Factsheet for case
HR-2020-12/366
–
Updated
– measures in Croatia
Extension of entitlement to financial assistance for permanent seasonal workers
Produženje trajanja mjere stalni sezonac
Background information
A regulation of 'permanent seasonal work' was introduced in 2001. A fixed-term employment contract for a permanent seasonal job obliges employers to pay contributions for their seasonal workers throughout the year and obliges employers to offer their employees new employment contracts for the following season. According to the Act on Labour Market (OG 118/18) a permanent seasonal worker is entitled to financial assistance for a maximum of six months after termination of employment, and the employer is entitled to financial support from the Croatian Employment Service for financing contributions for extended pension insurance.
Content of measure
The Parliament accepted the Law on Amendments to the Act on Labour Market (OG 32/20) which prescribes the authority of the Governing Board of the Croatian Employment Service in the case of special circumstances to decide on:
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prolongation of the entitlement to financial assistance for permanent seasonal workers; and
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to enable the employer co-financing the costs of the extended pension insurance.
Currently, the Governing Board of the Croatian Employment Service has not decided about the mentioned changes. During extended insurance, the worker receives 100% of the minimum wage in the first three months (gross monthly wage in 2020 is HRK 4,062.51 or €541.67), and in the next three months 50% of the minimum wage.
Updates
The following updates to this measure have been made after it came into effect.
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17 September 2020
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On the meeting of the Governing Board of the Croatian Employment Service, on 7 September 2020, with the intention to help also the employers, the conditions for permanent seasonal workers have been changed. Usually, employers have the obligation to employ the seasonal worker also in the next year. However, due to the COVID-19 crisis, they are not obliged to employ such worker in 2020 and 2021. The Croatian Employers’ Association, their Catering and Tourism Association, praises such decision as a significant contribution towards the needed flexibility in the employment policy in such adverse circumstances.
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Use of measure
Every year around 8,000 people obtain the status of a permanent seasonal worker, mostly in tourism and a smaller part in agriculture. As majority of the will not find a job in tourism this year, probably around 6,000 will apply for the mentioned right.
Target groups
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Workers
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Businesses
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Citizens
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Seasonal workers
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Does not apply to businesses
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Does not apply to citizens
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Actors and funding
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Actors
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Funding
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National government
Public employment service
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National funds
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Social partners
Social partners' role in
designing the measure
and form of involvement:
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Trade unions
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Employers' organisations
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Role
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Informed
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Informed
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Form
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Not applicable
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Not applicable
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Social partners' role in the
implementation, monitoring and assessment phase:
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Social partners jointly
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Main level of involvement: Peak or cross-sectoral level
Involvement
Due to the nature of the measures social partners participated indirectly through their representatives in the Governing Board of Croatian Employment Service, which is responsible for the implementation of the measure
Views and reactions
As mentioned, representatives of the social partners are members of the Governing Board of the Croatian Employment Service. Trade unions as social partners quite often criticize seasonal work as a form of non-standard and precarious jobs and they advocate any type of support to such workers.
Sources
Citation
Eurofound (2020),
Extension of entitlement to financial assistance for permanent seasonal workers, case HR-2020-12/366 (measures in Croatia),
COVID-19 EU PolicyWatch, Dublin,
http://eurofound.link/covid19eupolicywatch
