28.10.2021
CERTIFICATE FOR NEW DIGITAL SKILLS OF PEOPLE OVER 50
Surely we will all agree that digital literacy brings countless benefits in both our personal and professional lives. Unfortunately, digitally untrained people, most often of the older generation (50+), find it difficult to cope with new technologies and therefore they often remain disadvantaged by the possibilities of the digital world.
A special project, co-financed by EU funds under the Danube Transnational Cooperation Program 2014-2020, brings together partners from 8 countries in the field of digital competences for people over 50. "Building the digital entrepreneurial capacity of older people through the innovative training system", or the eDigiStars project, aims to develop sustainable ecosystems that successfully turn older workers into digital self-employed people, helping both people to acquire the skills they want, so that companies remain competitive.
The project covers 19 partners in 8 Danube countries - Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Hungary, Romania, Slovenia, Ukraine. An important part of the project is the development of three tools that will play a crucial role in the process.
eDigiStars is based on real vocational cooperation: vocational and adult training organizations, employment offices, NGOs, local authorities, chambers of commerce, businesses, economic development organizations and disadvantaged target groups work together to guarantee success.
The three tools are - POWERYOU will enable older people for digital self-employment, CAMPUS will adapt relevant courses for older people to their specific needs, and LABEL will certify those older people who demonstrate sufficient digital skills.
During special meetings and seminars, which were held via videoconferencing due to the covid crisis, the project partners discussed the creation of the tools using different methods of interactive group work. The participants were divided into groups in different virtual rooms on the internet-based MIRO platform.
LABEL shows how to build trust and prove the competence of older people to employers.
The description of the instrument includes the stages of its creation, sustainability over time, quality criteria, as well as its financial sustainability, promotion and advertising. For this purpose it is necessary to study the possibilities for financing the respective territory, to make a connection with the interested parties and the purposeful promotion of eDigiStars.
Close cooperation with business and information about its requirements, as well as regular dialogue between partners and stakeholders - companies, firms, politicians, training providers, employment offices and others - are essential for high-quality training and certification.
The process and implementation of accreditation for an independent and recognized certificate is not feasible within the project. Therefore, we must work closely with a high-quality educational partner that is recognized in the market of each territory.
The LABEL tool is aimed at participants who work intensively with the industry or represent them, e.g. chambers of commerce, associations and other business support institutions. With the help of this tool, two things will be achieved: first, widely recognized certificates will be issued to eDigiStars participants. Secondly, trust will be established in the already retrained target group 50+ (120 people in total) as valuable participants in the digitalized work environment.
The pilot programs of all three eDigiStars tools will disseminate information about them, will demonstrate on the spot among the various employment offices and other participants in the process how they work, will study how informing and motivating the unemployed over 50 to participate in digital entrepreneurship training. They also aim to inform that eDigiStars-certified people over the age of 50 with the LABEL tool are attractive for employment in the industry.
The development of the tool also contains practical advice - to analyze job postings in the digital field, to understand the current market situation and the specific needs of companies in your area, to make a direct link between companies and training organizations to overcome the differences in skills between companies and trainees, look for large, innovative companies where there is a critical assessment of demand-oriented training.
Working with small and medium-sized businesses also offers various advantages: based on their specific business needs, many of them are not satisfied with the available training on the market and seek specialized. In this case, the eDigiStars system can be especially useful for them.
The mission of the eDigiStars team is to support people over the age of 50 living in the Danube macro-region to stay active and useful both with their strengths and talents and with their new knowledge.
More information at http://www.interreg-danube.eu/approved-projects/edigistars
27.10.2021
WORK DURING COVID-19. PRACTICAL LEGAL ADVICE
See practical advice on the most common questions about working during COVID-19
According to the order Order № RD-01-856/19.10.2021 of the Minister of Health, the employers in the medical establishments for hospital care, the complex oncology centers, the dialysis centers, the hospices and the homes for elderly people organize the work process, admitting to work only employees with valid documents for vaccination, illness or examination within the meaning of Order № RD-01-733 of 27.08.2021 of the Minister of Health.
