When the 13th 2023 arrives, the payment dates

It's payment time for the thirteenth month's salary: after it has been paid to pensioners, now it's the turn of employees who will start receiving the first sums this week.
It should be remembered that in the case of employees only those employed in the public sector know exactly the date of payment of the thirteenth salary (which occurs at the same time as the December salary), as it is indicated by law: in the private sector it is instead the collective contract of reference give indications to the employer regarding the period in which it must be paid, without however specifying the exact day.
The arrival date of the thirteenth month can therefore vary not only based on the reference sector, but also on the employing company.
And it may even happen that the dates differ between colleagues in the same company, although it is still good practice for the employer not to allow too much time to pass between one payment and another.
When looking into the payment dates of the thirteenth month, therefore, a distinction must be made between these three categories by analyzing them individually.
When the thirteenth salary arrives for private employees It is not so simple to set a date for employed workers (who this year will see the difference between the December salary and the thirteenth salary widen), especially if employed in the private sector.
As anticipated, for private sector employees the date of payment of the thirteenth salary varies depending on the sector they belong to, as the period is established by collective bargaining.
Generally, however, employed workers are entitled to receive their thirteenth salary by Christmas Eve: this is the indicative date by which employers will have to pay the Christmas bonus to their employees.
Generally, however, collective agreements often leave ample autonomy to the employer, who is free to decide when it is most appropriate to pay the thirteenth month's salary.
The important thing – the national contracts explain – is not to go beyond a certain deadline.
For example, some contracts simply say that the thirteenth month's salary must be paid close to the Christmas holidays; others indicate December 24th as the deadline.
In short, the employer is free to decide whether to pay the thirteenth salary together with the November salary, or whether to wait until the last day before Christmas (remember that Christmas Eve is not a holiday); furthermore, the employer – in agreement with the employee – can also choose not to pay the thirteenth salary in a single solution but to pay it monthly during the year.
But let's see some examples.
For workers in the Ccnl commerce, the collective bargaining agreement explicitly provides that the Christmas bonus is paid "coinciding with Christmas Eve".
Still remaining within the scope of employees of private sector employers, a particular case concerns workers in the construction sector who receive the thirteenth salary twice a year: the employer sets aside and pays a portion of the Christmas bonus every month to the Building Fund.
It will then pay it to the employee in two installments: by 30 July and by 15 September.
Here, however, is what other important national contracts provide: Thirteenth Ccnl Metalworkers: It is article 7 of the Ccnl Metalworkers that talks about thirteenth, establishing that this must be recognized on the occasion of the Christmas anniversary, normally on Christmas Eve.
Thirteenth Ccnl Commerce: The Ccnl Commerce also establishes that the thirteenth must be paid by December 24th; However, it is the employer's discretion to decide whether to bring forward (but not postpone) the payment date.
Thirteenth Ccnl Tourism: this contract provides a concrete date for the payment of the fourteenth (which must be paid with the July salary) but not the thirteenth for which it simply says that it must be paid "on the occasion of the Christmas anniversary".
Thirteenth Ccnl Professional Studies: The Ccnl Professional Studies provides that the thirteenth must be paid every year by employers coinciding with Christmas Eve.
The deadline for the recognition of the Christmas bonus, therefore, is December 24th.
Thirteenth Ccnl Telecommunications: As with the aforementioned collective agreements, the Ccnl Telecommunications also establishes that the payment of the thirteenth must normally take place on Christmas Eve.
Thirteenth Ccnl Social Cooperatives: In article 47 of the Ccnl, we read that anyone employed in a Cooperative has the right to the thirteenth month's salary which must be paid during the Christmas holidays.
Also in this case, therefore, there is no specific date with the employer having wide discretion in this regard.
Thirteenth Chemical-Pharmaceutical Ccnl: Article 19 of the contract establishes that the payment of the thirteenth must normally take place on Christmas Eve.
When does the thirteenth arrive? The payment date for public employees As regards public employees, however, the arrival of the thirteenth – which occurs at the same time as the payment of the salary – follows a very specific calendar.
For state employees, the law – annex 1 of decree n°350/2001 – provides precise dates by which the thirteenth salary must be paid.
In detail: nursery and primary school teachers: 14 December for salary for the same month and thirteenth month's salary; personnel administered by the provincial directorates of the Treasury with fixed expenditure roles: 15 December for salary relating to the same month and thirteenth month's salary; temporary substitute teaching staff: 16 December for salary for the same month and thirteenth month's salary; remaining state personnel: 16 December for salary relating to the same month and thirteenth month's salary.
If the aforementioned days were to be a Saturday or Sunday, then the thirteenth salary and the salary would be paid in advance on the first available day.
This means that in 2023, temporary substitute teaching staff, as well as the remaining state staff not included in the aforementioned categories, will also receive their thirteenth on Friday 15 December.
read also Salary, thirteenth salary and increase for public employees, Noipa payment dates