Do you know how the social protection for self-employed workers operates? Are they entitled to sickness benefits? What protection do they have in cases of parenthood or unemployment? Let’s delve into each aspect.
Do self-employed workers have the right to sickness benefits?
“Yes. Self-employed workers have been entitled to sickness benefits from the 11th day of temporary incapacity for work (previously, they were entitled from the 31st day of incapacity, except in cases of hospitalization, which they receive, and still receive, from the first day of hospitalization),” according to a practical guide by Social Security on the subject.
Do they have the right to parental protection?
“Yes. Self-employed workers are entitled to the following benefits:
- Allowance for taking care of a child under 12 years old, or with no age limit in cases of disability or chronic illness;
- Allowance for taking care of a grandchild who is a minor or, regardless of age, has a disability or chronic illness;
- Allowance for taking care of an ill or injured child over 12 years old;
- Allowance for the birth of a grandchild, granted for up to 30 consecutive days after the birth of a grandchild who resides with the beneficiary in a shared household and is the child of a minor under 16 years old.”
Are they entitled to unemployment protection?
Economically Dependent Self-employed Workers
- Self-employed workers are now required to be considered economically dependent on a contracting entity only in the calendar year immediately preceding the termination of the service contract;
- The qualification period for entitlement to the activity cessation subsidy has been set at 360 days of independent economic activity with the respective contributions paid, within a 24-month period immediately before the involuntary termination of the service contract;
To complete this 360-day period, periods of registered remuneration under the general regime for employed workers and the independent workers’ regime are considered, provided that the respective contribution rate includes unemployment protection; - The partial subsidy for activity cessation is now paid to economically dependent self-employed workers who are applicants for the cessation subsidy and, at the date of service contract termination with the contracting entity, which determines the granting of the cessation subsidy, have another part-time job or perform an independent activity, provided that the remuneration from the part-time employment or relevant income from the independent activity is less than the value of the cessation subsidy, as applicable.
Self-employed Workers with Business Activity
- The percentage of turnover for determining the significant reduction in business volume is set at 40%, verified in the year of activity cessation and the two immediately preceding years.
- To complete the qualification period (720 days of professional activity as a self-employed worker with business activity), other periods of registered remuneration under the general regime for employed workers and the independent workers’ regime are counted, if necessary, provided that the respective contribution rate includes unemployment protection.
- If, at the date of business activity cessation, they maintain another part-time professional activity, they may be entitled to a partial subsidy for professional activity cessation, provided that the remuneration from this part-time work is less than the value of the professional activity cessation subsidy.