According to the same order, the control over the implementation of the introduced anti-epidemic measures is performed by inspectors/employees with valid documents for vaccination, disease or examination within the meaning of Order № RD-01-733 of 27.08.2021 of the Minister of Health.
Therefore, you work in:
you will be allowed to work only with valid documents for vaccination, illness or examination within the meaning of Order № RD-01-733 of 27.08.2021 of the Minister of Health.
As everyone knows, vaccination against coronavirus (or against any other disease) is voluntary and it is everyone's right to make a personal choice. Personal choice can be dictated by any reason - health, religious, family, professional and any other reasons that are objective or subjective and no one has the right to influence by putting pressure on them.
The right to work is regulated by a number of international, European and national laws, and this right is absolutely nowhere bound by the decision of the citizens and the actions taken by them for vaccination or not.
The employer has no legal right and should not make deductions from wages for such purposes. The imposition of such "deductions" is a gross violation of labor law.
In the Health and Safety at Work Act (OHS) the legislator has regulated the general obligations of the employer regarding the provision of health and safety at work and they are:
All costs associated with ensuring healthy and safe working conditions are borne by the employer.
The employee has the right to refuse the performance or to suspend the work when there is a serious and immediate danger to his life/health, for which he notifies his direct supervisor immediately.
When due to a declared state of emergency or declared an 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 employees is terminated, the employer has the right to provide paid annual leave to the employee; without his consent, including of an employee who has not acquired 4 months of work experience.
As can be seen from the provisions of the law, the employer has the right to provide paid annual leave to the employee without his consent, including an employee who has not acquired 4 months of service. This right can be exercised under the following objective prerequisites:
- declared state of emergency;
- declared emergency epidemic situation;
- order of the employer for termination of the work of the enterprise, of a part of the enterprise or of individual workers and employees;
- an order of a state body for termination of the work of the enterprise, of a part of the enterprise or of individual workers and employees.
The law also stipulates that the employer is obliged to allow the use of paid annual leave or unpaid leave in case of a state of emergency or a state of emergency epidemic at the request of:
The legislator also stipulates that the time during which this leave is used is recognized as length of service.
Please note that the law has not established which paid annual leave is granted - whether for the current year or one that has not been used in previous years. This is a matter of discretion on the part of the employer.
The law specifies that the employer may not serve a dismissal order at a time when an employee has started using his authorized sick leave. However, the protection of the employee is not applicable in cases where, even if he has been on authorized leave according to the sick leave issued to him, the employee has appeared at his workplace, has not presented the issued sick leave and has not notified the employer that is on duly authorized sick leave.
The grounds in the presence of which the employer terminates the employment contract of the employee with notice are regulated in the Labor Code. The right of the employer to terminate the employment contract with notice means that he owes notice to the employee.
There are cases in which the employer cannot give notice to the employee - during the use of leave, regardless of the type of leave (paid annual, unpaid, due to temporary incapacity for work, etc.) or in other cases, depending on from the status of the employee (mother of a child up to 3 years of age, employed, etc.), without prior permission of the labor inspectorate. In these cases, dismissal protection under the Labor Code applies.
If you are infected with COVID-19, you must immediately notify your employer of your incapacity for work and provide a sick note for the expected duration of the illness. To reduce the spread of the virus, it would be good to inform not only the employer but also your colleagues about the infection.
If you have been in contact with an infected person, find out as soon as possible whether you should be quarantined. If you need to be absent from work due to a suspicion of infection with COVID-19, you must again immediately notify your employer and provide him with a certificate of incapacity for work.
In order to determine which of the colleagues are close contacts of an employee with COVID-19, we can borrow the definition, according to the current definition of the Ministry of Health. From it we can conclude that a close contact colleague at work is defined as one who:
When determining the close contacts of a confirmed case of COVID-19 at our workplace, every person who made contact within 48 hours before and up to 14 days after the onset of symptoms in the patient should be considered. If the confirmed case is asymptomatic, contact is any person who has been in contact with the case within 48 hours before up to 14 days after taking the sample that led to the laboratory confirmation.
The Labor Code provides for cases in which, in the presence of an employment relationship for a certain period of time during which the employee has not worked, it is recognized as length of service.
