Background information

Since 15 September 2021, Recovered-Vaccinated-Tested (RVT) rule has applied to employees and others working at the employer’s premises on any legal basis. For workers who are not vaccinated or have not recovered from COVID-19, the employer must provide self-testing every 48 hours. Before the ordinance, costs for rapid testing were borne by employers; later, the government took over the charges for rapid tests with the ordinance from 8 November ( Ordinance on the temporary measures for the prevention and control of infectious disease COVID-19 ). The tenth anti-COVID-19 law (ZDUPŠOP), issued on 29 December 2021, specifies the procedure for the compensation of costs incurred for the purchase of rapid antigenic tests.

Content of measure

Public and private companies are entitled to receive support for rapid antigenic tests. It is limited to €92.5 for a worker not vaccinated or recovered. Besides companies, the measure encompasses ‘personal supplementary work’, self-employed, entrepreneurs, farmers and ecclesiastics.

The Financial Administration collects requests from employers and pays the support in one payment. The beneficiary can use the support only for the purchase of tests. If the beneficiary has not used the support for this purpose or has given a wrong number of eligible workers, the company concerned must return the grant received. The ninth anti-COVID-19 law specifies fines for employers who notify the wrong number of eligible workers.

Use of measure

Support is paid by the Financial Administration. The measure is retroactively valid from 8 November 2021 until 31 January 2022. Upon ordinance published in the Official Gazette, the government may extend it for another five months.

Target groups

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

Actors and funding

Actors	Funding
National government Employers' organisations	National funds

Social partners

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

	Trade unions	Employers' organisations
Role	No involvement	Consulted
Form	Not applicable	Direct consultation outside a formal body

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

• No involvement
• Main level of involvement: Unknown

Involvement

The law was adopted without prior consultation with the Economic and Social Council. Its functioning has been blocked since 14 May 2021, when trade unions left the council. The reason for obstruction is a dispute with the government about the role of social partners. While the government claims that social partners have only a consultative role, trade unions request negotiations. According to trade unions, the government negates the fundamental principles of the social dialogue

Views and reactions

Until 8 November, costs for rapid testing were borne by employers. Employer organisations contested this obligation, saying it is an additional organizational and financial burden. They requested either individual responsibility for self-testing or mandatory vaccination. Instead, the government granted them financial support for rapid tests from 8 November 2021.

Sources

• 06 November 2021: Ordinance on the temporary measures for the prevention and control of infectious disease COVID-19 (Odlok o začasnih ukrepih za preprečevanje in obvladovanje okužb z nalezljivo boleznijo COVID-19), Official Gazette, No. 174/21, 177/21, 185/21, 190/21, 197/21, 200/21 in 201/21 (pisrs.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)