Amendment to the Social Insurance Act to help people in quarantine

Parliament approved an amendment to the Social Insurance Act in a fast-tracked procedure to help people in the crisis caused by the new coronavirus epidemic. The amendment concerns three important issues: the conditions of the care allowance (OČR), sickness benefits in the case of temporary incapacity for work and supporting the retention of jobs from Eurofund projects.
Care allowance (OČR) can be now provided to parents for all days during the closure of school and pre-school facilities. The measure concerns all children under 11 and children under 18 with long-term adverse health condition. In these cases, the Social Insurance Agency will provide the allowance automatically with no medical confirmation needed. For children aged 11 to 16, however, the allowance will not be provided unless a need for full day care is confirmed by a doctor. If that is confirmed, the allowance will be provided for the entire duration of the care.

In case of a temporary incapacity for work due to quarantine or isolation, an employee is eligible to receive a sickness benefit as of the first day of their temporary incapacity for work at a rate of 55 percent of the employee's daily assessment base. The entitlement to the benefit is assessed by a doctor and provided by the Social Insurance Agency. An applicant should contact their GP by phone or email.

The amendment also regulates the Act on Employment Services. The aim is to support the elimination of the effects of this crisis on employment and the labour market by extending the range of active measures to the labour market with projects to support job retention. The state should receive the money mainly from the European Social Fund or from the state budget. However, the employer will have to maintain the post even after the end of the quarantine period. Details of direct support are not yet known.