The length of service during which the employee has used unpaid leave for temporary incapacity for work (sick leave) is also recognized as length of service.
We remind you that the employee has the right to leave in case of temporary incapacity for work due to general illness or occupational disease, occupational accident, for sanatorium treatment and in case of urgent medical examination, quarantine, dismissal by prescription of health authorities, care of the sick or to a quarantined family member, urgent accompaniment of a sick family member for a medical examination or treatment, as well as for the care of a healthy child returned from a childcare facility due to quarantine in the facility or the child
The Labor Code stipulates that the employment contract is terminated without any of the parties having to give notice of the death of the employee. In the event that the person at the time of termination of the employment contract on the specified grounds has acquired the right to a pension for length of service and age, it is provided that upon termination of employment after the employee has acquired the right to a pension for length of service and age, regardless of the grounds for termination, he is entitled to compensation from the employer in the amount of his gross salary for a period of 2 months, and if he has worked for the same employer in the last 10 years of his service - to compensation in the amount of gross his salary for a period of 6 months.
As the compensation is due by the employer, upon termination of the employment contract upon death of the employee, the employer owes the compensation for the acquired right to retirement to the heirs of the employee after presentation by the heirs of a certificate of heirs.
According to the law, in case of death of the employee before the use of paid annual leave, his heirs are paid compensation for unused paid annual leave in proportion to the paid annual leave due to him until the day of death.
26.10.2021
MORE SECTORS WILL RECEIVE GRANTS FOR COVID-19
The Managing Authority of the Operational Program "Innovation and Competitiveness" (MA of OPIC) is about to send additional invitations for concluding administrative contracts for granting financial aid under the procedure "Support for small enterprises with a turnover of over BGN 500,000 to overcome the economic consequences from the COVID-19 pandemic", announced the operational program.
The process of negotiating with the applicants from the priority sectors - processing industry, hotel and restaurant industry and trade, invited for concluding administrative contracts for granting financial aid; repair of cars and motorcycles is in its final stage.
According to the Decision of the OPIC Monitoring Committee for approval of changes in the Methodology and criteria for selection of operations under the procedure, if all project proposals that have successfully passed the evaluation stages are funded by the priority sectors, the free resource will be directed to other eligible under the procedure sectors for which the available funding is not enough.
Therefore, the invitations for concluding administrative contracts for granting financial aid to applicants from the sectors with the most reserves are to be sent in stages according to the published lists of reserve project proposals in the order of their ranking, namely: construction, transport, storage and post, creation and dissemination of information and creative products; telecommunications, professional activities and research.
At a later stage, the MA of OPIC plans to send invitations for the conclusion of administrative contracts for the provision of grants to applicants and other eligible sectors in the presence of sufficient financial residual resources, according to the operational program.
25.10.2021
DEADLINE FOR FREE TRAVEL FOR 60,000 YOUNG EUROPEANS IN 2022
Until October 26 this year young Europeans between the ages of 18 and 20 have a chance to participate in winning one of the 60,000 free travel cards in 2022, which are funded by the DiscoverEU project, reminded by the press center of the EC. The initiative is related to the declaration of 2022 as the European Year of Youth, which is why the EC intends to promote mobility in Europe by offering 60,000 train tickets.
This strong development and mobility opportunities in Europe will be further strengthened by Erasmus + and many other upcoming initiatives in connection with the European Year of Youth 2022.
EU Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth Maria Gabriel said that "the DiscoverEU initiative is returning with greater ambitions to encourage young people to broaden their horizons and knowledge, gain new experiences and meet other Europeans. while traveling by train in the period March 2022 - February 2023, for 1 day to one month.
The application round is open to young Europeans born between 1 July 2001 and 31 December 2003. Exceptionally, 19- and 20-year-olds can also apply after the application rounds were postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
As it is not clear how the pandemic will develop, all passengers will be offered flexible reservations through a new mobile travel card. The date of departure can be changed until the time of departure. The mobile travel card is valid for one year. The Commission advises all travelers to check for possible travel restrictions on the ReopenEU website.
