21.09.2022
HOW TO APPLY FOR STUDENT AID
The one-time aid of BGN 300 for students enrolled in the first and eighth grade in state and municipal schools has so far been granted to nearly 60 thousand families, according to the data of the Social Assistance Agency.
Applications for this type of assistance began in mid-summer and continue until October 15, and the allocation of funds is no longer linked to parents' income.
The goal is to support the families of children in the first and eighth grades in the preparation of the students at the beginning of the school year.
Apply at the current address of one of the parents. The forms are uploaded to the website of the Social Assistance Agency and can also be submitted electronically.
Compared to last year's data, there has been increased interest, notes Deputy Minister of Social Policy Nadya Klisurska.
Parents must provide a note from the school that the child is enrolled in first or eighth grade, she explains.
It is important to know that the aid is received in two parts - in the first and in the second term.
Funds are subject to return if the student accumulates 5 or more unexcused absences within a month or if the student interrupts his studies.
636 for last year were the orders for the refund of the amount received for first-graders. The number is significantly higher for eighth-graders - over 1,500, Nadya Klisurska specifies.
21.09.2022
64.21% OF BULGARIAN EMPLOYEES PREFER TO WORK MOSTLY FROM HOME
64.21% of Bulgarian employees prefer to work mostly from home (3-5 days a week), shows a new survey of the innovative career platform Kaderabotim.bg, which specializes in providing objective information about the labor market in Bulgaria. It is called "Returning to work back in the office" and was conducted in parallel among 1,207 Bulgarian employees and 502 employers.
The survey gives an idea of the current trends regarding remote work in our country. According to him, currently 58.00% of Bulgarians work mostly from home, and 42% - mostly from the office. The results also show that 39.35% of employees would look for a new job if their employer asked them to return to the office. 34.13% would talk to other colleagues and try to convince management and HR to change their mind, and 26.51% would go back to the office because they have no other choice.
The reasons why working Bulgarians prefer to exercise their profession remotely are that they are more productive (47.45%), can take on additional commitments - a second job (12.88%), and that they can take care of their family, children and household while working from home – 66.67 percent.
Only 38.03% of respondents answered that they would agree to work mostly from the office (from 3 to 5 days a week). The reasons for making this decision are better efficiency (43.16%), opportunities for more socialization (41.84%), and that this is the desire of the management in the company (31.57 percent).
"Although the pandemic has passed, we are observing its consequences on the labor market. Specifically, more than 31% continue to work from home and would only return to the office if asked to do so. What's more, almost 40% of employees would look for another job if they were required to work from the office. So HR professionals are in a difficult position between preserving the freedom of employees to choose how they work, but also the growing need for efficiency. In fact, if we add up the percentages in the survey, we see that for nearly 20% of HR professionals, the top concerns about telecommuting are related to efficiency. Perhaps the solution is for employers to pay more attention to the well-being of their employees and constantly find new ways to motivate and retain employees," says Kostin Tudor, founder and CEO of Kaderabotim.bg."
Employers
81.87% of the employers who participated in the survey shared that they discussed with the Human Resources department or the management of the company the possibility of employees returning for more than 1-2 days a week to the office this year. 13.15% answered that they were not, and 4.98% stated that they worked from the office all the time.
The larger percentage (58.76%) of them indicate that they have chosen a flexible work model, where they themselves choose how to combine work from home and the office. 21.91% of them work mostly from home (between 3-5 days a week), 11.16% - entirely remotely, 4.38% - entirely from the office, 3.78% - mostly from the office (between 3-5 days a week), it is already clear from the study of Kaderabotim.bg.
The idea of employees working from home is supported by only 11.55% of employers. 84.46% of them are looking for a balance between working from home and in the office, and only 3.98% prefer to return to the office entirely. Managers' concerns about telecommuting are mainly related to the quality of communication between employees (33.07%), keeping them motivated (24.10%) and efficiency (19.92%). According to the career information site, 7.97% of employers are worried that an economic crisis is looming, during which the team must be cohesive to be effective and their employees do not want to return to the office. 30.88% are seriously worried about the trend of employees no longer wanting to work from the office.
21.09.2022
WE SUBMIT APPLICATIONS FOR AID AT THE POST OFFICE
"Bulgarian Posts" is increasing the number of post offices that offer free administrative services, the post office announced. Until now, there were six stations offering administrative services, but from September 21, their number will increase to 32.
The offering is organized mostly in post offices in small towns to create convenience for people, saving them time and money to travel. The number of these offices will increase gradually until 2025, the company specifies.
