Factsheet for measure
SK-2020-13/291
–
Updated
– measures in Slovakia
Broadening active labour market policy programmes - supporting job retention
Rozšírenie programov aktívnej politiky trhu práce – podpora pri zachovaní pracovného miest
Background information
The legislator, through the Act 63/2020 Coll., introduced an enlargement of the eligibility conditions for financial contributions to active labor market policy measures.
This instrument is aimed to support projects finalized to save jobs, including the ones where self-employment is carried out or operated. It also supports projects aimed at maintaining employees in employment in connection with the declaration of an emergency like the ones concerning the COVID-19 epidemic. This measure was Number 1 in a package of measures called 'First Aid'. Due to great interest, the Government has three times extended the period of implementation of this project (including measure Number 1) to support the maintenance of employment (20 May, 15 July and 23 September).
Content of measure
The contribution will be provided to the employer or self-employed who, despite the difficult situation, decides not to dismiss workers or to maintain a job within the active labour market policy (ALMP) projects.
Support is provided through the Ministry of Labor, Social Affairs and Family or via the Center of Labor, Social Affairs and Family, when the conditions and scope of support is approved by the Government of the Slovak Republic.
The maximum total amount of the contribution for one applicant (employer) is €800,000 for the period of project implementation. The basic conditions for providing the allowance are that:
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the employer/self-employed pays to the employee a wage compensation in the amount of 80% of his average earnings;
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the employer/self-employed does not initiate termination of employment by notice or agreement;
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that on 31 December 2019 the company was not in difficulties.
The contribution is not intended for self-employed themselves, but is limited to self-employed people who have hired one or more employees.
The amount of the allowance for one employee corresponds to the compensation of the employee's salary in the amount of 80% of his average earnings, up to a maximum of €1,100. Self-employed will receive the contribution to pay the salaries of their employees.
The contribution is provided from 13 March 2020, until the end of the calendar month in which the restrictive measures taken by the Public Health Office of the Slovak Republic will be revoked.
Updates
The following updates to this measure have been made after it came into effect.
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27 November 2024
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Financial support through the "First Aid" measures was paid continuously for all months from March 2020 to February 2022, with the exception of August 2021. In total, jobs were supported for twenty-three months. The "First Aid" framework has been amended several times, mainly to reflect the current state of the epidemic situation. Since March 2022, "First Aid" has been effectively replaced by support during short-time work (so-called permanent Kurzarbeit). Employers are already currently drawing financial assistance based on Act No. 215/2021 Coll. on support during short-time work.
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01 July 2021
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From 1 July to 31 December 2021, the measure is again available but will be applied by regions according to the outcomes of Slovak alert system called COVID automat. The measure will be available if the total number of regions/districts in the country denoted by monitoring level (green colour) is not more than 39.
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18 January 2021
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The measure was replaced by the new measure SK-2020-40/1593.
SK-2020-40/1593
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23 September 2020
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The government has amended the measure three times so far. 2 April and 22 April was a simplification of administration when applying for a grant. And at its meeting on 23 September 2020, the government extended the validity of the measure until the end of 2020.
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01 July 2020
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This measure was Number 1 in a package of measures called 'First Aid'.
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Use of measure
The amount of funding will depend on the capacity provided by the European Social Fund or the state budget, or other sources. At present, it is not possible to identify the exact number of employers concerned. The amount of the contribution and the determination of precise conditions shall be determined by the Government. In March, April and May 2020, a total of 13,838 applicants applied for such assistance for 109,902 employees in the total amount of €40.810 million. The financing consisted of a contribution from the European Social Fund (85%) and a contribution from the state budget of the Slovak Republic (15%). (Information requested from Central Office of Labour, Social Affairs and Family).
From March to July 2020, within Measure no. 1 provided subsidies were about €57.9 million. They saved 65,469 jobs in March, 56,339 in April, 23,822 in May, 1,649 in June 2020 and 309 jobs in July. According to ISP, in March, the use of Measure 1 had a particularly large share, for example, in the wholesale and retail sector. Later on, the share of subsidies in this sector significantly decreased. The most of support concerned sectors: G (wholesale and retail trade), I (accommodation and food service activities), R (arts, entertainment, recreation) and, in terms of the size, small and micro-enterprises.
Target groups
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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European Funds
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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No involvement
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No involvement
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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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No involvement
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Main level of involvement: Unknown
Involvement
Informal ad-hoc consultations.
Views and reactions
Social partners were not involved in the designing and in the implementation of the measure.
Sources
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31 March 2020: Návrh podmienok projektu podpory udržania zamestnanosti v čase vyhlásenej mimoriadnej situácie, núdzového stavu alebo výnimočného stavu a odstránením ich následko
(rokovania.gov.sk)
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06 April 2020: 63 ACT of 25 March 2020 amending Act no. 461/2003 Coll. on social insurance,
(www.slov-lex.sk)
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11 September 2020: Institute of Social Policy. First aid to Slovakia
(www.employment.gov.sk)
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23 September 2020: Návrh na predĺženie obdobia realizácie projektu podpory udržania zamestnanosti v čase vyhlásenej mimoriadnej situácie, núdzového stavu alebo výnimočného stavu a odstránenia ich následko
(rokovania.gov.sk)
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01 July 2021: Prvá pomoc od 1.7.2021
(www.employment.gov.sk)
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01 July 2021: Covid - automat
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23 November 2024: Inštitút sociálnej politiky - Júl 2022
(www.employment.gov.sk)
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23 November 2024: Inštitút sociálnej politiky - May 2022
(www.employment.gov.sk)