Young people with special needs are also invited to participate in the DiscoverEU competition. The commission will provide them with information and advice and will cover the costs of special assistance such as a companion, guide dog and others.
The winners of the competition can travel alone or in a group of a maximum of 5 people (all within the allowable age group). In order to develop sustainable travel and thus support the European Green Pact, DiscoverEU participants will travel mainly by train. However, in order to ensure wide access across the EU, participants can use alternative modes of transport, such as buses, ferries or, exceptionally, airplanes. This will also allow the participation of young people living in remote areas or islands.
Each Member State is allocated a certain number of travel cards based on the share of its population in the total population of the European Union.
The Commission launched DiscoverEU in June 2018 following a proposal from the European Parliament. It was officially integrated into the new Erasmus + program for the period 2021-2027.
DiscoverEU connects thousands of young people, building a community across Europe. Participants who had never met before, connected through social media, exchanged practical advice or offered observations and ideas for specific places, formed groups to travel from city to city or visited each other.
In 2018-2019, 350 thousand young people applied for a total of 70,000 available travel cards - 66% of applicants traveled for the first time by train outside their country of residence. For many, it was also the first time they had traveled without their parents or accompanying adults, with most saying the experience had allowed them to become more independent. Experience within DiscoverEU has allowed them to better understand other cultures and European history. Their foreign language skills also improved during the trip. Two-thirds of participants said they could not cover the cost of the travel card without DiscoverEU assistance.
Since 2018, DiscoverEU's past and future travelers have formed a diverse and engaged community that meets online and offline to share their experiences. Participants are invited to become Ambassadors of DiscoverEU in order to promote the initiative. They are also encouraged to connect with other travelers on the official DiscoverEU online group to share experiences and exchange advice, especially on cultural specifics and ways to travel sustainably with digital technology. To apply, eligible applicants must take a quiz with common questions about the European Union and other EU initiatives aimed at young people. With an additional question, candidates are invited to know how many people will apply in this round. The closer the assumption is to the correct answer, the more points the candidate receives. This will allow the Commission to rank the candidates. The commission will propose travel cards to the candidates according to their ranking and until the available tickets are exhausted.
25.10.2021
SUCCESS TECHNIQUES: SEVEN STRATEGIES TO HELP YOU LIVE WITH UNCERTAINTY
What should we do when we feel that nothing is under control?
Living with so much insecurity is difficult. People crave information about the future in the same way they crave primary things, such as food, sex, and so on.
Our brains see ambiguity as a threat and try to protect us by reducing our ability to concentrate on anything other than creating security.
Sometimes, and perhaps always, it is more effective for us not to try to create security. Although evolution has prepared our brains to resist uncertainty, we can never really know what the future holds.
And during incredible situations, such as a pandemic that has severely affected our daily lives and destroyed our best-prepared plans, we must learn to live with ambiguity, writes Christine Carter, author and sociologist at Greater Good.
"Uncertainty is the only sure thing," says mathematician John Alan Paulos. "Knowing how to live with insecurity is our only security."
So how do we cope in the best possible way when we feel that everything is out of control?
Here are seven strategies for this:
There is no doubt that we are currently going through a difficult period.
However, if we resist the current reality, it will not help us to recover, learn, grow and feel better. The irony is that resistance prolongs our pain and difficulties by intensifying the emotions we experience.
There is an alternative.
Instead of resisting, we can practice acceptance. Research by psychologist Christine Neff and her colleagues shows that acceptance - and in particular self-acceptance - is the counter-intuitive secret to happiness. Acceptance is dealing with life as it is and moving forward.
Because acceptance allows us to see the situation in the present moment, it frees us to move forward instead of being paralyzed or ineffective by insecurity or fear.
In order to practice acceptance, we give up our resistance to a problematic situation and our emotions about the situation. For example, you may find your marriage a special challenge right now. However, instead of criticizing or blaming your partner - two tactics that are related to resistance, you can safely accept your marriage as it is now.
This does not mean that you will not feel frustrated or sad about the state of affairs. Much of the acceptance is accepting how we feel about the difficult circumstances and people in our lives. However, if we allow our marriage to be as it is now and take into account our feelings, it puts us in a better position to move forward.
