The German federal government has made concrete its plans for a coronavirus bonus for caregivers. Some 280,000 caregivers of the elderly in Germany are to receive more money because they were particularly burdened during the pandemic.
Coronavirus bonus for elderly caregivers in Germany
Full-time workers in elderly care are to receive a bonus of up to 550 euros. That’s according to a German health ministry document on key points for implementing the care bonus in hospitals and long-term care, which was made available to Funke-Mediengruppe newspapers. “The bonus is to be paid to nursing staff who have distinguished themselves during the pandemic,” – they wrote.
For example, nursing staff who were particularly burdened by treating patients with coronavirus, for example through increased hygiene measures, increased risk of infection or increased effort in caring for infected people, are now to be rewarded with a bonus. Half of the total one billion euros is to go to nursing staff in clinics and half to nursing staff in care facilities.
Bonus payments starting June 30
According to the key points document, the aged care bonus is to be paid by employers from June 30, no later than December 31, 2022. Employees in care services and nursing homes who worked in elderly care for at least three months between Nov. 1, 2020, and June 30, 2022, and are still employed on June 30, 2022, will benefit.
The bonus is to be paid on a staggered basis: The highest amount of up to €550 will be paid to full-time employees in the direct care sector. Up to 370 euros will be paid to employees who are involved in direct care for at least 25 percent of their working time. This can include, for example, employees in administration, building maintenance, kitchen, cleaning, reception and security, gardening and grounds keeping, laundry or logistics.
Trainees in elderly care are to receive up to €330, other workers up to €190, and helpers in voluntary or community volunteering (FSJ) up to €60. The bonus is to be reimbursed to employers from the nursing insurance.
Half a billion euros for clinics
500 million euros for clinics is to go to hospitals that treated more than ten cases of coronavirus using a ventilator in 2021. According to the key points document, 837 hospitals in Germany that cared for about 95 percent of all coronavirus patients would benefit from the bonus in this way. Hospital owners are to decide together with employee representatives on who is eligible to receive the bonus and its amount.
The bonuses are to be targeted primarily at nursing staff involved in bedside care. According to the key points document, about 280,000 nurses would receive money this way. According to the document, nurses working in intensive care should “receive higher bonuses than nurses in other areas.”
According to the will of the federal government, state care bonuses should be free of tax and contributions up to 3,000 euros.
Source: spiegel.del, insidegermany.co