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

The funding supports employers based in Vienna in compensating for continued wage payments for members of voluntary emergency organizations in the event of major damage or mountain rescue operations. For each day an employee is unavailable due to deployment, a flat-rate grant of €200 is provided. This program thus helps to ensure the readiness of voluntary helpers while mitigating financial burdens arising from employees being absent due to service obligations. The refinancing is carried out by the City of Vienna, which is reimbursed by the federal government.

Eligible for funding are companies and public institutions headquartered in Vienna that have deployed at least one employee of a voluntary emergency organization during a major damage event or mountain rescue operation and have continued to pay wages during this period. Applications can be submitted continuously and apply per deployment day and per deployed person. The flat-rate daily funding covers all expenses related to continued wage payments and is granted without further maximum limits. Through simple application procedures and a continuously open submission option, the measure helps minimize the burden on employers while securing essential support for voluntary rescue personnel in the long term.