25.08.2022
DEPRESSION, BURNOUT AND STRESS - BULGARIANS ARE BECOMING INCREASINGLY ANXIOUS AT WORK
In Bulgaria, between 30 - 35 percent of people associate their psychological discomfort with problems at work. But not only. Along with the Covid-19 pandemic, the lockdowns, the economic crisis, and now the war in Ukraine, the mental health of Bulgarians is significantly deteriorating. "We are definitely observing an increase in neurotic conditions, such as panic disorders, obsessive compulsive disorders and all kinds of anxiety disorders," Dr. Tsveteslava Galabova, psychiatrist and director of the St. Ivan Rilski State Psychiatric Hospital, told BNR, adding: "This environment of uncertainty , of instability, of ever-increasing demands on the person to cope with difficulties, leads to exhaustion of mental energy, becoming a favorable precondition for the emergence of anxiety disorders. We have very serious problems with the working environment. There are data on how many people work without an employment contract or under conditions that do not correspond to their employment contract. There are also many people who work without insurance, with very long working hours or in an environment that does not meet the requirements for the type of work in question. On the other hand people have become very neurotic, anxious, insecure and this is seriously affecting workplace relationships. And things turn in a vicious circle, which contributes to the increased number of neurotic disorders in our country."
The statistics are startling - 14.5% of Bulgarians suffer from mental disorders at some stage of their lives. Of course, not all deviations are the result of workplace stress. Anxiety, depression, phobias and addiction to alcohol and drugs belong to the group of so-called frequent mental disorders in our country, according to data from the National Center for Public Health and Analysis. The media also contribute to the unhealthy mental environment in society.
"Because the media is constantly spewing bad news - says Dr. Galabova. - It is clear that most people are informed by television, and the television broadcasters themselves admit that bad news "sells", that is why it is in the first place. You can see what they start with our news - murders, serious accidents on the road, problems, thefts ... All this has an extremely bad effect on our mental health."
However, according to Dr. Galabova, the human psyche "does not break from yesterday to today". Disorders appear gradually over time, they are the result of an accumulation of problems. For a long time, a person manages to suppress them, but at some point something breaks and the first symptoms appear, such as sweating, rapid breathing, increased blood pressure, etc. Then it is good for each of us to seek help from a specialist.
Unfortunately, mental health is still a taboo topic in Bulgaria. Usually the Bulgarian refuses to admit that he needs help in such situations. The problem is also financial. Because the health fund does not cover the costs of a psychotherapist. Ultimately, anxiety states remain untreated and can lead to serious consequences.
24.08.2022
THE BUSINESS CAN INCLUDE ANOTHER 860 UNEMPLOYED AND EMPLOYED PEOPLE IN TRAININGS
There is still an opportunity for employers to receive financial support from the Employment Agency in order to secure personnel with the necessary professional training. In the labor offices, there are free funds from the state budget for funding trainings, including professional, dual or for key competencies of nearly 860 unemployed and employed persons, who will be provided with training requested by employers.
Thus, the Employment Agency continues to provide incentives to employers who assist unemployed persons to acquire professional qualifications necessary for employment with them. Opportunities for financial support are also available for businesses organizing training for their employed staff to acquire new key competencies.
One possibility is according to Art. 63 of the Employment Promotion Act. Through it, employers can request specific vocational training that job applicants must undergo before being appointed for at least a 6-month period to the respective jobs. The training of the unemployed is financed 100% from the state budget, and for the duration of the training, the students receive a daily stipend, and those living outside of the place where the training takes place - funds for intercity transport.
The other option is aimed at micro, small and medium-sized enterprises that wish to train their employed staff in new skills and competences. For them, the state provides half of the funds necessary for training.
In both forms, the employer chooses the training organization himself.
Together with her, they jointly form the training schedule, conduct selection of the unemployed persons to be trained and subsequently assigned to work, as well as determine the most suitable training program for the acquisition of new competences by those working in micro, small and medium-sized enterprises.
