Background information

To minimise the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the citizens, the government temporarily closed some facilities, e.g. the most of retails, services, restaurants, hotels, sport facilities and adopted other measures which had negative impact on the business. Among employers, who suffered from the corona crisis were also self-employed, of which facilities were closed or who experienced sales losses. To support these self-employed, the government adopted a special measure in the package of measures called First aid for employees, employers and self-employed.

Content of measure

Since 9 April 2020, self-employed, who interrupted their activities as ordered by the Public Health Authority or had sales losses due to the pandemic, can ask the employment service UPSVaR for a subsidy. The sales losses should make at least 10% from 13 to the end of March and 20% in April and in the next months in 2020. The amount of the subsidy is fixed and depends on the level of losses. For instance, in April and the next months of 2020 following subsidies are available:

• €180 (20% - 39.99% sales losses),
• €300 (40% - 59.99% losses),
• €420 (60% - 79.99%) and
• €540 (80% and more losses).

Since 1 October 2020, a modified Measure 2 is available.

Use of measure

According to the Institute of Social Policy (ISP), by 31 August 2020, 39,550 and 47,430 self-employed obtained a subsidy in March and April, respectively. The total amount of provided subsidies was almost €10 million in March and about €22.4 million in April 2020. The average value of the subsidy increased from €250.6 in March to about €473.8 in April.

In the following months, the support has been decreasing. For instance, during July - September 2020, on average about 23,400 self-employed received a subsidy at €435 monthly average. In October, the number of recipients significantly decreased to about 5,093 with the average provided subsidy €647.40.

According to the ISP (December 2021), in August 2021, no support was provided via Measure 2. In September 2021, support was provided to 32,198 self-employed in the total amount of €14.342 million. The average subsidy per self-employed was about €445. In October, support concerned 29,724 self-employed in total €13.505 million with €454 average.

Target groups

Workers	Businesses	Citizens
Does not apply to workers	Solo-self-employed	Does not apply to citizens

Actors and funding

Actors	Funding
National government Public employment service	European Funds National funds

Social partners

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

	Trade unions	Employers' organisations
Role	Informed	Informed
Form	Not applicable	Not applicable

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

• No involvement
• Main level of involvement: Peak or cross-sectoral level

Involvement

According to the representatives of employers and trade unions, social partners were not involved in preparation of the measure neither via usual tripartite consultations nor in the cross-sector commenting procedure. Some social partners tried to be involved informally and provided comments via media or through individual personal contacts with representatives of the state administration body, which prepared the measure - the Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs and Family.

Views and reactions

Representatives of employers as well as trade unions supported the adoption of the measure. According to the employers, prompt support to the self-employers is inevitable to be able to survive in the market. They required its urgent implementation in practice. However, employers criticised the delaying implementation and administratively demanding application.

Sources

• 31 March 2020: First aid to employees, employers and self-employers (Prva pomoc)  zamestnancom ) (www.pomahameludom.sk)
• 10 June 2020: Institute of Social Policy. First aid to Slovakia (Inštitút sociálnej politiky. Prvá pomoc Slovensku:) (www.employment.gov.sk)
• 11 September 2020: Institute of Social Policy. First aid to Slovakia (www.employment.gov.sk)
• 01 December 2020: Institute of Social Policy. First aid to Slovakia. Update 7 (institutsocialnejpolitiky.gov.sk)
• 01 July 2021: file:///C:/Users/PC/AppData/Local/Temp/Covid-automat.pdf
• 01 July 2021: Prvá pomoc od 1.7.2021 (www.employment.gov.sk)
• 01 July 2021: Covid - automat
• 11 August 2021: Od septembra do konca roka bude rezort práce vyplácať Prvú pomoc (www.employment.gov.sk)
• 05 December 2021: Institute of Social Policy (December 2021 report)