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Database of national-level policy measures

Eurofound's EU PolicyWatch collates information on the responses of government and social partners to the COVID-19 crisis, the war in Ukraine, rising inflation, as well as gathering examples of company practices aimed at mitigating the social and economic impacts.

Factsheet for measure CZ-2020-45/1410 – measures in Czechia

Employers' campaign for 'window day' in support of restaurants

Den okének - podpora restaurací

Country Czechia , applies nationwide
Time period Temporary, 07 November 2020 – 07 November 2020
Context COVID-19
Type Other initiatives or policies
Category Supporting businesses to stay afloat
– Other
Author Soňa Veverková (Research Institute for Labour and Social Affairs) and Eurofound
Measure added 07 November 2020 (updated 12 November 2020)

Background information

Czech Confederation of Trade and Tourism (Svaz průmyslu a obchodu České republiky, SOČR ) in cooperation with the Czech Association of Hotels and Restaurants (Asociace hotelů a restaurací České republiky, AHR ČR ) and the Association of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises and Tradesmen (Asociace malých a středních podniků a živnostníků, AMSP ČR ) declared the day 7 October 2020 as a "Window Day".

This one-day campaign should highlight the fact that many businesses in HORECA sector are badly hit by the anti-COVID-19 measures and ask people to support their favourite businesses by ordering menu and picking it up directly at the dispensing window without using of delivery services. Restaurants have been closed since 14 October 2020 and the only possibility to run the business is the dispensing window.

Content of measure

Restaurants, bars and clubs have been closed since 14 October 2020 (during the first wave, restaurants, bars and clubs were closed from 14 March and fully opened 25 May 2020) and the only possibility to run their business is dispensing window where they can sell the food on a takeaway basis or deliver it to homes. The dispensing window can be opened daily from 6am till 8pm.

Many restaurants are using these dispensing windows in order to avoid going bankrupt. However, their sales are at the minimum of standard level. The campaign invites people to buy food at dispensing windows and help businesses to survive. It also stressed out that people should pick up the meal directly without using delivery services, which saves restaurants at least of 30% of the profit from sales.

SOCR, AHR CR and AMSP CR also stress out that there has been no specific government support for this kind of businesses, although all of them are badly hit by the anti-COVID-19 measures.

Use of measure

Although there are no detail statistics on the campaign, according to social partners organising the campaign, there are thousands restaurants which joined the ‘window day’. Responses are positive and social partners plan to organise similar campaign in the near future.

Target groups

Workers Businesses Citizens
Does not apply to workers Sector specific set of companies
Does not apply to citizens

Actors and funding

Actors Funding
Employers' organisations
No special funding required

Social partners

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

Trade unions Employers' organisations
Role Informed Agreed (outcome) incl. social partner initiative
Form Not applicable Any other form of consultation, institutionalised (as stable working groups or committees) or informal

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

  • Only employers' organisations
  • Main level of involvement: Sectoral or branch level

Involvement

The campaign is organised by employers organisations in HORECA sector.

Views and reactions

Supportive.

Sectors and occupations

    • Economic area Sector (NACE level 2)
      I - Accommodation And Food Service Activities I56 Food and beverage service activities

This case is not occupation-specific.

Sources

  • 05 November 2020: SOCR press release: Window day/Tisková zpráva SOCR: Den okének (www.socr.cz)
  • 10 November 2020: SOCR press release: Window day helped/SOCR tisková zpráva: Den okének pomohl (www.socr.cz)

Citation

Eurofound (2020), Employers' campaign for 'window day' in support of restaurants, measure CZ-2020-45/1410 (measures in Czechia), EU PolicyWatch, Dublin, https://static.eurofound.europa.eu/covid19db/cases/CZ-2020-45_1410.html

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Disclaimer: This information has not been subject to the full Eurofound evaluation, editorial and publication process.