Flexible temporary unemployment 'corona' until 31 August

The flexible rules for temporary unemployment due to corona will be extended until 31 August 2020, following a new decision of the Minister of Employment.

Since 13 March, the procedure for temporary unemployment due to corona has been limited to an absolute minimum. Affected workers are covered by an adapted, exceptionally flexible unemployment status. The whole system will be extended once again in its entirety and for all sectors, this time until 31 August 2020.

For the employer this means:

• any form of temporary unemployment due to the corona crisis is unemployment due to force majeure
• no prior notification to the ONEm/RVA
• no application for benefits (Social Risk Declaration unemployment scenario 2)
• no delivery of verification cards C.3.2A
• only a monthly declaration of the days of temporary unemployment (Social Risk Declaration unemployment scenario 5) with code 'nature of the day' 5.4 and reason 'force majeure coronavirus’

For the employee this means:

• single application for benefits via the C.3.2 -WORKER-CORONA

New: in the case of unemployment due to a cancelled event, the form C.3.2 -WORKER-CORONA -EVENTS must be used

• exemption from keeping a verification card C.3.2A
• unemployment benefit 70% of the capped wage (EUR 2,754.76/month)
• supplement from the ONEm/RVA of EUR 5.63/day
• a reduced withholding tax of 15% on the benefit
• no admissibility condition, i.e. no occupational history to be demonstrated
• flexible conditions for receiving the benefits, e.g. combination with a self-employed activity, volunteer activity, combination with a pension etc.
• employment in vital sectors with partial retention of the benefit and supplement

What after August 31st?

The Inner Cabinet of 6 June has announced a further extension until 31 December 2020 for sectors "in difficulty": it is likely that this group will be limited to the hospitality, tourism and events sectors.

Other sectors will have to shift to a classic system of economic unemployment from 1 September 2020, possibly temporarily with more flexible application rules.

Source: joint press release of the Inner Cabinet of 6 June 2020, website ONEm/RVA