The bitterness of the "sweet" ruble ("envelope wages")

The payment of so-called "envelope wages" is a serious problem not only for the country's economy but also for every citizen receiving such illicit earnings. A recipient of such wages, among other things, becomes a participant in a dangerous game with the law, known as the "shadow economy." Preventing instances of "envelope wage" payments is particularly important.

The presence of "ghost employees" on the payroll, to whom wages are accrued but not paid, is a common occurrence. Sometimes, an individual officially receives only a partial salary according to the payroll, and in other cases, they work without an employment contract at all. Not every citizen of our country, when agreeing to shadow money, sees the other side of the coin, and upon retirement, will be horrified by how small it is.

We remind you that pension calculation is based on the amount of salary from which mandatory insurance contributions to the Social Protection Fund of the Population were officially accrued and paid. Similarly, only those periods of employment during which mandatory insurance contributions were paid are included in the work record for pension assignment. If insurance contributions were paid in an amount less than calculated from the minimum wage (e.g., an individual is officially employed on a part-time basis and the employment contract establishes a salary lower than the minimum wage), then the work record will include a period calculated using an adjustment coefficient (i.e., not the entire year worked will be counted, but only a part of it).

While receiving "cash in hand" and thinking about immediate gain, an employee risks depriving themselves and their loved ones. There are frequent cases where employers dismiss employees without paying them wages for several months of work. Without an employment contract, the employer has no obligations.

       Illegally obtained funds are problematic to use for purchasing housing, vehicles, paying for children's education, and other major expenses. This is because such transactions are monitored by tax authorities. 

    Bank loans have become popular recently. And here, for the "illegal" earner, a red light is on, as one can only prove their solvency for loan repayment with an official salary.

 And finally, about "sick leave." "Envelope" workers, as a rule, rarely get sick: after all, there is no one to pay for their disability certificates. "Salary in envelopes" is a social trap that one can fall into at any moment. Moreover, by agreeing to such an arrangement, a person primarily fills their employer's pocket and impoverishes the budget of the district in which they live. This means that hospitals and schools will receive less, someone's house will remain unrepaired, and an elderly disabled person will be deprived of assistance... This is something to think about!

Beshankovichy District Department of the Vitebsk Regional Directorate of the Social Protection Fund of the Population