Compensation during war: the state and the Histadrut agreed on payments

With the start of Operation Roar of the Lion, Israel found itself in conditions of intense hostilities, recalls the Histadrut press service. The situation led not only to significant material damage, but also, deeply regrettably, to loss of life. Under these conditions, following the instructions of the Logistics Command, the public sector continued to ensure the uninterrupted operation of vital systems.

Despite the restrictions, government staff have demonstrated a high degree of responsibility and mobilization – just as they have during the past two and a half years of continuous crises.

Against the backdrop of the current situation, the state, employers and the General Federation of Labor Histadrut are actively negotiating compensation mechanisms for those who were unable to perform their duties due to security restrictions.

The basis for the agreement was the bill on the Roar of the Lion economic assistance program, published on the same day. It sets the framework for supporting workers who find themselves in forced downtime.

The agreed terms cover the period from February 28 to March 31, 2026 and provide for a differentiated approach depending on the reasons for the employee’s absence.

The amount of employer participation is determined based on the cost of one vacation day, with part of the compensation covered by the employee’s accumulated vacation days.

Key categories and conditions:

· Closure of the workplace or reduction of activities (if remote work is not possible):

100% payment in the first four weeks, 80% in the last days of the period.

· Agreed categories of workers (parents of children under 14 years of age in closed schools, people with disabilities and their guardians):

90% and 75% in the first weeks, further conditions are specified separately.

· Other circumstances related to the security situation:

from 60% to 50% compensation.

· Inability to return from abroad (due to flight cancellations):

from 80% to 50% depending on the period.

· Evacuated employees:

full compensation (100%) within eight days from the date of evacuation.

· Refusal to go to work when possible (including remote work):

no compensation provided.

The document pays special attention to non-standard situations:

· Business trips and training: employees who were abroad on behalf of the employer are equated to the first category. Those who have completed vocational training will be able to choose between compensation or using days from the training fund.

· Passover period: in organizations with the practice of collective leave (“Chol Hamoed”), it will remain for the dates from March 29 to March 31, 2026. In other cases, payment will be made at the third and fourth week rates.

· Negative vacation balance: employees will be allowed to use their vacation “in the negative” – the details will be fixed in the collective agreement.

· Education system: there are separate instructions for teaching assistants (“tomkhot hinuch”) in municipalities.

The parties emphasize that the agreements reached are aimed at creating a sustainable support system for those who find themselves in a difficult situation, and at the same time recognizing the contribution of employees who continued to fulfill their duties despite threats and restrictions.

The document was signed by the chairman of the Histadrut, Arnon Bar-David, and the person responsible for wages and labor agreements at the Ministry of Finance, Efi Malkin.