Factsheet for measure
HU-2020-27/1213
–
Updated
– measures in Hungary
Healthcare workers’ reward for COVID-19 work
Az egészségügyi és egészségügyben dolgozók bruttó 500.000 forintos egyszeri rendkívüli juttatása
Background information
Under the government decree 275/2020. (VI. 12.) healthcare workers received a one-off bonus of HUF 500,000 (€1,300) in the summer rewarding them for their extra effort demonstrated in the handling of the COVID-19 pandemic during the months of March to June. The funding for the measure came out of Hungary's newly set-up COVID-19 Defence Fund, see
related 710 in the COVID-19 EU PolicyWatch database
Content of measure
The one-off bonus of HUF 500,000, pre-tax, which compares to the average monthly gross salary of HUF 367,800 or €1,009 registered in Hungary in 2019. Employers must apply to receive the bonus on behalf of their employees to the National Health Insurance Fund (NEAK) starting June 10, 2020. Eligibility is specified in a 5-page information leaflet issued by NEAK. The employers whose employees are eligible are: Hospitals, one-day clinics, laboratory service providers, dialysis centres, patient transport services, National Ambulance and Blood Transport Services.
In addition, a wide-range of healthcare professions were specified as recipients of the award: from GPs and paediatricians and dentists, to school nurses and hospice workers and medical students involved in COVID-19 defence activities. The bonus is also given to part-time workers, and employees on leave, sick- or maternity leave. The recipient must have had a contractual relationship with the employer on 1 April 2020. Applications were to be received by 19 June 2020.
Updates
The following updates to this measure have been made after it came into effect.
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05 March 2021
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In March 2021 the health-care union FESZ forged cooperation with the Chamber Of Hungarian Health Care Professionals MESZK in order to lobby for a “COVID-19 supplement” for health-care workers other than doctors. Such bonus pay was given at hospitals to reward COVID-19 efforts, but completely at the hospital management's discretion as to its amount, who would receive it, if at all. FESZ proposes that the supplement should be enacted in law to unify the practice and nurses should get HUF 1,500 (€4.2) per hour or HUF 250,000 (€694) a month to supplement their wages in the pandemic crisis. MESZK agreed to cooperate and suggested to work together with the union in the framework of the tripartite National Economic and Social Council NGTT, but this is a body giving very weak negotiating powers. FESZ also proposed that health-care professionals should be allowed to stay in hotels free of charge to provide some rest in the stressful work period of the pandemic. This measure also relates to FESZ's parallel efforts to fight for better conditions for non-doctor health professionals under new public medical service contracts they had to sign by 1 March 2021 to stay employed in the public health- care sector.
See related case 1243 in the COVID-19 EU PolicyWatch database
As this was a one-off measure it is no longer in effect.
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Use of measure
As HUF 101 billion (€277 million) was earmarked for the one-off bonuses which is sufficient for to reward 170,000 workers, including administrative assistants, business and technical support staff. The healthcare trade union FESZ reported that only about 120,000 workers are expected to receive the bonus and that many would not get it despite promises that all workers in the sector were eligible.
Target groups
Actors and funding
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Actors
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Funding
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National government
Social insurance
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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: Sectoral or branch level
Involvement
Since there was broad agreement even outside the sector, nationally, that healthcare workers must be rewarded for their extra efforts, there was not much involvement necessary from social players in the design and implementation of this measure. It was met with approval on all sides, with the caveat that it should not weaken the prolonged fight for better wages in the healthcare sector.
Views and reactions
While welcoming the measure, the healthcare union FESZ warned in a press report that the one-off bonus does not solve the huge healthcare pay crisis. In another related report, the public workers' union and the social workers' union (MKKSZ and SZÁDSZ) said they were "outraged" that social workers were not getting rewarded, when they were just as high risk to COVID-19 as healthcare peers. 'This is another sign of discrimination against social services providers,' they said. Social worker unions held a demonstration on 2 July 2020 (National Health Day) where they asked supporters to 'skip lunch' to show that a whole profession is missing out on the reward which they deserve.
The chairman of the Chamber of Pharmacists also said in a report that he resented that their profession did not get the reward.
Sectors and occupations
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This case is sector-specific (only public sector)
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Economic area
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Sector (NACE level 2)
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Q - Human Health And Social Work Activities
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Q86 Human health activities
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This case is occupation-specific
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Occupation (ISCO level 2)
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Health associate professionals
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Health professionals
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Sources
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12 June 2020: Govt decree 275/2020
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14 June 2020: Exclusion from covid reward unacceptable
(merce.hu)
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16 June 2020: NEAK: Information on health-care workers' bonus
(www.neak.gov.hu)
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24 June 2020: Social workers on 'hunger strike' for missed reward
(nepszava.hu)
