Background information

During the COVID-19 outbreak a lot of Czech companies face problems with an actual engagement of their employees. Czech Chamber of Commerce (Hospodářská komora České republiky) decided to help overcome difficulties and offers a helping hand in using an 'employee sharing' programme. Employee sharing, as an employment tool may be useful since there are also companies that currently lack employees (e.g. due to quarantine or taking care of their family members) and that would welcome assistance of employees coming from other companies.

Content of measure

The measure is governed by the §43a of the Act 262/2006 Coll., Labour Code, the so called temporary assignment of an employee. The temporarily assigned employee stays employed by the original employer, however, the work tasks are being given by the company to which he/she was assigned. Working and wage conditions of employees temporarily performing activities for another employer must not be worse than the conditions of their main occupation.

The Czech Chamber of Commerce cooperates with an electronic platform www.WorkLinks.com which offers its services for free for this purpose. Also on-line platform Jurent CZ, which has a wealth of experience in employee sharing, has been involved in this measure. In addition, the Chamber offers a toll free phone helpline for companies requiring advice in that matter.

Use of measure

According to the press release of Chamber of Commerce from 24 June 2020, almost 1,000 companies joined the project, mostly from manufacturing and automotive industry. From these companies, one third of companies has demanded labour force and two thirds have offered its labour force.

Contents

• Employment retention

Target groups

Workers	Businesses	Citizens
Does not apply to workers	Applies to all businesses	Does not apply to citizens

Actors and funding

Actors	Funding
Employers' organisations Company / Companies	Employers organisation

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	Direct consultation outside a formal body	Direct consultation outside a formal body

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

• Only employers' organisations
• Main level of involvement: Company level

Involvement

Both social partners were consulted.

Views and reactions

It is an active and direct initiative of the Chamber of Commerce.

Sources

• 31 March 2020: Save Jobs! (www.komora.cz)
• 22 April 2020: WorkLinks (www.worklinks.com)
• 24 June 2020: HK ČR: Chamber supports labour force/HK ČR: Komora podpořila odbyt i využití zaměstnanců (komoraplus.cz)