Coronavirus Update for Employers in Romania
In Romania employees can get coronavirus testing and treatment for free at public medical facilities. Care for COVID-19 is not available in the private sector. Telemedicine is offered by some of the local health insurance providers, in some cases free of charge. For others there may be an extra cost.
More on health insurance benefits
- Medical coverage can be extended to employees placed on furlough, but not those that have been laid-off.
- Epidemics/pandemics are excluded on most health insurance products.
Life insurance
Most insurers have the exclusion of an epidemic/pandemic in the event of an employee’s death. Generali and Uniqa have exceptions. Some insurers are looking into launching new products dedicated to COVID-19 coverage.
Sick leave
Romania’s sick leave benefits are granted to persons with compulsory quarantine after crossing the border and is based on the sanitary inspector’s rules.
- This means employees are entitled to general sick pay, sickness or care allowance. Employers or the Social Insurance Institution make these payments.
- Family doctors issue sick leave certificates and are valid up to 30 days after the state of emergency ends.
- One parent gets free fays off to care for the children while schools are closed.
Short-term disability
Employees quarantined or disabled due to COVID-19 are eligible for short-term disability from the state. Payment is 75% of the calculation basis. However, labor regulations binding a given employer may provide for a higher remuneration in this respect, 80-100% of the calculation basis, if the incapacity for work:
- Was a result of an accident on the way to or from work, a work accident or a professional illness (80-100%)
- Occurs during pregnancy (85%)
- Involves type A infectious diseases, TB, AIDS, cancer (100%)
- Involves surgical emergencies (100%)
Long-term disability
The government’s disability pension is granted to an insured person who meets all of the following conditions:
- Lost all or at least half their ability to work due to: a common illness or accident that is not related to work; work-related injuries and occupational diseases, neoplasia, schizophrenia and AIDS (regardless of the contribution period achieved).
- Fulfilled the military service as term or low-term military personnel, for the legal period established, have been concentrated, mobilized or imprisoned (regardless of the contribution period achieved).
- Students and apprentices who have lost all or at least half of their work capacity as a result of work-related injuries or occupational diseases that occurred during and due to professional practice (regardless of the contribution period achieved).
- Lost all or at least half of their work capacity, as a result of participating in the struggle for the victory of the Revolution of December 1989 or in connection with the revolutionary events of December 1989, which were included in a system of social insurance prior to the date of the invalidity occurrence for this cause, these having the right to invalidity pension under the same conditions in which the invalidity pension is granted to persons who have suffered accidents at work.
In relation to the degree of reduction of work capacity, disability is:
- 1st degree – Characterized by the total loss of work capacity and self-care capacity.
- 2nd degree – Characterized by the total loss of work capacity, with the retention of self-care capacity;
- 3rd degree – Characterized by the loss of at least half of the work capacity, the person being able to perform a professional activity, corresponding to the maximum half of the normal working time.
Helpful resources
COVID-19 hotline: 0800800358 (in Romanian)
Asinta’s Romanian Partner, MAI CEE, provided this coronavirus update for employers in Romania.