Many of its employees have earned another salary through bonuses. How many employees are involved and what the total sum is, remains to be known.

The Ljubljana University Medical Centre (LUMC) paid numerous maximum bonuses to the leading personnel, doctors and nurses at neurology – in the form of overtime, even though some workers had not spent enough time on duty.

Let's look at a few interesting payrolls of doctors from the clinic of neurology. With all bonuses and overtime, Viktor Švigelj – the former boss of the intensive care department, where Ivan Radan, who is accused of murdering six patients, used to work – earned a sum almost equal to his regular salary. The total gross sum for June 2014 thus amounted to EUR 7,400. Which bonuses are these? For his position, years of service, education level, work on Sundays, work beyond regular working hours, night work, Sunday work and Sunday night work. These accumulate to nearly another salary – EUR 3,100 (gross). All this overtime was done despite the fact that Švigelj spent half a month, i.e. 80 hours, on holiday. The bonuses were paid at its maximum level. Justly so?

Findings regarding Švigelj are not yet known. However, according to Lidija Apohal Vučković from the inspectorate for public sector, general findings suggest that workloads were not high enough to warrant maximum payments.

Mounting bonuses
An inspector has demanded from the LUCM to perform an analysis of the past workload of its employees. For the past few years, LUCM had failed to make such analyses, although the pay-out of bonuses should have been based on them. Such high bonuses seem to have been dished out to many employees without much control. Simona Šteblaj, Msc., earned more than her regular salary in overtime and bonuses: for June 2015, her gross salary was more than EUR 4,000, while bonuses and overtime amounted to almost EUR 5,300. Total gross earnings – EUR 9,500. Šteblaj managed to do 132 hours of overtime while spending a mere 75 hours on regular work and half a month on vacation. Lower bonuses would especially affect the pockets of the best-paid employees. "For example, the bonus for work on a state holiday, which is the highest and is set at 90 per cent of the basic hourly pay, would represent 45 per cent [of the total payment]. These can be quite high sums," explains Apohal Vučković.

Bojana Žvan, former head or the department of neurology and intensive care, spent 64 hours on holiday and a business trip in June 2013, for which she received EUR 4,300 (gross). With the addition of overtime and bonuses, she earned twice the amount – EUR 8,200 (gross). And Ivan Radan? In June 2014, he received nearly another salary by spending half of the working requirement, i.e. 80 hours, on sick leave. In total, Radan was paid about EUR 5,000 (gross). Since he is no longer employed at LUMC, he will not be required to return the money, notes the inspector.

Unfounded payments will need to be returned, manner not yet defined
All other employees who received unfounded payments will need to return the money. But only for the past 10 months, because that's just how the law is. LUCM does not know yet how many of the 8,000 employees will be required to return the money and what the total sum is. But the medical giant spent more than 21 million euros ONLY on payments for overtime work in 2015. And if for example half of this sum has been paid unjustifiably ... expert opinion estimates that a modern block with 10 operation rooms could have been built and equipped with this money.

E. Ž., TV Slovenija, translated by K. Z.