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What You Need To Know about Holiday Vouchers

Are you employed in Slovakia and not sure if you are eligible for holiday vouchers?

If you work for a company for more than 24 months consecutively, on a regular Employment agreement and, if your company has more than 50 employees, then you are eligible.

It is good to bear in mind the following details:

  • 24 months are counted backwards, starting from the first day of your holiday, for which you are about to request the holiday allowance. e.g. if your holiday starts on 15.7.2019, and your employment started on 16.7.2017 or earlier, then you are eligible.
  • If you work part-time but on a regular Employment Agreement, you can get a portion of the allowance, relative to your agreed working hours.
  • Your holiday, with at least 2 overnight stays, must take place in Slovakia.
  • You can claim expenses for yourself, your children and your spouse.
  • You can also ask for an allowance for your child to attend a holiday camp in Slovakia.
  • You can ask for an allowance up to 500€/year. The Company pays a maximum of 275€ (55% from 500€), the rest of the holiday bill must be paid by yourself.
  • You have 30 days after returning from holiday to claim the expenses, by submitting an invoice/bill from the holiday facility.
  • Your name, date of stay and services used must be clearly stated on the invoice.
  • This allowance is not a taxable income for you, nor is it subject to social insurance.
  • After you claim the expenses, the employer is obliged to reimburse you in the next payroll cycle, unless another arrangement has been mutually agreed to.

Big companies may have more detailed internal regulations, so check with your HR department.

If you do not claim the allowance and leave the company, the allowance will not be transferred to your new employer.

If you do claim the allowance and leave the company, you cannot claim another allowance for the same year with the new company.

A company having less than 50 employees may also provide a holiday allowance, but it is not mandatory.

If your company had 48 people last year, but  exceeds 50 employees this year, the number of employees in the previous year is the deciding factor for the current year´s  holiday allowance. Therefore, there will be no holiday allowance this year.

 

The main services you can claim the holiday allowance for are:

  • accommodation
  • weekend packages with accommodation
  • holiday camps for children
  • boarding as a part of any of the stays described above

If you like studying Slovak Law, this topic is covered in the §152a of Slovak Labour Code.

This § is valid from January 2019.

 

Enjoy your holiday in Slovakia.

 

 

This article is supervised by Gabriela Čičmancová, HR Manager of VGD Slovakia.