Grants to Employers for Continued Payment of Wages during Major Damage/Rescue Operations; Vienna

Within the framework of a continuously available funding program, employers in Vienna and Lower Austria receive a flat-rate compensation of €200 per day and deployed employee. The objective is to offset costs when employees who are members of a recognized voluntary emergency organization are prevented from fulfilling their duties for at least eight hours due to a major damage event or mountain rescue operation. The funding applies to companies and public institutions whose employees are subject to Austrian labor law and are not in an employment relationship with regional authorities or predominantly public-law companies. It is also a prerequisite that the deployment took place in the federal state of Vienna and that continued payment of wages for the full working day is made.

Applications can be submitted continuously until the end of the following quarter after the deployment ends to the Office of the Vienna State Government – Municipal Department 5 (Finance). The application must include the completed form and all required attachments. Payment is made after positive verification and availability of funds to the specified account. The responsible funding providers – including the City of Vienna as well as the Federal Ministries for Labour, Family and Youth and for Finance – reserve the right to conduct random checks. This funding aims to encourage voluntary engagement in disaster protection and mountain rescue by minimizing financial burdens for employers while simultaneously strengthening the operational capability of the emergency organizations.