People infected with COVID-19 at work may get compensation, says Czech trade union

Prague, April 28 (CTK) – People who got infected with the new coronavirus at work might receive compensation under certain conditions as COVIOD-19 can be considered an occupational disease, the biggest Czech trade union association CMKOS told CTK today.

Employers pay this compensation from their health insurance. They get insured at the Generali Ceska Pojistovna and the Kooperativa health insurance companies.

CMKOS chief legal expert Vit Samek said the unions receive more and more questions about the recognition of COVID-19 as an occupational disease.

According to the Labour Code, the employer must compensate for the damage or harm caused by an occupational disease.

Employees who had to be in a close professional contact with a patient or with an infected social worker, police officer or firefighter at work suffered from an occupational disease if their infection was confirmed and they had COVID-19 symptoms.

The Health Ministry announced that applications for the recognition of an occupational disease would be given to medical facilities.

Samek said the doctors who check the health of employees for the employer would send the ill person to a clinic of occupational diseases that would issue an assessment.