Background information

The measure is implemented within the bundle support programme of the Republic of Cyprus of budgetary nature dealing with COVID-19 crisis and under the sub-category 'support of workers and vulnerable groups' - Degree 127 of the Quarantine Law, chapter 260. The special leave will be implemented for four weeks* excluding public holidays, at this stage, because of the suspension of the operation of private and public schools and child care facilities. The measure provides for financial allowances to the beneficiary parents.

• On Wednesday 8 April, the President of the Republic announced the decision of the Cabinet to extent all the measures taken by the Degrees of the Minister of Health up until 30 April 2020. The Minister of Health undertakes, currently, a legal and technical processing of these measures.

Content of measure

The measure covers parents in the private sector, whose nature of work does not allow teleworking or work from home or flexible working schedules and there is no other support at the household. The leave is attributed to the eligible parents with children up to 15 years of age in agreement with the employer and after the submission of the relevant application to the Ministry of Labour. For parents of children with disabilities, the leave is granted irrespective of the age of their children. The measure covers only one of the parents within a household. It excludes parents receiving unemployment allowances or participate in the government's programme for the suspension of work, unless the other partner has been affected by the virus or is a person with a disability or is in compulsory isolation.

It covers parents with a salary of up to €2,500. The eligible parent receives as an allowance the 60% of the first €1,000 euros of his/her salary and a 40% of the other €1,000. The maximum amount of the allowance is €1,000 per month. For single parents, the analogy is 70% and 50%, respectively, and the maximum amount of the allowance is €1,200.

Use of measure

The budget available for this measure is €20 million and the number of potential beneficiaries is 50,000 people.

Target groups

Workers	Businesses	Citizens
Employees in standard employment Parents in employment	Does not apply to businesses	Does not apply to citizens

Actors and funding

Actors	Funding
National government Social partners jointly Trade unions Employers' organisations Company / Companies	National funds

Social partners

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

	Trade unions	Employers' organisations
Role	Agreed (outcome) incl. social partner initiative	Agreed (outcome) incl. social partner initiative
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: Peak or cross-sectoral level

Involvement

Social partners – trade unions and employers’ organisation – at the peak level were invited by the Minister of Labour, Welfare and Social Insurable to participate in consultation process during the designing phase of the Scheme. Political parties have been also invited in the consultation process during the designing of the Scheme. Sectoral trade unions and smaller organisations of the employers did not participate in the consultation process.

Views and reactions

The government has consulted the social partners - trade unions, employers' organisations and all political parties - and the outcome emerged is on an agreed base.

Sources

• 16 March 2020: Decree 127, Law 27(1) 2020 'Emergency Measures taken by the Ministry of Labour, Welfare and Social Insurances for the Confrontation of the Pandemic of Coronavirus COVID 19' (www.mof.gov.cy)
• 06 April 2020: ΕΙΔΙΚΗ ΑΔΕΙΑ ΓΙΑ ΤΗΝ ΦΡΟΝΤΙΔΑ ΠΑΙΔΙΩΝ (e718d27b-8be9-41b8-b3ad-57c7b7f7c4a0.filesusr.com)
• 13 April 2020: Decree 184, Law 27(1) 2020 'Emergency Measures taken by the Ministry of Labour, Welfare and Social Insurances for the Confrontation of the Pandemic of Coronavirus COVID 19' (www.mof.gov.cy)
• 13 May 2020: Decree 235, Law 27(1) 2020 'Emergency Measures taken by the Ministry of Labour, Welfare and Social Insurances for the Confrontation of the Pandemic of Coronavirus COVID 19' (www.mof.gov.cy)
• 20 January 2021: Decree 20/2021 (www.mof.gov.cy)
• 25 February 2021: Decree 88/2021 (www.mof.gov.cy)
• 19 March 2021: Decree 128/2021 (www.mof.gov.cy)
• 08 July 2021: Decree 176 (www.mof.gov.cy)
• 08 July 2021: Decree 223 (www.mof.gov.cy)