In this article we provide answers to the most frequently asked questions regarding the granting of meal vouchers by Romanian companies to their employees. Our answers cover aspects regarding: the Romanian legal framework regulating such vouchers, the conditions under which meal vouchers can be granted by employers, the value of meal vouchers established as per current Romanian legal provisions, criteria for granting them to employees, and much more.

The answers are provided by experienced lawyers, specialized in Romanian labor law topics.

Granting of meal vouchers to employees – practical issues clarified

The procedure and conditions that Romanian companies must observe for granting meal vouchers to their employees are regulated in the Romanian legislation by Law no. 165/2018 (on the granting of vouchers) and the methodological norms for its application. In accordance with Law no. 165/2018, meal vouchers are value tickets that can be granted to employees on a monthly basis, similar to a meal allowance. Thus, the vouchers can only be used to pay for meals or to shop for food.

Meal vouchers can be issued on paper support (in the form of paper tickets), or on electronic format (in the form of a shopping card).

No matter the form (paper or electronic), meal vouchers may be used in any Romanian public catering units, grocery stores, canteens or restaurants, buffets or any other type of establishments selling food, with which the agencies issuing the vouchers have a contract for the provision of those services.

The law doesn’t provide for an obligation/enforcement on the Romanian companies to grant meal vouchers to their employees. Employers are free to decide whether to grant meal vouchers and in what form, possibly after consultations with the employees. The consultation with the employees can be done through legally constituted trade union organizations or through the employees’ representatives, in case there is no trade union organization established in the company.

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According to the Romanian legislation in force, employees who are delegated or seconded outside the locality where they have their regular place of work and who receive a delegation or secondment allowance, are not entitled to receive meal vouchers.

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As per the labor legislation in force, the employers, together with the legally constituted trade union organizations or, where a trade union doesn’t exist, with the employees’ representatives, can decide the granting of meal vouchers to employees through:

applicable collective bargaining agreements signed with the trade union, or
through the company’s internal policies/regulations.

Thus, objective criteria for the granting of meal vouchers should be established, providing for at least the following:

the number of employees in the unit who can receive meal vouchers and the nominal value for each voucher, taking into account the employers’ own financial possibilities;
the categories of employees who are entitled to receive meal vouchers;
selection criteria for determining the employees entitled to meal vouchers, taking into account objective and non-discriminatory reasons, such as: socio-professional priorities and other objective elements specific to the professional activity.

Similar resources:

Taxation of employee benefits | Taxes

Tax treatment applicable to meal vouchers – full explanations

Estimate and compare salary costs

Are you planning to grant meal vouchers to your employees? Or maybe Christmas and Easter gifts? Or maybe salary increases or annual bonuses? Budget and compare costs with our smart calculators. See how salary expenses affect your annual budgets, and keep costs under control.

Granting of meal vouchers to employees – frequently asked questions

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Granting of meal vouchers to employees – practical issues clarified

Where can meal vouchers be used?

Is a Romanian employer obliged to grant meal vouchers to its employees?

What is the maximum value of a meal voucher that an employer can allocate?

How many meal vouchers can we grant to an employee, and how should we grant it, at the beginning of the month or at the end of the month?

Can we give meal vouchers to an employee who is on vacation?

How is the number of vouchers regularized for employees who receive more meal vouchers than the days actually worked in the month?

Can we give meal vouchers to an employee who is on a delegation or secondment?

Can an employee with two or more employment contracts receive meal vouchers from all employers?

What if we have employees who work more than 8 hours a day? Can they receive more vouchers?

Can an employer decide to grant meal vouchers only to some of its employees?

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Estimate and compare salary costs

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