Romanian Govt. to support workers in companies temporarily closed because of COVID-19

Romania's Government passed an emergency ordinance (OUG) to support the employees and employers forced to stop working due to coronavirus outbreaks within companies, the Labor Ministry announced.

An increasing number of companies resorted to such measures recently, due to COVID-19 infections. Others have been trying to continue operations, despite recording such cases, to avoid economic losses.

Under the new OUG, when the Public Health Directorate (DSP) orders the suspension of a company's activity due to COVID-19 outbreaks, all employees, except those on medical leave, will benefit from technical unemployment benefits paid from the public unemployment insurance budget. Financial support will be granted for the whole period of activity suspension, but not later than December 31, 2020, Ziarul Financiarreported.

"These exceptional social protection measures at the level of employers are necessary to avoid job losses, higher rates of social exclusion, and widening of the socio-economic gap between people whose activity has been directly affected by the epidemic and the rest of the population," the Labor Ministry explained.

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