Background information

On 10 April 2020, the government issued the first COVID-19 law (Act Determining the Intervention Measures to Contain the COVID-19 Epidemic and Mitigate its Consequences for Citizens and the Economy, ZIUZEOP). Article 71 gives public employees the right to crisis bonus during the epidemics (from 13 March to 31 May). The maximum level is 100% of hourly pay.

Content of measure

According to the Collective Agreement for Public Sector, public servants have the right to bonus in the amount of 65% of hourly pay for hazardous work. The first COVID-19 law gives them another 35%, up to a maximum of 100%.

The law says that employees who were exposed to a high health risk during the epidemics or overburdened with work have the right to crisis bonus. Directors of public institutions (health centers, hospitals, nursing homes, schools, police stations, ministries and so on) decide on who receives crisis bonus. The number of recipients was not limited.

The third COVID-19 law (ZIUOOPE) gives members of Civil Protection and other volunteers, participating in urgent interventions, the right to crisis bonus. Members of Civil Protection receive a daily bonus of €30, volunteers €10 (for work up to 4 hours), €20 (between 4 and 8 hours) or €30 (for more than 8 hours). On top of this, employers receive wage compensation for days when members of Civil Protection were absent from work.

Use of measure

Expenses for crisis bonuses far exceed the costs for temporary layoff, short-time and other schemes during the pandemic. In its latest report, the Slovenian Fiscal Council states that crisis bonuses for public employees cover more than half of the expenses for anti-COVID-19 measures. From March 2020 to September 2021, the government paid €906 million in the form of crisis bonuses. The Ministry of Finance esteems that another €250 million will be paid for crisis bonuses until the end of 2021.

Target groups

Workers	Businesses	Citizens
The COVID-19 risk group at the workplace	Does not apply to businesses	Does not apply to citizens

Actors and funding

Actors	Funding
National government	National funds

Social partners

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

	Trade unions	Employers' organisations
Role	Consulted	Consulted
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: Peak or cross-sectoral level

Involvement

Up to 15 May 2020, social partners communicated with the government mostly by the written proposals. Negotiations between social partners were blocked because the new government, which came to power on 13 March 2020, had not appointed its members in the Economic and Social Council. On 20 April, trade unions protested against the exclusion of social partners in the preparation of emergency laws. They demanded the reactivation of the Economic and Social Council. The first meeting of the Economic and Social Council was held not before 15 May 2020. Since 15 May, the Council is involved in negotiations about next emergency laws.

Views and reactions

Trade unions publicly protested against the decision that appointed superiors (directors of public institutions) to decide who is entitled to the crisis bonus. Through the commission for the interpretation of the collective agreement, they demanded crisis bonus for all who worked during the epidemics, except those who worked at home. Although they failed, a majority of public employees have received crisis bonus: in the health sector, 22,000 workers out of 40,000.

Sources

• 10 April 2020: Zakon o interventnih ukrepih za zajezitev epidemije COVID-19 in omilitev njenih posledic za državljane in gospodarstvo (ZIUZEOP) [Act Determining the Intervention Measures to Contain the COVID-19 Epidemic and Mitigate its Consequences for Citizens and the Economy (www.pisrs.si)
• 30 April 2020: Zakon o interventnih ukrepih za zajezitev epidemije COVID-19 in omilitev njenih posledic za državljane in gospodarstvo, ZIUZEOP-A [Act Determining the Intervention Measures to Contain the COVID-19 Epidemic and Mitigate its Consequences for Citizens and the Economy (www.uradni-list.si)
• 30 May 2020: Zakon o interventnih ukrepih za omilitev in odpravo posledic epidemije COVID-19 (ZIUOOPE) [Act Determining the Intervention Measures to Mitigate and Remedy the Consequences of the COVID-19 Epidemic (www.uradni-list.si)
• 23 June 2020: Andreja Rednjak, ‘Javni sektor terja od države 75 milijonov evrov koronadodatkov’ [The public sector demands €75 million of corona allowances from the state] Financ (www.finance.si)
• 12 September 2020: [€193 million for crisis bonuses] Za 193 milijonov evrov kriznih dodatko (www.delo.si)
• 30 December 2020: Act Determining Intervention Measures to Assist in Mitigating the Consequences of the Second Wave of COVID-19 Epidemic (Zakon o interventnih ukrepih za pomoč pri omilitvi posledic drugega vala epidemije COVID-19, ZIUPOPDVE (pisrs.si)
• 07 July 2021: Zakon o nujnih ukrepih na področju zdravstva (Urgent Health Measures Act, ZNUPZ (www.pisrs.si)
• 07 July 2021: Zakon o interventnih ukrepih za pomoč gospodarstvu in turizmu pri omilitvi posledic epidemije COVID-19 (Act Determining Intervention Measures to Assist Economy and Tourism in Mitigating the Consequences of the COVID-19 Epidemic, ZIUPGT (www.iusinfo.si)
• 08 July 2021: Barbara Hočevar, Doslej 829 milijonov evrov za krizne dodatke javnemu sektorju (So far, €829 million for crisis bonuses to the public sector), Del (www.delo.si)
• 08 October 2021: The Slovenian Fiscal Council, Assessment of compliance … with fiscal rules (Ocena skladnosti … s fiskalnimi pravili), (www.fs-rs.si)
• 29 December 2021: Act on Additional Measures to Stop Spreading and Mitigate, Control, Recover and Eliminate the Consequences of COVID-19 (Zakon o dodatnih ukrepih za preprečevanje širjenja, omilitev, obvladovanje, okrevanje in odpravo posledic COVID-19, ZDUPŠOP), Official Gazette, No. 206/200 (www.pisrs.si)