In the past few months alone, 354 employed persons have already acquired new competencies, and 52 unemployed persons have joined vocational training with the aim of starting work in the acquired specialty.
The second form of promoting the qualification of unemployed persons is the already popular "dual training".
Through it, the Employment Agency implements another type of support for the acquisition of professional knowledge and practical skills by the unemployed. The dual system of training is professional training that takes place in parallel - in a real working environment under the guidance of a mentor and in a training institution from the system of professional education and training. Thus, the Employment Agency incentivizes employers to provide on-the-job training by paying a monthly basic wage allowance to each employed unemployed person and their mentor. Financial support is provided for the duration of the studies, but for no more than 18 months.
In addition, for each person, the costs of the training institution that conducts the training in the acquired profession are covered. Currently, 125 unemployed persons are included in this form of parallel acquisition of professional knowledge and practice, combining work and training.
24.08.2022
HOW TO RECEIVE THE CHILD TAX CREDIT THIS YEAR
The budget amendments in July introduced new, higher tax breaks for children. Parents will be able to reduce the tax base of their annual income by BGN 6,000 for one child (instead of BGN 4,500).
For two children, the preference jumps from BGN 9,000 to BGN 12,000, and for three or more - from BGN 13,500 to BGN 18,000. This means that families will be reimbursed taxes in the amount of BGN 600 for one child, BGN 1,200 for two and BGN 1,800 for three or more children.
These tax reductions will be available already in the second half of the year, because the possibility to make discounts in advance every three months was voted.
Thus, for the period July-September, one parent will receive BGN 150, and for October-December - another BGN 150. For this purpose, however, he must submit a declaration to his employer. If the income of one of the parents does not allow such a large tax relief, it can be shared between the two. For the months of October-December 2022, the tax reliefs are used when calculating the annual tax base.
The employee chooses once whether to receive the advance tax relief by submitting a declaration to the employer. In it, he must indicate that the other parent will not use the advance reduction for the relevant tax year.
The tax reliefs for 2022 can also be used by reducing the monthly tax base for income from employment relationships, as follows:
1.the monthly tax base for the month of July is reduced by the sum of the amounts for the months of January-June for:
a) one minor child - in the amount of BGN 500 per month;
b) two minor children - in the amount of BGN 1,000 per month;
c) three or more minor children - in the amount of BGN 1,500 per month;
d) a child with 50 and over 50 per cent type and degree of disability - in the amount of BGN 1,000 per month.
2.the monthly tax base for the month of October is reduced by the sum of the amounts for the months of July-September for:
a) one minor child - in the amount of BGN 500 per month;
b) two minor children - in the amount of BGN 1,000 per month;
c) three or more minor children - in the amount of BGN 1,500 per month;
d) a child with 50 and over 50 per cent type and degree of disability - in the amount of BGN 1,000 per month.
23.08.2022
HOW TO APPLY FOR ONE-TIME STUDENT AID
Until October 15, families of children enrolled in the first and eighth grades can apply for the one-time targeted aid of BGN 300. Funds are granted without income criteria.
Application forms are available on the website of the Agency for Social Assistance and in all territorial directorates of the Agency.
For the first time in the last academic year, the state decided to pay the benefits to eighth-graders enrolled in school, in addition to first-graders, and the income criterion was also removed, so that parents could buy learning aids and the necessities for the children.
It is important that parents obtain a note that the child is enrolled in eighth or first grade to provide so that payment can be made faster.
For the first school term, half of the amount or BGN 150 is transferred, and the second part - up to one month after the start of the second school term, but only if the child continues to attend school.
Otherwise, the parents return the amount received. Funds are also returned to the state if the student in first or eighth grade accumulates more than five unexcused absences.
Applications for the granting of benefits are submitted to the social assistance directorates at the current address. This can also be done electronically.
