The federal government is today expected to approve a proposal to introduce a new form of medical certificate for workers who have been quarantined by a doctor as a precautionary measure.
The new certificate covers those employees who have been ordered into quarantine by a doctor because they are suspected of having the coronavirus, despite having no symptoms. If it is possible for them to telework, they can continue to earn a normal salary.
Until now, even those workers who cannot telework have been able to claim a guaranteed salary paid by their employer. The trade unions were in favour of retaining that situation. Employers, on the other hand, opposed it and demanded a new form of certification.
In the end, the two sides came together in the Group of Ten and agreed a solution.
Once the proposal is approved by the government – and it is rare for a Group of Ten proposal to be rejected – employees in precautionary quarantine will switch to the allowance reserved for workers in temporary unemployment.
That means they receive an allowance of up to 70% of their gross salary, with a maximum of €1,900 a month before deductions.
For employees who are quarantined with symptoms, nothing changes. They continue to receive a normal salary for a period, followed by a sick-leave allowance paid by the social insurance agency.
The sick-leave allowance, meanwhile, has been raised from 60% of salary to 70%, to encourage these employees to move to the allowance paid by social security without losing income. The difference being that employers no longer need to pay when the switch is made.
Alan Hope
The Brussels Times
