Test results can change over time, but mainly more stable characteristics were selected to give certainty over time to these data, Nikolov explained. The reliability of the results is 9 months, after which a slight deviation is possible.
Although the Pleggi platform is available in both Bulgarian and English, for the company it is a priority to evaluate the skills of people in Bulgaria and showcase the talents, its co-founder also said.
At the moment, the countries of the Balkans are interested in entering the foreign market, and the company's intentions are to start with them.
11.04.2024
Convergence: Differences in the EU are narrowing
The Commission has published its 9th Cohesion Report, which shows that Cohesion Policy is fulfilling its mission to reduce economic, social and territorial disparities in the EU.
Major steps have been taken to reduce the disparities that exist between Member States and regions, strengthen the EU's single market and ensure that the EU continues to invest in human capital and sustainable development. Using the full potential of each region strengthens the competitiveness and sustainability of the Union as a whole.
Stimulating economic growth and employment
Cohesion policy is an important driver of sustainable development and economic growth. In the long term, each euro invested in cohesion policy is expected to triple by 2043, which equates to an annual rate of return of around 4%. Thanks to the policy, it is estimated that 2,027 million additional jobs will be created in the EU by 1.3 years, with a large share in sectors related to the environmental and digital transition. Cohesion policy also ensures that the economic development of the regions has a positive impact on the EU single market thanks to trade and investment links.
By the end of 2022, Cohesion Policy funding between 2014 and 2020 had supported over 4.4 million businesses, created 370,000 jobs in these businesses and represented around 13% of total public investment in the EU , reaching 51% for less developed Member States.
2024 marks 20 years since the EU welcomed new member states in its biggest enlargement process to date. During this period, the average GDP per capita of the Member States that have joined since then increased from 52% to almost 80% of the EU average. The gap with the rest of the EU has halved. The unemployment rate in these Member States fell from an average of 13% to 4%.
Investing to make the ecological transition in place
With a budget of €392 billion, Cohesion Policy funding programs for the period 2021-2027 will continue to invest in Europe's competitiveness, the green and digital transition, human capital and social inclusion, as well as physical and digital connectivity, by at the same time, the participation of citizens is strengthened. In the context of persistent labor shortages, cohesion policy will continue to address issues such as youth unemployment and lifelong learning.
Over €100 billion is programmed to support environmental action through projects targeting renewable energy infrastructure, energy efficiency, sustainable transport networks and nature conservation initiatives. The policy will also prioritize research and innovation, enabling regions to develop environmentally friendly technologies.
Cohesion policy has already had a significant impact on making the green transition, allocating €69 billion between 2014 and 2020. Thanks to these investments, 550,000 households have benefited from the increased energy performance of their buildings, thus reducing their bills for energy; 6,000 megawatts of renewable energy capacity has been created (meaning the annual electricity needs of around 4 million EU households are now met); flood protection measures have been put in place for 17 million people; habitat protection measures have been implemented for 3.4 million hectares; and 6.9 million people gained access to improved water supplies.
Today's report highlights that climate change is exacerbating regional inequalities, with a stronger impact on the EU's coastal, Mediterranean and south-eastern regions. Here, costs related to climate change can amount to more than 1% of GDP per year. The transition to a climate-neutral economy must be implemented in a fair and equitable manner, as regions have different capacities to reap the benefits it brings. This is why Cohesion Policy invests to create jobs and opportunities in all regions, to increase resilience to climate change and to mitigate risks.
Making the digital transition happen everywhere
Digitization will lead to increased productivity, innovation and better access to services. However, EU regions have an uneven capacity to use new technologies. Cohesion Policy is investing €14 billion between 2014 and 2020 to bridge the digital divide, both social and geographical, for example by improving access to eGovernment and eHealth services and by promoting broadband deployment in remote and rural areas. The performance of fixed networks has improved in all Member States, and 7.8 million households have benefited from improved broadband.
The 2021-2027 programming period invests significantly in digitalisation: around €40 billion is earmarked for this purpose, including the development of digital skills, digital technologies and access to faster internet connections in all EU regions.
At the same time, the policy will help people acquire the skills they need to take advantage of the changes brought about by the environmental and digital transition, thanks to €45 billion dedicated to education and training.
A flexible cohesion policy that delivers in times of crisis
Cohesion policy provides a stable source of public investment in times of budgetary constraints. While fulfilling its long-term objectives of investing in structural, growth-enhancing measures to support development, jobs and support regions in the context of demographic change and the environmental and digital transition, Cohesion Policy has also proven to be a flexible tool to support Member States and regions in times of crisis.
This includes the rapid mobilization of resources to meet short-term needs during the health crisis caused by COVID-19. With the two support packages launched in spring 2020, Cohesion Policy has channeled €23 billion to fight the pandemic, in particular to support the purchase of ventilators, vaccines and medicines for hospitals, the recruitment of additional health workers and the provision of home care services for vulnerable groups. As the crisis had a significant impact on SMEs, Cohesion funding also offered urgent financial support for investments in IT equipment to ensure that they could adapt to the 'new normal'. As a result of this support, all categories of regions returned to their 2019 GDP levels just two years after the health crisis caused by COVID-19, in contrast to the financial crisis of 2008, when some regions took more than 10 years.