To be clear, acceptance is not the same as refusal. Accepting a situation does not mean that it will never improve. We do not accept that things will remain the same forever; we only accept what is happening at the moment.
We can make an effort to make our marriage happier while at the same time allowing for the reality that is now. These relationships are complex. Maybe the situation will improve, maybe not.
Practicing acceptance in times of difficulty is difficult, but it is also the most effective way to move forward.
The best resource you currently have to contribute to the world is you. When this resource is depleted, your most valuable assets are damaged. In other words, when we don't invest enough in our body, mind, or spirit, we destroy our most important tools to live the best life possible.
We humans do not do well when we put off taking care of ourselves. We need to maintain relationships that give us a sense of connection and meaning; we need to get enough sleep and rest when we are tired; and we have to spend time in fun and games, just for the joy of it.
Don't confuse self-care with selfishness. Selfishness is focusing on oneself. Egoists often refer to themselves as using words like me, me, and mine. They pursue inherent goals, such as maintaining a youthful appearance or building a certain image on social media.
They often want more money, fame or approval from others. This type of self-focus is associated with stress, anxiety, depression, and health problems such as heart disease. So Carter definitely does not recommend selfishness, but self-care personal growth.
One of the most important ways we can invest in ourselves is by calming down in healthy ways. If we want to be flexible, we must feel safe. When we are insecure or in danger, our brain tries to save us by activating the dopamine secretion systems. This dopamine surge encourages us to seek rewards, which makes temptations even more tempting.
Think of it as if your brain is pushing you to something that calms you down, like a glass of wine instead of a reasonable bedtime. Or a whole bowl of cupcakes. Or any other item in your shopping cart when shopping online.
However, instead of resorting to social media, poor quality food, alcohol or spending to calm our shaky nerves, we do better when we can calm down in healthier ways.
Make a list of healthy ways to calm down. Can you put on a mask and go out alone or for a walk with someone? Schedule a call with a friend? Think about what you are grateful for? Allow yourself to take a nap? Watch a fun video on YouTube?
These things may seem small, but they allow us to be the people we want to be.
Probably the most important stress-reducing tactic Carter says she's learned is not believing everything she thinks. In times of uncertainty, it is especially important not to believe thoughts that lead you to the worst-case scenario.
Of course, considering the worst-case scenarios can be helpful in order to actively avoid a catastrophe. However, when we believe in these stressful thoughts, we tend to react emotionally as if the worst case scenario is already happening in life, not just in our heads. We grieve for things we haven't actually lost and react to events that don't actually happen. This makes us feel threatened, scared and unsafe when we just believe our thoughts.
Instead of clinging to every stressful thought, we can actively imagine the best possible scenario. This goes against our natural tendency to exaggerate the risks and negative consequences.
The opposite of insecurity is not security, but presence. Instead of imagining a scary and uncertain future, it is better to use your attention. Every time you wash your hands, you may ask yourself: How are you doing right now?
Make a note of what emotions you are experiencing and where in your body you are experiencing those emotions.
Even when we feel that nothing is under control, we can control what to pay attention to. We may turn off our notifications to prevent what is happening on social media and in the news from distracting us. We can give up our thoughts and negative fantasies by paying attention to what is happening in our inner world, right here and right now in the present.
Paying attention to what is happening inside us at all times prevents external reality from determining our inner truth. This allows us to cultivate calm, open-mindedness and control the way we react.
When we act as if we are powerless, we fall into the trap of stories that make us feel angry and helpless. Then we begin to hope that other people will save us from our unhappiness.
Although it feels good for others to pay attention to us, most rescuers don't really help. Our friends may want to save us because when helping others one feels good and their intentions may be noble.
Emotionally supportive friends (or therapists) see us as capable of dealing with their own problems. They ask questions that help us focus on what we really want, not what we don't want.
In short: To best deal with insecurity, we must stop complaining. When we stop focusing too much on a problem, we can focus on the end result we want. How can we get the most out of this mess? What can we gain in this situation?
When we take responsibility for our own lives, we exchange the false power of being a victim of the real power that comes from creating the life we want.
