The Slovak Chamber of Nurses and Midwives warns about cases in which nurses and midwives did not receive the bonus promised to them by the Government of the Slovak Republic, or the bonus was inappropriately taxed, or they were even misled. In the payout of the bonuses, chaos occurred: many did not receive bonuses, or they were unreasonably cut, so we cannot even remotely speak of the amount of 350 €. The bonuses have exhausted their effect. Nurses and midwives’ frustration and anger are increasing. The bonuses have covered nurses with a veil of suspicion and mistrust toward employers and the country.
Healthcare workers, including nurses and midwives, were promised a bonus of 350 € from the Government of the Slovak Republic. The bonus was supposed to be part of the December payroll and paid out in January. The Slovak government allocated financial resources of 50.705.746 euros for this purpose. The funds were provided by the Slovak Ministry of Health to employers as the total cost of labor (“gross wage”), from which the employer had to fulfil its social contribution obligation under generally binding legal regulations. Many nurses and midwives, however, report that most of them received the bonus after taxation at about 240 € net. We also encounter other figures, namely that the bonus was paid in even lower amounts, or taxed twice. The situation is worse in some private practices and institutional healthcare facilities, where nurses received the net bonus in the amount of 100–160 €, as we were informed by nurses and midwives and by other healthcare professionals as well. The bonuses were not paid to everyone. Healthcare workers on sick leave, or receiving maternity or parental benefits, got the bonus in some places and in others did not. Auxiliary staff in healthcare, who often substitute the work of orderlies, received no bonuses at all because they are not healthcare workers.
Healthcare workers generally perceive this bonus with great outrage, not gratitude. They describe it as “blindfolding.” At this stage, when there is no information on any nationwide wage increases, their reactions, outrage and anger toward politicians are a justified response. For comparison, nurses and midwives in the Czech Republic, who work in hospitals, were paid a bonus of 3,000 € even last year. Those who work in long-term care received a bonus of 2,000 €. The salary level of nurses in the Czech Republic is hundreds of euros higher than ours. Therefore, we ask whether we really have to repeatedly deal with how our nurses and midwives are being deceived, even in the payment of bonuses that they rightfully deserve. We note that this is only a drop in the ocean of problems and injustices that occur in many of our hospitals, clinics, and social services facilities.
It is regrettable that the government has not yet taken all necessary steps to improve the working conditions of nurses and midwives, the largest group of healthcare workers. When the state and society ask nurses and midwives for help, they respond immediately. However, when nurses and midwives ask to improve remuneration, it is never the right time, nor are there resources or even political will to solve it. There is no need to be surprised that we cannot retain healthcare workers in Slovakia if, after crossing just a few kilometers from our borders, they treat us with respect and dignity, can appreciate us, and we have created the best working conditions for work with an adequate amount of equipment, materials, support and respect.
Source: Slovak Chamber of Nurses and Midwives The Slovak Chamber of Nurses and Midwives (SK SaPA) is a self-governing professional organization with nationwide authority, based in Bratislava, bringing together 38,000 nurses and midwives. The primary task of SK SaPA is to defend the professional, economic and social interests of chamber members in healthcare, social, educational, and other institutions.