Expulsion from the fund
According to the fund’s rules, the unemployment fund’s board, or the fund manager or another fund official authorised by the board, may, after hearing the member, issue a notice or warning, or expel from membership anyone who:
- has provided false or misleading information when joining the fund,
- has fraudulently given incorrect information or concealed any fact affecting entitlement to a benefit or its amount, and
- refuses to comply with the fund’s rules.
If a member has not paid their membership fees within three (3) months from the start of the period to which they relate, they may be expelled from the fund as of the date from which the fees have remained unpaid.
A member who has become a full-time entrepreneur under the Unemployment Security Act may retain membership in the fund for a maximum of 18 months from the start of the business activity. After this period, the member is considered to have permanently left the profession or sector covered by the fund’s operations and may be expelled from membership.
A trade union cannot expel you from the fund
If you have been a member of the unemployment fund through a trade union and have been expelled from the union due to unpaid membership fees, you still have the option to retain your unemployment fund membership if you wish. Retaining membership in the unemployment fund requires payment of the outstanding membership fees.
- If you want your trade union membership to be reinstated, contact your former trade union as soon as possible and inform us as well. If you agree on reinstating your membership with the trade union, the outstanding membership fees must be paid to the union.
- If you wish to continue only as a member of the Unemployment Fund Ote (without trade union membership), please inform us.
- Also inform us if you do not intend to pay your outstanding membership fees.
Expulsion from the unemployment fund due to unpaid membership fees
The Unemployment Fund Ote charges a monthly membership fee, which must be paid for every month your membership is valid. The fee varies annually. In 2026, it is €5.25 per month.
If you fail to pay your membership fees for more than three months, you will be expelled from the fund as of the date from which the fees have remained unpaid.
Before the expulsion decision is made, you will be given the opportunity to respond and pay the outstanding fees. This is done by sending you a payment reminder or a separate hearing letter with instructions on how to pay the missing fees.
If you do not pay the outstanding fees, we will send you the expulsion decision. Even at this stage, you still have the opportunity to pay the missing fees, provided this is done before the decision becomes legally binding. The outstanding fees must therefore be in the unemployment fund’s account within 30 days of you being notified of the decision. You are considered to have received the decision on the seventh (7th) day after it has been posted by the fund.
Once the expulsion decision is legally binding, paying the outstanding fees to the fund will no longer reinstate your membership.
What happens if you are expelled from the unemployment fund?
- The unemployment fund membership will end. If expulsion occurs due to unpaid membership fees, the membership will end retroactively (you will be expelled as of the date from which the fees have remained unpaid).
- Any benefits paid by the fund will be reclaimed from the date of expulsion.
- You will lose any earnings-related allowance period that may have started before expulsion, as well as accrued membership and employment periods.
- In cases of switching funds, membership and employment periods will not transfer to the new fund if you have been expelled from the previous one.
Expulsion from the unemployment fund may therefore lead to recovery of previously paid benefits (such as earnings-related allowance) and loss of entitlement to allowance, even if you are already a member of another unemployment fund.
If you rejoin the unemployment fund after expulsion, the fund can only pay allowance once the membership and employment conditions have been met again.