We humans are best motivated by our importance to other people. We will work harder, more and better, and we will feel happier about the work we do when we know that our efforts are helping someone else.
For example, teenagers who provide support to people during crises feel more connected to the community. Studies show that we feel good when we can stop thinking so much about ourselves and supporting others.
When we see something that needs improvement, our next step is to figure out what we can do personally to be part of the solution.
Meaning and purpose are sources of hope. When the world seems scary or uncertain to us, if we know what our meaning is to others and have a sense of purpose, it can ground us better than anything else.
Don't just wait for this difficult period to end. Don't put up with your misfortune while you wait for the pandemic to subside. What have you always wanted to do? How do you hope things will end? How can you live fully in these times? Live this life.
25.10.2021
ROMANIA RETURNED THE EVENING HOUR, IMPOSED SEVERE BANS
Romania returns curfew at night and imposes mandatory green certificates on most public places. Schools will be closed for two weeks. A record number of Covid-19 infections and deaths were reported in the country this month, and the hospital system is on the verge of collapse.
The new measures will be in force for 30 days and provide for more restrictions on the movement of people from 22:00 to 05:00 in the morning, shops and restaurants will be closed after 21:00.
The green certificate is mandatory for most activities and will be required to enter malls, restaurants, hotels, as well as if you leave home after 22:00. Only certificates proving vaccination or illness will be recognized. All public and private institutions will only release people with a green certificate or a COVID-19 test.
Only those vaccinated and those passed the disease will have access to public enclosed spaces. An exception is made for grocery stores, pharmacies and religious temples.
Museums, libraries, cinemas, gyms, games rooms, indoor pools and children's centers will operate only during the day at a maximum of 30% of capacity. Bars, clubs, discos, concerts and performances are prohibited. Sports events will be held without an audience.
It is also mandatory to wear masks outdoors, weddings and other private events are prohibited. Employers must send half of their employees to work remotely.
Only 1/3 of the elderly population of our northern neighbor has been vaccinated, and distrust in state institutions and disinformation campaigns is on the rise.
This week, however, there was a rise in vaccinations, the result of dramatic news footage of overcrowded hospitals and dying people. On Friday, 86,000 immunizations were performed with the first dose - a record for one day.
25.10.2021
SINCE THE START OF THE 60/40 MEASURE, OVER BGN 1.5 BILLION HAVE BEEN PAID
The "60 to 40" measure remains one of the largest tools for limiting the negative impact of the pandemic on the labor market - since its inception, more than BGN 1.5 billion have been paid to a total of 13.3 thousand employers and nearly 320 thousand workers and employees.
This is stated in an analysis of the measure and the effects of its change, published in the latest newsletter of the National Social Security Institute. According to the findings of the analysis, the changes in the design of the measure, in force since June 1, 2021, were aimed at directing funds to employers most affected by the economic consequences of the pandemic.
The changes coincided with a period of economic recovery and reported growth in gross domestic product of nearly 10 percent on an annual basis, the analysis said. Despite the changes in the design of the measure, there was no deterioration in the labor market, but on the contrary - an increase in employment and a declining number of unemployed registered with the Employment Agency.
From June 1, 2021, some major changes were made in the design of the measure - instead of a 20 percent reduction in sales revenue, the minimum decline in sales revenue that employers must declare in order to receive support was increased to 30 percent; the intensity of the support was differentiated according to the percentage of the declared decrease in sales revenue. Instead of 60 percent of the insurance income of each employee for whom support is eligible, the intensity of support became 50 percent for companies that declared a decrease in sales revenue of not less than 30 percent, and 60 percent - for enterprises that have declared a decrease in sales revenues by not less than 40 per cent.
Preliminary data as of September 30, 2021 show that the total amount of payments relating to June and July decreased to BGN 95.4 million compared to nearly BGN 220.8 million in April and May, i.e. there is a decrease in the average monthly expenditure from BGN 110.4 million to BGN 47.7 million, respectively.
The decrease in the average monthly cost is explained by two reasons: first, a nearly double reduction in the number of employers participating in the measure, and second, a decrease of about 27 percent in the amount that falls on average per employee. On the other hand, the number of employees (on average per employer) increases by about 15 percent, which suggests changes in the structure of supported enterprises according to the number of employees.
