Background information

The Bulgarian government approved a series of measures that shall support and motivate employees, working at the front-line during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Core pillar of the programme is a support bonus of BGN 1,000 (€500) monthly for medical staff.

The support has been paid since March 2020 and will be available until the end of 2020. For this purpose an initial budget of BGN 120 million has been secured. The resources come from operational programme 'Human Resource development' 2014-2020 co-funded by the EU. Nevertheless, during the second COVID-19 wave the budget has been expanded with an additional BGN 60 million (€30 million).

The following occupational groups are also entitled to additional payments ranging from BGN 610 (€310) up to BGN 1,000 (€500), depending on the sector and individual level of involvement:

• employees at the National Center for Infectious and Parasitic Diseases;
• employees at the regional health insurance funds seconded to the regional health inspectorates;
• employees at the system of the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy and the system of the Ministry of Interior and the National Toll Management, who have directly carried out or are carrying out activities related to treatment, prevention of the spread and / or coping of the effects of COVID-19.

Content of measure

Medical staff is entitled to a bonus payment of BGN 1,000 (€500) in accordance to quantitative criteria:

• when there are five COVID-19 patients in a medical institution, 40 workers shall receive additional remuneration;
• when the patients are between five and ten, 70 workers shall receive a bonus;
• when there are more than 10 patients, 100 people shall receive additional remuneration.

In the emergency centres, the criteria are 12 hours of work, which is directly related to monitoring and treatment, as long as it is carried out until entering the hospital's admission department.

Specialists, working on COVID-19 tests in independent laboratories, are also entitled to bonuses.

Use of measure

As of October 2020, 7,200 medics received additional bonuses.

In August 2020, 7,287 medical and non-medical staff from 83 hospitals received additional payments.

According to media information, around 15,000 employees at the Ministry of Interior and the National Toll Management have also received bonuses of BGN 650 (€325) as well.

GPs have been added to the front-line doctors, and they are also entitled to the additional remuneration. GPs will receive the full amount of money for the months of November and December - BGN 1,000 will be given to about 5,000 people - general practitioners and persons employed by them.

Contents

• Bonuses
• Solidarity

Target groups

Workers	Businesses	Citizens
Particular professions The COVID-19 risk group at the workplace Workers in care facilities Workers in essential services	Sector specific set of companies Companies providing essential services	Does not apply to citizens

Actors and funding

Actors	Funding
National government Trade unions Other social actors (e.g. NGOs)	European Funds National funds

Social partners

Social partners' role in designing the measure and form of involvement:

	Trade unions	Employers' organisations
Role	Consulted	Consulted
Form	Consultation through tripartite or bipartite social dialogue bodies	Consultation through tripartite or bipartite social dialogue bodies

Social partners' role in the implementation, monitoring and assessment phase:

• Social partners jointly
• Main level of involvement: Sectoral or branch level

Involvement

At the beginning of the crisis, the unions demanded measures to support the most affected industries, part of which is the health sector.

During the first couple of months of the measure, some medics express criticism towards the condition of carrying out a 12-hours shift to get a bonus, as many of them have shorter shifts, but still work with COVID-19 patients and are exposed to the virus. Representatives of the health sector organised protests and demanded amendments of the criteria and the resignation of the Minister of Health. This tension led to a change of the minister and better adaptation of the bonus criteria.

Views and reactions

The bonus programme is welcomed by the medical workers, but not the criteria. They want more inclusiveness.

Sectors and occupations

Sources

• 29 April 2020: 15,000 police officers, as well as doctors, received bonuses for their work "on the front line" копирано от: https://debati.bg/15-000-politsai-sashto-kato-lekarite-poluchiha-bonusi-za-rabotata-si-na-parva-linia/ (debati.bg)
• 02 May 2020: Doctors want the resignation of the Minister of Health, they have not received the aid of BGN 1,000 (offnews.bg)
• 10 June 2020: Holiday vouchers worth BGN 210 for first-line employees (business.dir.bg)
• 25 June 2020: Fіrѕt-lіne medісѕ іn 73 hoѕріtalѕ received bonuses of BGN 1,000 (www.24chasa.bg)
• 02 September 2020: Another BGN 60 million goes to the medics on the first line in the fight against COVID-19 (www.investor.bg)
• 13 October 2020: 7,200 first-line medics receive bonuses of BGN 1,000. (www.segabg.com)
• 03 November 2020: Borissov promised a monthly bonus of BGN 600 for doctors and BGN 360 for nurses (skener.news)
• 15 December 2020: Публикувано във факти.бг: Личните лекари на първа линия получават по 1000 лв от дне (fakti.bg)
• 14 October 2021: Вижте какво реши служебният кабинет днес, 14 октомври 2021 г. (trud.bg)
• 27 October 2021: Одобрени са допълнителни разходи по бюджета на Министерството на здравеопазването (www.mh.government.bg)
• 12 April 2022: THE EXTRA MONEY FOR MEDICS WHO WORK ON THE FRONT LINE AGAINST... (novini247.com)