Cohesion policy has also provided funding and flexibility to help regions host people fleeing Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine. This funding supported emergency measures such as the construction of reception centers and shelters and investment in mobile hospitals and sanitation. Support was also provided in the areas of employment, education and social inclusion, such as language courses, psychological support and access to childcare and health services.
Learning lessons for the future
Although convergence is taking place, the report states that some challenges remain. These include sub-national differences between large metropolitan areas and other regions, as well as regions that fall into the "development trap" and that are lagging behind. Demographic changes are adding to these challenges, as many regions face a declining working-age population, an exiting younger population and difficulties in retaining talent. This shows how important it is to support regional cohesion and invest in jobs and opportunities for Europe's next generation.
Drawing lessons from the implementation of cohesion policy, while taking into account the experience of other instruments such as the Recovery and Resilience Mechanism, the Communication on the 9th Cohesion Report states the need to consider how to improve the policy structure, in order to better achieve the objectives of the Treaty. Some aspects include addressing emerging economic dynamics and new imbalances, tailoring support to regional needs, faster implementation, further simplification, stronger results orientation and linkage to reforms, and introducing flexibilities for responding to unforeseen events.
The first discussion of the findings of the 9th Cohesion Report will take place during the upcoming 9th Cohesion Forum on 11-12 April 2024 in Brussels. Stakeholder representatives in national, regional and local authorities will consider how cohesion policy can continue to ensure that no region is left behind in the ongoing structural changes.
General information
Every three years the Commission publishes its Cohesion Report; a report assessing the current state of economic, social and territorial cohesion in the EU, presenting the progress made and lessons learned and showing the role of the EU as a driver of regional development.
The report is data-driven: it analyzes the development of cohesion according to a wide range of indicators, such as prosperity, employment, education levels and governance.
A clearer picture of what has been achieved and what still needs to be done will guide EU policies and investments to help regions achieve balanced and sustainable long-term growth.
10.04.2024
SICK AFTER LEAVING WORK
According to Art. 42 of the Social Insurance Code, the monetary compensation for temporary incapacity due to general illness, occupational accident and occupational disease is paid from the first day of occurrence until restoration of working capacity or until disability is established.
When the temporary incapacity has occurred before the termination of fixed-term employment and service relationships, military service contracts and contracts for the management and control of commercial companies, the monetary compensation is paid for no more than 30 calendar days after the termination of the legal relationships or contracts. If the temporary inability to work is due to an occupational accident or occupational disease, the cash compensation is paid until the ability to work is restored or until disability is established. Monetary benefits for temporary incapacity due to occupational accident and occupational disease of the persons under Art. 114a, para. 1 of the Labor Code are paid for the period of incapacity, but for no more than 90 calendar days.
10.04.2024
THE REDUCTION OF THE THRESHOLD FOR CATEGORIZING MICRO-ENTERPRISES IN ROMANIA WILL HAVE A NEGATIVE IMPACT ON BUSINESS, WARNS THE NATIONAL COUNCIL OF SMALL AND MEDIUM ENTERPRISES
A shift to a corporate income tax after lowering the threshold for categorizing micro-enterprises to 100,000 euros would generate higher inflation by passing on the increase in costs to the prices of goods, Romania's National Council of Small and Medium Enterprises has warned. The press release of the National Council of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises also says that this will reduce the competitiveness of Romanian goods and services and slow down, and may even lead to the abandonment of modernization/digitalization of companies.
The National Council of Small and Medium Enterprises rejects the reduction of the threshold for inclusion in the category of micro-enterprises from €500,000 to €100,000, resulting in the application of a 16% profit rate instead of 3% on income for micro-enterprises.
"If there is a shift to 16% corporate tax, after the reduction of the threshold for micro-enterprises to €100,000, the change in the tax system will have a negative impact on business: the increase in costs will be passed on to the prices of goods and services, leading to more high inflation; the increase in production costs generates a decrease in the competitiveness of Romanian goods and services and a loss of markets; the lack of liquidity at the company level will lead to reduced investment and a delay/abandonment of modernization/digitalization," the document says.
Also, the National Council of Small and Medium Enterprises draws attention to the fact that the repeated and short-term amendment of the tax legislation for micro-enterprises, such as the introduction from April 1 of new conditions for inclusion in the category of micro-enterprises, by aggregating the income of related enterprises for the ceiling of 500,000 euros, generates uncertainty and a complete lack of predictability for the implementation of business plans. In fact, the introduction of related enterprises in the calculation of the ceiling for micro-enterprises will affect a greater number of enterprises that will apply income tax than those that had revenues above €100,000 in 2023, explained representatives of the National Council of Small and medium enterprises.
Provisions that negatively affect micro-enterprises were introduced without the participation of business representatives and especially SMEs, thus failing to properly identify the needs of businesses in relation to the objective of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan. Under these circumstances, the National Council of Small and Medium Enterprises rules out any new amendment to the Tax Code in 2024 and considers that the amendment to the taxation system for micro-enterprises proposed in the Recovery and Resilience Plan will have a negative impact on business due to the increase of taxation, which will have an impact on the entire economy.
In addition, the National Council of Small and Medium Enterprises calls for a reduction in taxation of the workforce and the launch of all national and regional programs for the private sector worth €6.1 billion to make up the package of programs to support SMEs, considers that they are most affected in the current context of increased taxation.