Compared to April and May 2021, financial support for June and July 2021 decreases to all economic sectors. As expected, the largest decrease in absolute terms is in the sectors that have received the most funds so far - manufacturing (decrease of BGN 51.4 million), trade (decrease of BGN 16.5 million), transport, warehousing and post offices (BGN 14.0 million), mining (down by BGN 13.2 million), hotels and restaurants (down by BGN 9.0 million).
The change in the design of the 60/40 measure does not lead to significant changes in the distribution of financial support according to the size of the enterprise. Throughout 2021, the largest share of funds is directed to employers providing 250 or more employees. This is logical insofar as: these employers have the largest share of the jobs for which support is provided; the insurance income of the workers and employees working in the large enterprises is higher, which leads to a higher amount of support, falling in one job, the analysis says.
25.10.2021
THE RESOURCE FOR TRAININGS FOR DIGITAL SKILLS UNDER HRDP HAS BEEN INCREASED (2021-2027)
The resource provided for trainings for acquisition and improvement of digital skills under the Human Resources Development Program (2021-2027) has been increased. This was announced by the Deputy Minister of Labor and Social Policy Ivan Krastev during a meeting of the Thematic Working Group for Development of HRDP and the Program for Food and Basic Material Assistance for the programming period 2021-2027. The resource that will be focused on training for digital skills, amounts to nearly BGN 400 million. "We are approaching the wishes of the social partners to ensure a digital transition in which no one will be abandoned," said the Deputy Minister. He reminded that the National Plan for Recovery and Sustainability envisages an ambitious volume of activities, as over BGN 350 million will be directed to trainings for acquiring basic competencies in digital behavior.
The total budget of the HRDP (2021-2027) is BGN 3.8 billion. For various measures related to youth employment, nearly BGN 680 million will be directed. The access of unemployed and inactive people will be facilitated by operations whose budget for the coming years is over BGN 678 million. Nearly BGN 1.4 billion have been allocated for social inclusion, and the measures include the deinstitutionalization of care for the elderly in Bulgaria and ensuring affordable social services for vulnerable groups.
More than 55,000 members of marginalized communities, such as the Roma, are expected to be covered by various measures to comprehensively support equality, inclusion and participation in education and employment, as well as access to housing and health care. The budget for measures for integration of marginalized communities amounts to BGN 187 million.
Caring for children in need is another important priority in the implementation of the HRDP (2021-2027). By participating in the implementation of the European Child Guarantee, more than 41,000 children will be included in services for early childhood development, access to healthcare and adequate housing. Over BGN 81.6 million of the European Child Guarantee will be directed to measures to reduce the risk of poverty for children by 26.6%. Guarantee measures will also be implemented by the Education Support Program and in the school education system.
The draft Food and Basic Material Support Program for the next programming period was also presented to the members of the Thematic Working Group. "The project aims to identify the most needy people, to identify their needs, to direct them to the appropriate support, but also to monitor the results at the level of a specific needy person," said Anna Angelova, Head of Programming and Selection Operations in the Social Assistance Agency. People in need will be able to count on material and food assistance, which will include food, hot lunch and hygiene products. More than 10,000 newborns living in at-risk, poor or under-cared environments will receive health care packages. With funds from the Food Program, a total of 10,000 children aged 10 months to 3 years will also receive food from the Children's Kitchen. The budget of the Food and Basic Material Support Program will amount to about BGN 412 million.
Deputy Minister Ivan Krastev stated that according to the European Commission, the Operational Program for Food and Additional Material Incentives (2014-2020) is the best implemented program in the entire European Union in terms of efficiency, financial implementation and the best effect on targets. groups. According to him, in preparing the new program for the period 2021-2027, the Managing Authority has managed to expand the scope of the Food Program and include innovative activities for the EU that will help us get out of the simple distribution of food once or twice in the year.
The HRDP and Food program draftts for the next programming period were sent to the European Commission at the end of last week. "We are literally on the final straight. Our main ambition is to provide the fastest and highest quality access to funding for a wide range of beneficiaries, because most often this funding changes lives," said the Deputy Minister.