23.08.2022
USE OF LEAVE IN CASE OF AN EPIDEMIC SITUATION DECLARED
In the last few years, along with the situation with the spread of COVID-19, a number of changes were made in the legislation in Bulgaria, including the Labor Code. The changes were dictated by a number of messy circumstances that the pandemic faced both our country and the whole world. One of the challenges before the legislators was the regulation of the use of leave in the event of a declared state of emergency or a declared emergency epidemic situation.
The latest changes from August 1, 2022 in the Code in the legal framework of the use of leave in the event of a declared state of emergency or a declared emergency epidemic situation are in the interest of employees. What are these changes?
The previous provision provided that when, due to a declared state of emergency or a declared emergency epidemic situation by order of the employer or by order of a state body, the work of the enterprise, part of the enterprise or individual workers and employees is suspended, the employer has the right to grant paid annual leave to the worker or employee and without his consent, including to a worker or employee who has not acquired 8 months of work experience.
After the changes to the Labor Code from August 1, 2022, the employer will now have the right to grant paid annual leave to the worker or employee without his consent, including to a worker or employee who has not acquired 4 months of work experience. The old version of the text required that the worker or employee had not acquired 8 months of work experience - the eight months have been reduced to four.
The employer is obliged to allow the use of paid annual leave or unpaid leave in the case of a declared state of emergency or a declared emergency epidemic situation at the request of:
The time spent on leave is recognized as seniority.
We remind you that even in a state of emergency or in an extraordinary epidemic situation, the employer cannot grant unpaid leave to his workers and employees without their request. He has the right to grant unilaterally only their paid leave, if the activity of the enterprise, part of it or individual workers and employees is stopped by order of a state authority or by its order.
Reference:
Art. 173a of the Labor Code
20.08.2022
IF WE ARE IN A CONFLICT OF INTEREST, WE MAY BE BANNED FROM A SECOND JOB
One of the changes in the labor legislation is the restriction regarding the conclusion of an employment contract for performing additional work at another employer due to the protection of trade secrets and/or the prevention of conflicts of interest. What are the changes in this area?
The amendment is in Art. 111 of the LC.
Until now, the current provision regarding the conclusion of an employment contract for performing additional work at another employer gave the parties the opportunity to conclude an additional employment contract, unless otherwise agreed in the individual employment contract under the employee's main employment relationship, including a complete ban on performing additional work work for another employer.
The amendment to the Labor Code of August 1, 2022 stipulates that a ban on performing additional work at another employer can only be negotiated due to the protection of a trade secret and/or the prevention of a conflict of interest.
The amendment to the law guarantees the right to work for workers, including with another employer, while at the same time taking into account the need to protect the employer's commercial interests and/or prevent conflicts of interest that should be avoided when the worker or employee is working with more than one employer.
However, the Labor Code does not provide definitions of the terms "trade secret" and "conflict of interest". The question then is, how can the employer negotiate this statutory prohibition? In order for the employer to implement the prohibition of parallel employment, it should be borne in mind that it is limited to the requirement not to disclose a trade secret or that the employee does not work for the other employer in a conflict of interest with respect to his work. Therefore, the term "trade secret" should be clearly defined in the Labor Code.
The same applies to the definition of "conflict of interest". The employer does not have such a definition defined in the Labor Code, but may decide to use a definition established in the Law on the Prevention and Detection of Conflict of Interest, where it is said that "A conflict of interest arises when a person holding a public office , has a private interest which may affect the impartial and objective performance of his powers or duties of office'. In this case, however, it is a matter of persons holding a public office, and not parties to an employment relationship.
At the moment, the application of the legal change is in doubt. It is not clear how correct it will be if, when concluding the additional employment contract for work with another employer, the employee's main employment contract contains a clause prohibiting the conclusion of such an additional employment contract due to trade secrets or conflict of interest, without these concepts are deployed and that it is clear what they should contain, since there is no definition for them in the Labor Code.
