Slovak meal vouchers to rise in value

The minimum value of "gastrolist" meal vouchers for employees is expected to increase from €3.38 to €3,60 from June 1 this year. The reason is a proposed increase in allowances for staff who take business trips within Slovakia as part of the Travel Compensation Act. The amount of the subsistence allowance in the case of a 5 to 12-hour working trip is to increase from the current €4.50 to €4.80 per day, with a daily subsistence allowance of 12 to 18 hours to be increased from €6.70 to €7.10. A working trip exceeding 18 hours should likewise be increased from the current €10.30 to €10.90. The Ministry of Labour & Social Affairs estimates that the increase in the minimum value of meal vouchers may benefit around 643,000 employees. According to a sample of nearly 900,000 employees, meal vouchers with values below €3.60 were received by around 243,900 of the sample respondents in Slovakia; equating to 27.1% of the nation's workforce. The ministry therefore believes this increase will be a positive benefit for a sizeable chunk of the nation's employees.