With the new rebalancing, the government provided 1 billion denars for the payment of K-15 for employees in the administration, despite the fact that the previous government did not foresee funds for the payment of K-15 in the basic budget, the government press service informed. With this decision, more than 84 thousand employees in the state administration will receive 11.000 denars each K-15. The payment will be made by December of this year at the latest, and with this package, teachers employed in schools will also receive vacation pay.

With the new General Collective Agreement for the public sector 2, from July 2023 the right to annual leave as a general category in the amount of MKD 10.000 became mandatory for all public sector employers. More specifically, for the first time in two decades, teachers also received a refund. Education workers last received K-15 in 2020, but instead of money they were paid in bins of cheese, olives or salami…

Apart from the teachers, the state and local government bodies and other state bodies established in accordance with the Constitution and the law, as well as the institutions of science, health, culture, labor, social protection and child protection, sports, and others, also received recourse last year. activities of public interest determined by law, and organized as an agency, fund, public institution and public enterprise founded by the Republic or by a municipality, from the city of Skopje, as well as by a municipality in the city of Skopje.

From July 1 of this year, companies began to pay K-15 for 2024, and the legal obligation of employers is to pay it by December 31. The smallest amount that should be credited to the accounts of employees from the private sector is just over 16.000 denars, which is the mandatory 40 percent of the last average three-month net salary in Macedonia - 41.424 denars, a statistical average for the period April-June this year.

If the companies pay it later until the end of the year, the amount can be higher, because it is determined according to the basis that is valid on the day of the decision on payment. The only condition for the employee to receive a refund is to be employed by the company for at least six months and, of course, to be duly registered for fixed or indefinite working hours. In order to attract new, but also to keep the existing employees, some of the companies have already boasted that they will pay K-15 up to 40.000 denars!

The legislator foresees a fine of up to 4.000 euros, of which from 2.000 to 3.000 euros are for the company and from 500 to 1.000 euros for the responsible person in it, if the recourse is not paid. Employers can face up to a year in jail if they pay the money, and then ask the workers to pay it back in part or in full.

The State Labor Inspectorate supervises the implementation of the compensation payment process, after receiving a report or on its own initiative at random. Otherwise, employers who have experienced operational difficulties can go below the guaranteed minimum of 40 percent.