Reference:
Art. 111 of the Labor Code
20.08.2022
OVER 340,000 JOBS HAVE BEEN PRESERVED BY THE "60 TO 40" MEASURE
Over 340,000 jobs were saved under the measure, which became known as "60 to 40". It was designed to limit the impact of Covid-19 restrictions on the labor market and ended on June 30.
The data of NSSI indicate that 13,677 employers received support under the 60/40 measure for at least one month.
Nearly 68 percent of the funds are concentrated in a total of 5 areas: Sofia-city, Stara Zagora, Plovdiv, Varna and Burgas.
With the largest relative share of 35.5 percent of reserved jobs are the enterprises with over 250 employees, and with the lowest relative share of 7 and a half percent are reserved positions in companies with up to 9 employees.
Most of the compensation paid to employers to keep their employees employed is aimed at those most affected by the pandemic: manufacturing, hospitality and catering, and trade and repair of cars and motorcycles.
19.08.2022
THE EMPLOYER INFORMS IMMEDIATELY IF THERE IS A CHANGE IN OUR EMPLOYMENT CONTRACT
In the latest changes to the Labor Code in Bulgaria from August 1, 2022 a number of revisions were made to some of the texts in the law.
The changes in the law aim to promote the security and predictability of the employment relationship, while maintaining its flexibility and guaranteeing the labor and insurance rights of workers. Also, the changes aim to improve the possibilities for reconciling work and family obligations.
In order to ensure an appropriate degree of transparency regarding working conditions, changes in the regulatory framework were implemented.
One of the changes is the employer's obligation to inform the worker or employee of a change in any of the elements of the content of the employment contract. What are the changes in the law in this area?
The employment contract defines the main elements of the employment relationship, including working hours, place of work, remuneration, etc. The employer has an obligation to provide the worker or employee with instructions on the order and manner of performance of labor duties and exercise of labor rights, including familiarization with the rules for internal labor regulations. According to the law, the individual employment contract is concluded in writing. This means that the employer is obliged to draw up the employment contract in writing.
From August 1, 2022, information about a change in any of the elements of the content of the employment contract must now be provided to the worker or employee no later than the entry into force of the amendment, and not as before - as soon as possible or no later than one month after the entry into force of the amendment. The aim is for information from the employer to be made known to the worker or employee in a timely manner to ensure an appropriate degree of transparency regarding working conditions and to avoid possible labor disputes.
If, for example, the amount of paid annual leave is changed from 20 to 22 working days, the employer must inform the worker or employee about this change no later than the moment the change takes effect. Usually, the increase in the amount of paid annual leave is carried out with an additional agreement concluded between the parties to the employment contract.
From the moment the agreement is concluded, the employer is obliged to hand over a copy of it to the worker or employee, and from that moment it is considered that he has been informed, according to the law, of the change that has occurred in one of the elements of his employment relationship. This is assumed to be the time from which the change in the individual employment contract will take effect.
However, if the increase in the amount of paid annual leave (or any other) is the result of a collective labor agreement (CLA) concluded in the enterprise, the worker or employee who is a member of the trade union organization that concluded the CLA must be informed by the employer about the relevant a change that will affect what was agreed with his individual contract from the moment the concluded CLA enters into force.
Reference:
Art. 62, para. 1 of the Labor Code
Art. 66, para. 5 of the Labor Code
19.08.2022
LABOR OFFICES WITH PREFERENCES FOR EMPLOYERS AND THE UNEMPLOYED
Financial support to employers and registered unemployed is offered by the Employment Agency through its "Labor Office" Directorates from August 17, the agency announced.
This becomes possible after the previous week the Acting Minister of Labor and Social Policy Lazar Lazarov approved a redistribution of funds between programs and measures to promote employment from the National Employment Action Plan for 2022.
The diverted funds can subsidize the employment of nearly 3,100 unemployed persons, including about 450 unemployed with permanent disabilities, 840 long-term unemployed, 430 unemployed over the age of 50, 300 young people for a period of 3 to 24 months, depending on the program or measure , in whose scope and target group they fall.