From the end of July to the beginning of September 2022, about 200 applications were submitted by citizens at the six post offices, which, according to the season, were mainly for receiving heating subsidies. The range of administrative services offered will gradually expand until it covers all the services available on the portal administered by the Ministry of e-Governance.
Information about the post offices and administrative services that citizens can apply for within the pilot project is published on the official page of "Bulgarian Posts".
Post office branches began offering 39 free administrative services on an experimental basis on July 18 this year.
21.09.2022
WHO WILL GET MORE MONEY BECAUSE OF THE NEW POVERTY LINE
The government will today approve the new higher poverty line for next year. It will become BGN 504 against BGN 413 this year. The increase is 22 percent compared to this year's amount and should cover the higher accumulated inflation, the official social minister calculated a few days ago.
Due to the raising of the poverty line, the monthly social benefits of more than 700,000 people with disabilities will increase from the beginning of next year. The reason is that their size is tied to the poverty line.
For example, people with permanent disabilities over the age of 18 with a degree of disability of 50 to 70.99% are entitled to financial support of 7% of the poverty line.
Or they will already receive BGN 35.28. With a disability of 71 to 90% - the amount is 15% of the poverty line, and the aid for them becomes BGN 75.60 compared to BGN 61.95 now.
For people with a disability over 90%, the amount is set at 25% of the poverty line, or they will receive BGN 126 from next year, compared to BGN 103.25 per month now.
People with more than 90% degree of disability with foreign assistance, who receive a disability pension due to a general illness or due to an occupational accident or occupational disease, are entitled to support of 30% of the poverty line, and their assistance becomes BGN 151.20 at BGN 123.90 now.
In addition, targeted benefits for the purchase of a personal motor vehicle by a person with a disability, as well as for housing adaptations and for balneotherapy and/or rehabilitation services are also determined relative to the poverty line.
It is also used in the distribution of food products. In 2023, people with foreign aid will be able to receive a one-time aid of BGN 403.20 to cover the costs of a companion.
21.09.2022
UNEMPLOYMENT IN OUR COUNTRY REACHED ITS LOWEST LEVEL IN AUGUST
Unemployment in Bulgaria in August reached its lowest value for this month - 4.3%, reported the Employment Agency.
The number of registered unemployed in August was 139,782. On an annual basis, there was a decrease of 0.6% in the unemployment rate in the country. Compared to July, there was a minimal increase of 0.1%, the agency said.
The most sought-after professions by businesses last month were teachers; workers in the mining and processing industries, construction and transport; sellers; machine operators of stationary machinery and equipment; personnel employed in the field of personal services; staff caring for people; waste collection and related workers; skilled workers in the production of food, clothing, wood products and related; metallurgists, machine builders and related workers, and artisans; cleaners and helpers etc.
At the end of the summer season, there were 12,808 registered jobs on the primary labor market.
The largest number of vacancies were claimed in the manufacturing industry (25.0%), followed by education (24.4%), trade, car and motorcycle repair (11.3%), administrative and auxiliary activities (8.9%), hotel and restaurant industry (6.3%) and public administration (6.1%).
20.09.2022
MEAL VOUCHERS WHILE ON HOLIDAY
Meal vouchers are provided under conditions agreed between the employer and the employee representative(s) and/or the representative(s) of the nationally represented trade union organizations in the enterprise.
Through meal vouchers, the employer provides persons working under employment and management contracts, hereinafter referred to as "beneficiaries", with means of food separately from their remuneration. The provided food vouchers are a means of exchange through which users receive food and food items against the face value of the vouchers at restaurants, fast food outlets, as well as food outlets including grocery stores, supermarkets, hypermarkets, etc., operating in accordance with the requirements of the Food Law. The provision of food vouchers can be carried out with the funds for the socio-domestic and cultural services of workers and employees, since food vouchers are social benefits provided in kind to workers and employees when they are provided in the order and manner defined in the law.
Vouchers can only be provided for the days on which the employees actually worked, if this is explicitly recorded in the decision of the general assembly of employees. Upon termination of the employment relationship or the management contract, any user who has received meal vouchers is required to return the unused vouchers to the employer. The employer does not owe meal vouchers for the period from the date of dismissal to the date of the person's reinstatement.
Reference:
Art. 2, para. 1, Art. 14 of Ordinance No. 7 of 09.07.2003 on the terms and conditions for issuing and revoking a permit to operate as a food voucher operator and to operate as an operator,
Art. 294, Art. 293 of the Labor Code
19.09.2022
DISASTER WORKER'S COMPENSATION
Disasters, although rare, are a part of citizens' lives and occur at different stages of their lives. In some countries they happen more often, in others - less often. Fortunately, Bulgaria is one of the countries where disasters are not so frequent. One of the main goals of the law is to ensure within the framework the prevention, actions and consequences of every single possible situation.
