Romanian companies and freelancers can submit their requests for unemployment benefits under emergency ordinance OUG 29/2020 as of April 1 and the benefits for the period March 16 - March 31 will be disbursed “as quickly as possible”, within 15 days, labour minister Violeta Alexandru assured.

As of March 27, there were 400,000 labour contracts suspended - corresponding to 400,000 employees sent home into “technical unemployment”, she added, Agerpres reported.

The documents submitted by the companies - a request and the list of employees with their labour contracts suspended - will not be checked on the spot but at a later moment and randomly.

The Government agreed to cover 75% of the gross wage (but not more than 75% of the average gross wage) for 75% of the employees sent home by companies confronted with financial problems due to the state of emergency and restrictions imposed by the authorities to limit the spreading of the new coronavirus (Covid-19).

The support is extended for the period of the state of emergency only, minister Alexandru stressed. President Klaus Iohannis decreed the state of emergency on Monday, March 16, for 30 days.

However, the state of emergency will likely be prolonged if the Covid-19 epidemic continues to expand in Romania.

(Photo: Violeta Alexandru Facebook Page)

editor@romania-insider.com