22.10.2021
MORE PAID LEAVE AFTER A COLLECTIVE AGREEMENT
The COVID-19 pandemic has led to important changes in the regulation of working time in the EU with the emergence of greater flexibility in short-term working time schemes; the adaptation of working hours to teleworking; and temporary derogations from the working time regulations, in particular to ensure the continuity of basic services. These are the findings of the new Eurofound report.
Despite economic constraints, which significantly reduce working time in a number of sectors, general trends do not fully reflect this due to the polarization of working time in different sectors; as some workers are left with little work due to constraints, while others face burnout due to long working hours and difficult requirements.
The report shows that in 2020, the average collectively agreed working week in the EU was 37.8 hours - the longest in Malta, Greece and Croatia (40 hours) and the shortest in France and Germany (35.6 hours). At the sectoral level, the collectively agreed normal working week was the shortest in public administration (38 hours) and the longest in transport (39.2 hours).
Despite the fundamental changes that COVID-19 has brought to the labor market and the associated pressures on individual sectors, data on the total normal weekly working hours of full-time employees continue to decline at almost consistent rates in most Member States, varying from a decrease of 0.1 hours in Slovenia to 0.3 hours in Austria, Ireland, Portugal and Spain.
In Denmark, Estonia, France, Latvia, Lithuania and the Netherlands, the usual weekly hours in 2020 remain the same as in 2019. Data also show that the difference between Member States that joined before 2004 (EU-14) and those that joined after 2004 (EU-13) remain stable by about 1 hour less than in 2011.
However, collective agreements lead to changes in the annual working time between Member States. Full-time workers in the EU-27, but with a collective agreement, had to work an average of 1,703 hours in 2020, with fewer hours (1,665 hours) in the EU-14 and more in the EU-13 (1,809 hours).
Hungary and Poland, where collective bargaining does not have a relevant role in regulating working time, have the longest annual working hours, which is almost seven weeks more than their counterparts in Germany, which have the shortest collectively agreed annual working hours.
Collective bargaining leads to longer paid annual leave for employees, the report also shows. In Bulgaria, collective agreements may provide for a longer annual leave than the minimum 20 days set by law. According to the National Institute for Conciliation and Arbitration (NIPA), in 2019 collective agreements provided workers with 24 days of paid annual leave on an arithmetic average.
In Cyprus, in most sectors and companies, collective agreements provide for additional paid leave in proportion to years of employment. In Romania, collective agreements usually provide for a longer annual paid leave than the 20 statutory days.
Depending on the length of service of the employee, the leave can be up to 30 days. In Greece, the length of annual paid leave also depends on length of service. In the Czech Republic, Finland, Italy and Slovakia, the available data show that, on average, collective agreements provide for about 5 additional days of leave per year in excess of the 20 days set by law.
In the Netherlands, workers who are also covered by collective agreements have a longer paid annual leave than the 20 days provided by law. In Sweden, the agreed annual paid leave for workers averaged 27.4 days in 2019.
Denmark and Germany, with an average of 30 days, have the longest collectively agreed allowances for paid leave - well above the statutory minimum leave.
22.10.2021
THE PANDEMIC HIT YOUNG PEOPLE HARDEST ON THE LABOR MARKET
The pandemic has hit young people hardest in terms of the labor market. Statistics from the International Labor Organization show that if the decline in employment for the elderly population is between three and four percent, for young people it is almost nine percent. This was said by the President of the Economic and Social Council (ESC) Zornitsa Rusinova at the youth forum #BeEurope, organized by ESC.
There is currently growing youth unemployment in Bulgaria, and we have a more significant problem with young people who are neither in employment nor in work, Rusinova said.
According to the chairman of ESC, the problems of young people should be heard, because at the moment there is a worrying trend of pupils and students who study online for almost two years and are deprived of the opportunity to communicate with friends, teachers, seniors, peers, to have group and practical activities. It is important to talk about how this will affect the future of young people, said the chairman of ESC.
Rusinova called on the participants in the forum to tell about their first job and specified that as a student she worked as an English teacher, which taught her many things.