Every single disaster (earthquake, flood, fire, hail, etc.) undoubtedly affects both our daily life and our movement to the workplace and back, the fulfillment of our work commitments in terms of quality and quantity, and this from in turn invariably affects the amount of our income.
Moreover, it is not rare that during and after disasters it is impossible to reach work at all due to objective infrastructural or other difficulties, which raises the question of whether we will receive any remuneration at all, given that we are not at our workplace and are unable to fulfill our commitments to the employer.
Similar questions regarding the remuneration of the workers also raise a hypothesis in which the persons are not at their workplace because they have joined a voluntary formation to fight the disaster, with which they help the relevant institutions and directly the population to deal with the situation.
The topic itself suggests that both workers and employers need information on what the law has arranged in such situations. There are clearly defined rules on what employers should do in such a situation. It is a common practice in such situations for employers to force their workers and employees to go on unpaid leave. The following lines will answer why such a practice is illegal.
In which cases, under what conditions and in what amount are workers and employees entitled to compensation during a disaster?
The Disaster Protection Act defines a disaster as "a significant disruption of the normal functioning of society, caused by natural phenomena and/or human activity and leading to negative consequences for the life or health of the population, property, the economy and the environment, the prevention, control and the overcoming of which exceeds the capacity of the system to serve the usual public protection activities'.
Labor legislation allows for two options for compensating labor remuneration if the worker/employee has not worked as a result of a disaster.
In the first option, it is necessary that he was prevented from reporting to work when a disaster occurred. According to the law, the employer owes compensation to the worker/employee in the amount of 50% of the gross remuneration for the time for which he was prevented from working, but not less than 75% of the minimum wage established for the country. A larger amount can be negotiated with a collective or individual employment contract.
In cases where the worker/employee has taken part in the rescue work during a disaster, he is entitled to compensation in the full amount of his gross remuneration.
Compensation is subject to taxation.
The reasons for not appearing at work, as well as participation in rescue operations, are established by the town hall, municipal council or other state body.
In the second case, under the Disaster Protection Act and a contract to participate in a voluntary formation, the worker/employee temporarily suspends his employment in order to fulfill his civil obligation. In this case, his absence takes the form of unpaid leave, and for the time of absence he receives remuneration from the state budget.
Disaster prevention, control and recovery are among the few cases in which the Labor Code allows for overtime.
According to the Labor Code, workers/employees are entitled to leave for fulfilling public duties: for the time of training and participation in voluntary formations for protection and disasters. The employer is obliged to grant such leave to a worker/employee who has acquired the status of a volunteer. Voluntary formations are created by the mayor of the municipality by decision of the municipal council.
For the time of training or performing tasks to prevent or control disasters, fires and eliminate their consequences, the volunteer is considered to be on unpaid leave, which is recognized as work experience. For the time of participation in these events, the worker/employee receives remuneration at the expense of the state budget.
In order for the leave to be granted, it is necessary for the mayor of the municipality to notify the volunteer's employer of participation in the event and to issue a document certifying the volunteer's participation no later than three days after the end of the event.
Reference:
Art. 44 of the Disaster Protection Act
Art. 157, item 7 of the Labor Code
Art. 218 of the Labor Code
Art. 228, para. 2 of the Labor Code
16.09.2022
THE RIGHT OF WORKERS TO COMBINE WORK AND FAMILY RESPONSIBILITIES
One of the goals of the amendments and additions to the Labor Code after August 1, 2022, is to increase the possibilities for adapting the work regime to the individual needs of the worker or employee arising from his family obligations.
The changes guarantee the right of the worker or employee to receive a motivated written response from the employer when he requests in writing to change the employment relationship in order to reconcile personal and professional life, but the employer does not accept the corresponding proposal. What are the changes in this area?
Normatively defined are the cases in which the worker or employee has the right to propose to the employer an amendment for a certain period of the employment relationship related to the duration and distribution of his working time, with a switch to remote work, as well as other amendments to facilitate reconciliation of work and family obligations.
This right can be used by workers or employees who are parents (adoptive) of a child up to the age of 8, as well as those who take care of a parent, child, spouse, brother, sister and parent of the other spouse or other relatives in a straight line due to serious medical reasons.
The changes in the Labor Code grant the worker or employee the right to reconcile work and family obligations. The changes indicate that a worker or an employee who is a parent (adoptive) of a child up to 8 years of age has the right to propose in writing to the employer a change for a certain time in the duration and distribution of his working time, to switch to remote work and others changes to the employment relationship to facilitate the reconciliation of work and family obligations.
