Benefits
If you are declared temporarily unemployed, you are entitled to unemployment benefit, which is calculated on a daily basis. The amount of the benefit will depend on certain indicators.
- 75% of your daily wage:
- If you are single
- If you are a single parent with children
- If you live together but your partner has no income
- 70% of your daily wage in all other cases.
This benefit is paid by your trade union or by the Auxiliary Fund for Unemployment Benefit (HVW). In addition to these benefits, your employer (the recognised company) must pay you €2 a day.
Temporary unemployment not an option?
The temporary unemployment solution is only possible if you have absolutely no work for the entire day. If a user does not require services for a certain day and you have to work for another user that same day, you cannot be declared temporarily unemployed. Since the employer doesn’t receive any service vouchers and is still obliged to pay the full wage for that day, in practice, some service voucher companies try to cheat in order to pay you a lower wage.
- Do not sign any letter or manipulated schedule which says that you are requesting unpaid leave.
- Do not sign any addendum in which your working hours are significantly reduced.
Your wages are always assured, even in periods of inactivity. Beware if your employer asks you to sign anything. Never sign anything without knowing what it says or if it may affect your employment rights!