In this issue:

• Amendments made to the support measures for employees and employers in the context of the Covid-19 crisis
  

The Parliament adopted Law no 282/2020 approving GEO 132/2020 on support measures for employees and employers in the context of the epidemiological situation caused by the spread of SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus, as well as for stimulating employment growth (GEO 132/2020).

The law was published in the Official Gazette no. 1201 of 9 December 2020 and entered into force on 12 December 2020.

We will summarize below the main novelties concerning the employees and the employers.

Reduced working time

Employers will be able to reduce the working time of the employees by up to 50% (and not more than 80% as previously foreseen) of the daily/ weekly or monthly duration provided within the individual employment contract. The approving law extends the period during which the financial support is granted, this being also granted for a period of up to 3 months after the state of emergency/alert/siege ends.

The reduced working time is established by employer's decision for at least 5 working days, monthly, no longer being necessary for them to be consecutive.

The measure also applies to work in shifts and unequal working time.

Law 282/2020 removes the provision according to which the implementation of the measure had to be transmitted to the general register of employees no later than the previous day.

Law 282/2020 introduced a new provision which details the necessary documentation and the deadlines to be met for the indemnity settlement.

As per another amendment made by Law 282/2020 the companies are forbidden from employing staff for the performance of activities identical to or similar to those performed by the employees whose working time has been reduced, as well as subcontracting of activities carried out by the employees whose working time has been reduced. As a result of the new amendments, this prohibition shall be reported at the subsidiary, branch, or other secondary establishment levels.

Measures regarding teleworking

The amendments introduced by Law 282/2020 also concern the RON 2,500 financial support for telework. The law also extends the eligibility to those teleworkers who worked remotely during the state of alert, and not only during the state of emergency.

For more information, please contact Radu și Asociații SPRL team.

Prepared by:
Ana Flueran – Senior Associate, Radu și Asociații SPRL

For additional information, please contact:
Radu Diaconu – Associate Partner, Radu și Asociații SPRL
Anca Atanasiu – Managing Associate, Radu și Asociații SPRL