Tuesday, January 11, 2022
Instead of a corona bonus
Clinics want tax-free allowances for nurses
For a long time, financial incentives for nurses are verbally chewed through – without anything happening. The governing parties have now announced at least a corona bonus for the professional group. The clinics come up with a different proposal.
In the debate about financial recognition for nurses due to the burdens of the Corona crisis, the clinics are proposing a tax-free allowance instead of a premium. This would be much better than a one-time bonus for some of the employees, said the head of the German Hospital Association, Gerald Gass. An allowance could apply for the past and this year and would also provide incentives for caregivers to return to work or to increase their working hours.
The SPD, Greens and FDP have announced that there will be a corona bonus for care workers. The government wants to provide one billion euros for this and increase the tax exemption for bonus payments to 3000 euros. Health Minister Karl Lauterbach had made it clear that the bonus should primarily be paid to those care workers who were particularly stressed in the pandemic. There had been criticism of such a limitation to a certain circle.
With a view to the corona situation, the hospital society expressed concern that after the fourth wave there will now be “no trough” – but rather increasing numbers of patients, even in many intensive care units, due to the virus variant Omikron.
The association asked for additional financial aid. “The current compensation payments are correct, but insufficient for the wave that is now building up,” said Gass. Most hospitals have no reserves to make up for even more losses. The rescue package currently still does not cover 500 to 600 hospitals, although they are also immensely affected by the pandemic.