An employee may be entitled to unemployment benefits if he was
sent on unpaid leave) for a period of 30 days or more, or if his work
was involuntarily terminated due to the coronavirus (dismissals, shifts
termination).
An employee whose working hours were reduced or is in self-isolation
for two weeks – is not eligible for unemployment benefits.
Those sent out on unpaid leave from 1.8.20 can be entitled to unemployment benefit if the unpaid leave lasts at least 14 days (instead of 30 days).
This easing is valid from 1.8.20 to 30.6.21 or up to 30 days following a decrease in unemployment rate in the economy below 7.5%, whichever is earlier.
Please note that when the unpaid leave has been extended by the employer, neither the employee nor the employer are required to notify the extension to us. We have automatically extended the period of unpaid leave.
Those who have returned to work are asked to notify us. For notification, click here.
Please note
Conditions of entitlement
To see the conditions of entitlement to unemployment benefit
for salaried workers,
click here.
Set of actions required to receive unemployment benefits
Reporting to Employment Service
In order to receive unemployment benefits, you must register with the Employment Service immediately upon work termination - online registration on Employment Service's website.
After registering, you must follow the instructions of the Employment Service regarding in-person reporting at Employment Service Centers. Submitting a claim for unemployment benefits to the National Insurance Institute
To shorten handling time, we ask you to submit to us the claim for unemployment benefit (BL/1500) through the website.
Please note that you need to fill out a full claim, and not only send to us an employer's authorization on employment period and pay (BL/1500), in place of a claim.
We advise you to sign up to the
Personal Service Site, to be
able to follow online the handling process of your claim.
Documents to be attached to the claim:
Your employer is required to transfer to us, from his wage
management system, a Form 100 – your pay slips abstract. Please check
that your employer took that action.
If your employer did not transfer the Form 100 and there is
no possibility for him to send that form, you must attach the
Employer authorization of employment period and pay (BL/1514) Or
The employer’s letter of work termination – mentioning the cause of work termination (dismissal, resignation, unpaid leave, retirement, etc.), the termination date, and duly signed with company stamp, as well as pay slips for 12 out of the last 18 months preceding registration with Employment Service – including the last 6 months. It is mandatory to attach the pay slip of the last month of work.
Amount of unemployment benefit
For a quick and easy calculation of the benefit according to your salary, you can use this
unemployment benefit calculator.
For more information about benefit rates,
click here.
Period of eligibility for unemployment benefits
The number of days for which you can receive unemployment benefits varies according to your age and family composition – for more information see
this link.
During the unemployment period, you must be available for job offers from the Employment Service, and reach the Bureau of the Employment Service at scheduled times for you, just like any other job seeker.
If during the period of entitlement to unemployment benefit, you receive an available job offer and obtain the job – you have the obligation to notify the dates of training (in which you are actually not unemployed) to the National Insurance Institute or to the Employment Service: if you notified the National Insurance Institute – the amount of income will be deducted from the total unemployment benefits due to you; and if you notified the Employment Service – please request not be enlisted as job seeker during the specific lapse of time you have worked.
Who to contact?
For any questions about reporting to Employment Service, you should contact the Employment Service.
If you have any questions regarding claim submission, you can contact our call center at *6050 or send an online
inquiry directly to your branch.