EMCC European Monitoring Centre on Change

Estonia: Redundant employees entitlement to public support

Estonia
Phase: Management
Type:
Redundant employees entitlement to public support
Last modified: 18 June, 2021
Native name:

Tööturuteenuste ja toetuste seadus

English name:

Labour Market Services and Benefits Act

Article

Range of articles

Description

According to the Labour Market Services and Benefits Act, all those who are registered as unemployed in the Unemployment Insurance Fund (Töötukassa) are entitled to receive career counselling, which means receiving recommendations on their further education, career choices, training or work, corresponding to their personal characteristics, education and skills. Also, all those registered as unemployed are to be provided with ‘employment mediation’ to help them find a suitable job.

Employees who have received their redundancy notice but are not yet unemployed have the right to register themselves as job-seekers in the Unemployment Insurance Fund. In that case, they have the right to receive job mediation and career counselling services.

In the Employment Programme 2021-2023 (Tööhõiveprogramm 2021-2023), additional measures are provided for. The Employment Programme is established on the basis of the Labour Market Services and Benefits Act §4.1 by the governments’ regulation and is used  to increase the flexibility and efficiency of organisation of labour market policies. It allows to provide more services and benefits on more favourable conditions than provided for in the Labour Market Services and Benefits Act, based on the changes in the labour market or on the forecast of labour supply and demand. With the programme, additional measures are provided to those who have received notice of redundancy and are registered as job-seekers - labour market training, work practice and business start-up subsidy. These measures are generally provided only for those registered as unemployed. Additional measures provided for in the programme and which can be used by job-seekers are: mediation of career information, job-seeking counselling and support for obtaining qualifications (compensation of the costs for certificate or examination fees etc).

In cases of large redundancies (not further specified in the law), interviews with potential new employers are organised by the Unemployment Insurance Fund. The needs and possibilities are decided case-by-case.

There are also information days organised by the Fund, where information on the possibilities and rights before and after the actual loss of job is provided.

The provision of other measures available is decided case-by-case taking into account the nature of this specific case of collective redundancy. However, these measures are not provided in all cases of redundancies and are thus not equally accessible to all persons.

The Estonian Ministry of Education and Research (Haridus- ja Teadusministeerium) also offers courses free-of-charge to all interested persons. Registered unemployed are excluded (they are eligible for courses provided by Unemployment Insurance Fund), but those who have received the redundancy notice, but are not yet registered as unemployed, can take the courses.

Comments

No information available.

Cost covered by
  • National government
Involved actors other than national government
  • Public employment service
Thresholds
No, applicable in all circumstances
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