site.btaSupplementary Employment Gains Popularity in Bulgaria Because of Staff Shortage, Experts Say

On-call time and flexible shifts are gaining popularity among employers because of staff shortage in Bulgaria and across Europe, Zhasmina Saraivanova, Chief Expert at the Bulgarian Industrial Association told BTA. Positive economic growth rates also contribute to popularity of supplementary employment, especially in industries with a continuous cycle of activity.

The coronavirus crisis has also contributed for on-call time to become increasingly widespread, Saraivanova said.

On-call time and flexible shifts are also opportunities for employers to give additional financial incentives to their employees. The pros for workers are additional pay and social security benefits. Both employers and workers benefit from using diverse forms of employment, Sarivanova summarized. According to her, Bulgaria does not differ from the European average in the number of employees who are on duty or on-call.

Antoniya Boyanova, legal counsel at the Podkrepa Confederation of Labour, told BTA that on-call time is usually being applied in industries such as security and safety, healthcare, manufacturing, call centres, among others.