A worker or an employee who takes care of a parent, child, spouse, brother, sister and parent of the other spouse or other direct relatives due to serious medical reasons also has the right to propose the changes to the employer.
Amendment of the employment relationship is carried out by mutual agreement of the parties, expressed in writing, when such a possibility exists in the enterprise. The worker or employee may, before the expiration of the specified time, request that his employment relationship continue according to the conditions immediately before the amendment. However, when the employer refuses to amend the employment relationship, he is obliged to provide the worker or employee with a reasoned written answer within 14 days.
When entering work for the first time in the enterprise, the worker or employee can use the rights listed above, when he acquires at least 4 months of work experience. The employees and the employer can reach an agreement to change the employment relationship during the use of leave due to pregnancy and maternity, for raising a child up to the age of 2 and 8 or for raising a child placed with relatives and friends or in foster care family, as well as other cases defined by law.
Reference:
Art. 167b of the Labor Code
15.09.2022
WE CHANGE JOBS FOR A 20% HIGHER SALARY
In the national survey "Satisfaction at the workplace" 1095 people were surveyed, among them - employees in the IT sector, in the field of marketing, public administration, trade and sales.
For the IT sector, about 60% of people noted that they were not satisfied with the work environment. That is, they may not be dissatisfied with the salary they receive, but they may be dissatisfied with other things, say they are very stressed, the authors of the study "Career show" explain.
The survey shows that the most dissatisfied employees are in the "Trade", "Sales" and "Public Administration" sectors. There, remunerations are the lowest and the highest percentage of workers noted that they are not satisfied with the working conditions in their companies.
The sector with the lowest rate of dissatisfaction is not the sector with the highest wages. This is the HR sector, according to the survey. Survey data shows that employers are increasingly interested in how their employees feel at work. Physically, mentally, are they stressed and how to improve this. A large percentage of respondents noted that they would change their job if they were offered a 20% or 50% higher salary at another workplace.
15.09.2022
EP: THE MINIMUM WAGE SHOULD BE 50% OF THE NATIONAL AVERAGE
The European Parliament adopted the law on the EU minimum wage, which should oblige member states to "ensure decent living and working standards and promote collective bargaining on pay," said a press release from the parliament.
The new legislation was approved with 505 votes in favour, 92 against and 44 abstentions.
The law was agreed by the EU Council in June and aims to improve the working and living conditions of all workers in the EU, as well as to promote economic and social progress.
For this purpose, it defines minimum requirements for the adequacy of statutory minimum wages provided for in national law and/or collective labor agreements. It also strengthens workers' effective access to these wage protections.
The new directive will apply to all workers in the EU who have an employment contract or employment relationship. Member States where the minimum wage is already protected exclusively by collective agreements will not be required to introduce these rules, nor to make them universally applicable.
This is a key decision in the fight against the crisis with the high cost of living, commented the European Confederation of Trade Unions. A day ago, they released an analysis showing that Europe's lowest-paid workers are suffering greatly from high inflation and a drastic reduction in purchasing power, which has reduced the real value of statutory minimum wages.
The directive provides:
– The minimum wage must be at least 50% of the average in the respective country. Member States to check the adequacy of statutory minimum wages, taking into account purchasing power and the cost of living;
- Every country in the EU should be required to promote collective bargaining and combat the obstruction of trade union activity, and the scope of collective bargaining should be 80%. All countries below this percentage, including Bulgaria, will have to prepare an action plan to support collective bargaining and achieve this scope;
– Strengthening the participation of trade unions in determining and updating the statutory minimum wages;
– Requiring companies awarded public procurement contracts to respect the right to organize workers and collective bargaining in accordance with Conventions 87 and 98 of the International Labor Organization.
The final step in the two-year process of adopting the directive is its approval by the European Council, which is expected to take place in the coming weeks.
"Member states must get serious about raising wages, they shouldn't wait two years before implementing the directive. They must act now to increase statutory minimum wages and encourage collective bargaining. Wages should not leave workers and their families living in poverty, and this has been a reality across Europe for a long time.
Not only by ensuring adequate minimum wages, but also by strengthening collective bargaining as the best solution to achieving truly fair pay for all. We are now urging ministers to sign off on this directive so that working people can start to feel its benefits as soon as possible. The directive fulfills the European Pillar of Social Rights and shows that it is more than a political slogan", commented Esther Lynch, Deputy General Secretary of the European Trade Union Confederation.
Minimum wages in the EU vary widely. They are the highest in Luxembourg, Ireland and Germany, and the lowest in Bulgaria, Latvia and Estonia.
21 member states have a statutory minimum wage, and in the remaining six - Austria, Cyprus, Denmark, Finland, Italy and Sweden - wages are determined through collective bargaining.
