While the measure is being promoted as a way to ease the cost of living, employers warn it could strain companies’ liquidity and public finances.
Under the new law, dubbed the Christmas bonus, all employees will receive half the statutory gross minimum wage (€639) exempt from taxes and social contributions, to be paid by 18 December. Pensioners will receive a €150 payment by 19 December. Companies facing liquidity problems will be allowed to postpone payouts until the end of March. The bill also doubles the revenue ceiling for flat-rate sole traders, a reversal of last year’s tightening measures.
The proposal has deepened rifts between the government and employers, who have suspended participation in the Economic and Social Council in protest. Opposition parties have denounced the bonus as a “vote-winning freebie,” while Labour Minister Luka Mesec insists it will strengthen purchasing power and support lower-income workers. However, with possible vetoes and referendum challenges still looming, the implementation timeline remains uncertain — and the Christmas bonus may yet arrive fashionably late.