One part of the preferences is aimed at employers who have announced vacancies in the labor offices. They can receive funding if they approve a person (representative of a target group) from among the targeted registered unemployed under a program or measure for which the employment office has free funds for a new contract.
The Employment Agency also provides financial support to stimulate the mobility or entrepreneurship of unemployed persons. They can receive funds for daily expenses incurred for intercity transport to and from the workplace, as well as for housing and other expenses when starting work in a settlement more than 50 km from their place of residence.
Starting your own business can be supported on the basis of an approved business project by receiving at once the due cash benefits in case of unemployment or reimbursement of expenses incurred up to BGN 4,000 for starting the business. In both measures, other services accompanying the launch are also provided.
Each employment office has funds under part of the programs and measures providing preferences to employers or the unemployed. Current opportunities to apply for them are announced on the website of the Employment Agency https://www.az.government.bg/bg/, under the heading "Funding announcements by region". Employers apply by submitting only a request-specification for a vacant position and a declaration according to a model and are approved in the order they are received until the financial resource under the relevant program or measure is exhausted.
The free funds are also announced on the information board in every Labor Office in the country, where you can get complete information about the possibilities, procedures and conditions for granting the preferences.
The proposed toolkit includes a wide variety of period, type and amount of subsidization, and the specific parameters of financial incentives under individual programs and measures are determined in the annually approved National Employment Action Plan.
LABOR OFFICE DIRECTORATE - BERKOVITSA
Notifies the employers from the municipalities of Berkovitsa and Varshets that it has financial means for concluding contracts for the use of programs and promotional measures for employment and training and training of adults under the Employment Promotion Act (EPA) in August 2022, as follows:
National program "Assistance for retirement" BGN 15,447.
Training of persons under Article 63, Paragraph 1, Item 1. of the EPA, in accordance with Art. 63 of regulations for implementation of EPA (to acquire a professional qualification from unemployed persons) BGN 1,278
Training of persons under Article 63, Paragraph 1, Item 3. of the EPA, in accordance with Art. 63 of regulations for implementation of EPA (for the acquisition of Key Competences of employed persons for employers - "micro-" and "small" enterprises) BGN 423.
Training of persons under Article 63, Paragraph 1, Item 3. of the EPA, in accordance with Art. 63 of regulations for implementation of EPA (for the acquisition of Key competences of employed persons with employers - "medium" enterprises) BGN 170.
19.08.2022
HOW PENSIONS FOR WHICH THE DISABILITY PERIOD HAS EXPIRED ARE PAID
Disability pensions for which the term of disability has expired in the period from March 13, 2020 to June 30, 2022, will continue to be paid by the National Social Security Institute (NSSI) until the end of December this year.
The condition for this is that the persons have submitted an application-declaration for re-certification by TEMC from March 13, 2020 to July 15, 2022, and that no other expert decisions of TEMC/NEMC with new circumstances have been received by the NSSI after re-certification of the persons receiving these pensions.
The National Social Security Institute prioritizes the processing of the data received from the Regional Health Inspections and will extend the period of payment of pensions and supplements for foreign aid to all pensioners who fall within the scope of the current provision.
The sums owed to the persons who receive their pensions through the post offices in the country will be paid with a separate pension record, and those who receive the pensions are on a payment account - with an additional transfer within the current month.
For persons for whom a new expert decision of the medical examination bodies has been received by the National Social Security Institute, which determines a new term of disability and a percentage of permanently reduced working capacity/type and degree of disability that gives the right to a disability pension, it is regulated 4-monthly period, in which the NSSI should issue an order and, accordingly, the payment of their disability pensions should be continued.
Irrespective of the quoted term, when expert decisions of TEMC/NEMC are received in the Territorial Departments of NSSI, an organization has been created for their immediate and automated processing in order to pay the amounts due to the persons in the shortest possible time.
