Their association demands that they give 65% of the salary, and the rest to the state
As many as 72 percent of employers pay full pay to employees for sick leave, the Union of Employers of Serbia (UPS) told Tanjug. They add that employers should cover the illness with 65% of the salary, and the rest should be financed by the state until the full salary.
According to a UPS survey in which 300 directors and employers participated in the previous two months, 92 percent of companies had employees on sick leave, and 72 percent of employers paid the entire amount of salary for them.
Micro and small companies paid full salaries during their sick leave in 81% of cases. In a survey conducted with almost 300 owners and directors of companies, it was determined that in three quarters of employers, the sick leave of employees lasted up to three weeks, and in a quarter longer than that.
It is stated that 65 percent of the respondents reported a loss due to the absence of employees due to covid. Losses are highest in the manufacturing industry, and in terms of firm size, micro-enterprises are most affected, 72 percent of employers decided to redistribute work among the remaining employees, 15 percent reduced the volume of business, and eight percent hired new workers.
The majority of respondents consider the recommendation of the Government of Serbia that companies pay 100 percent of their salaries to workers suffering from covid as illogical. They state that this is the difference between workers with different diagnoses, some of which are far more serious diseases than covid. The surveyed employers recommended the authorities to adopt and implement a clear strategy in the fight against the pandemic and to work intensively on achieving a high vaccination rate. Their list also recommends that the state reduce tax liabilities and move the deadlines for their payment, Politika writes.
