Grants to Employers for Continued Payment of Wages during Major Damage/Rescue Operations - VBG

In the federal state of Vorarlberg, companies can receive a flat-rate subsidy of €200 per day and deployed personnel when employees are fully released from work due to a major damage or mountain rescue operation and continue to be paid their regular wages. The funding aims to compensate employers for the resulting wage costs and thereby support the operational capability of voluntary emergency organizations (e.g., fire brigades, Austrian Red Cross, mountain rescue service). Applications can be submitted continuously and must be filed no later than the end of the quarter following the deployment with the Office of the Vorarlberg State Government, Department of Internal Affairs and Security (Ia).

Eligible for funding are employers whose employees were deployed for at least 8 hours as a result of a major damage event or mountain rescue operation and were released for the entire working day. A confirmation from the emergency organization regarding membership and duration of deployment, as well as the completed application form including all required documentation, is a prerequisite. The processing follows the nationwide guidelines of the Disaster Fund Act (§ 3 Z 3 lit. b KatFG 1996), according to which the federal states are reimbursed for compensation payments from the Disaster Fund. Random audits ensure the correct use of funds; incorrect or incomplete information will lead to repayments. With this funding, the state of Vorarlberg makes a significant contribution to ensuring that voluntary emergency personnel can provide rapid and effective assistance despite professional obligations.