Peru's MEF approves S/300 public‑sector bonus as private‑sector July gratuity rules draw scrutiny

The Ministry of Economy and Finance (MEF) issued a supreme decree formalising a S/300 "aguinaldo" payment for July, to be paid to public‑sector employees covered by various labour regimes, including teachers, health workers, armed forces, police and pensioners. The roughly 350,000 workers under the CAS regime are excluded; they will instead receive a gratuity, but the law provides no budget for it, raising the risk of legal challenges. Labour specialist Willman Meléndez warned that the benefit “must be accompanied by the necessary budget” and that lack of funding could lead to court cases or constitutional review.

In the private sector, companies must deposit the legally mandated July gratuity by 15 July. The payment equals one full month’s salary for workers who completed the January‑June semester, plus an extra bonus of 9 % for those affiliated with EsSalud or 6.75 % for EPS members. The calculation incorporates base salary, family allowance, regular variable earnings and the health‑related bonus. Non‑payment may attract fines from the labour inspectorate (Sunafil) and workers can file complaints.

The Banco de Crédito del Perú (BCP) issued an alert ahead of the gratuity payout, urging customers to beware of fraud attempts via SMS or messaging apps. Official messages will only come from senders “31198” or “BCPOFICIAL”; any other requests for personal or card data should be ignored.