Social insurance
Social insurance as well as the health insurance is obligatory to anyone working in the Czech Republic. The social system comprises of sickness insurance, pensions and contribution to the state employment policy. Contributions to the social security system are automatically deducted from employees’ salaries. The social insurance is 31,5% from the salary, 6,5% of which is paid by the employee and 25% is paid by the employer.
The sickness insurance system provides coverage for working people in the form of financial benefits when they are temporarily unable to work due to illness, injury or quarantine, caring for a family member, pregnancy and maternity or caring for a child.
The following 4 benefits are covered by sickness insurance:
- Sickness benefit – if you are on a sick leave, you get 60% of your salary
- Maternity benefit (paid maternity leave – after)
- Attendance allowance (when you miss work to look after a family member)
- Compensatory benefit in pregnancy and maternity (if you cannot continue in your usual position due to pregnancy)
To claim a benefit/allowance, the employee must deliver an application for a benefit/allowance (which is usually issued by his/her general medical doctor) to his/her employer, who sends it, together with other documents, to the appropriate District Social Security Administration.
State social support
The benefits of this support should be seen as social protection of families provided by state. Entitlement to the benefit is admitted based on the income level of family.
Benefits available:
- child allowance
- housing allowance
- parental allowance
- birth grant
- funeral grant
Applications for state social support benefits are handled by the Regional Branches of the Labour Office of the Czech Republic based on the (permanent) residence of the person entitled to the benefit. Further information about these benefits can be found on this website: State Social Support | Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs (mpsv.cz)
