The newly-established Ministry of State Assets is not subject to an employment quota until the end of 2018, and no data is given for the Ministry of Culture. Last year, the Ministry of Culture was one of five ministries that did not provide any data concerning quota employment.
The data are not encouraging, but Slonjsak says that many of the ministries employ more disabled persons than stated, but they do not meet the criteria for being registered as persons with disabilities. Some ministries are demanding simplification of the procedure for determining work disability.
All employers who employ at least 20 workers are subject to an employment quota, which is set at three percent of the total number of workers hired. Where employers cannot employ the required number of disabled persons, they can opt for the so-called substitute quota by concluding one or more business cooperation contracts with self-employed disabled persons, by financing scholarships and so on.
Of 8,720 employers subject to the employment quota, only 1,048 met this obligation, while 4,060 paid financial compensation for failing to employ persons with disabilities, as a result of which HRK 189 million was paid into a dedicated fund last year.
On the other hand, 979 employers hired more disabled persons than required by the quota.
The ombudswoman is concerned that the ministries are not using substitute quotas enough and believes that more persons with disabilities should be employed in municipal administrations.
2016 saw positive trends in the employment of persons with disabilities. Among 218,834 newly-employed people registered with the Croatian Employment Service, 2,853 were disabled persons, and their share in the total number of employed persons was 1.3%. Hiring of disabled persons increased by 9.2% in 2016 compared with 2015, when 2,613 were hired, and compared with 2014, when 1,877 were hired.