COUNTRY

Employment contracts in Slovakia must be in writing, and a copy must be given to the employee. The employment contract may be for either an indefinite term or a fixed term. A fixed-term contract may not be longer than two years, and its duration must be stated in the written contract. Fixed-term employment can have a duration of no more than two years. It can be extended or renewed, but not more than twice within two years, with some exceptions.

At minimum, an employment contract should include:

• the job description,

• the workplace,

• the date on which work will begin, and

• the amount of the employee’s salary and the pay period, unless this is determined by a collective agreement.

The standard work week in Slovakia is 40 hours over five days. Under various shift work arrangements, an employee’s hours may range from 37.5 to 40 per week. A different arrangement of weekly working hours may be set out in a collective agreement or employment contract. Special rules limit the working hours of employees who work in close proximity to dangerous chemicals or radiation and employees under the age of 16.

Overtime is allowed only in situations where there is an urgent need for it. Work at night (from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m.) is compensated at a percentage over an employee’s usual hourly rate, and a higher premium if the employee’s work is particularly dangerous.

The employer pays for the first 10 days of an employee’s sick leave in Slovakia. For the first three days, the employee is paid at 25% of their normal daily rate, which increases to 55% for the fourth through 10th days. Beginning on the 11th day, the employee can receive a social security benefit, which is also 55% of the employee’s normal daily rate. The employee must provide a medical certificate.

Employees in Slovakia are also entitled to seven days of paid leave per year for medical examinations or treatment in a hospital or other medical facility that cannot be performed elsewhere and cannot be scheduled for outside of working hours.

Female employees are entitled to 34 weeks of maternity leave in Slovakia or 37 weeks for a single mother. The expectant mother normally begins maternity leave six weeks before the estimated date of birth, but she may begin it as early as eight weeks before her due date. She should provide her employer with at least one month of notice before beginning her maternity leave. During her maternity leave, the mother receives 75% of her usual daily rate as a social security benefit if she was covered by social insurance for at least 270 days during the two years before she gave birth.

In cases where the mother is not receiving maternity or parental benefits, the father may, with the mother’s agreement, take leave beginning when the child is six weeks old for 28 weeks.

Jobs in Slovakia are assigned to one of six categories, based on the difficulty and demands of the job. Slovakia sets a minimum wage for each category, with category 1 being the lowest and category 6 being the highest. Bonuses are common in Slovakia.

Annual leave in Slovakia is four or five weeks depending on the employee's age and other factors such as whether the employee is a parent or works a dangerous job. Annual leave is a minimum of five weeks for employees who are at least 33 years old before the end of the relevant calendar year, for employees who are parents, and employees whose jobs are difficult or dangerous.

Employers schedule leave in consultation with the employees and with the consent of the employees’ representatives. The employer is required to grant every employee a minimum of four weeks of leave per year if the employee is eligible and the needs of the business permit it.

In Slovakia, the public holidays are:

• New Year/Emergence of Slovakia

• Epiphany

• Good Friday

• Easter Monday

• International Workers’ Day

• Day of Freedom from Fascism

• St. Cyril and St. Methodius Day

• Slovak National Uprising Day

• Day of the Constitution of the Slovak Republic

• Day of Our Lady of Sorrow

• All Saints’ Day

• Struggle for Freedom and Democracy Day

• Christmas Eve

• Christmas Day

• St. Stephen’s Day

Slovakia has national healthcare.

An employer may terminate an employee in Slovakia only for a legally acceptable reason. Acceptable reasons are business-related, such as liquidation or the employee becoming redundant because of reorganization, and performance reasons, such as if the employee fails to fulfill their obligations under the employment contract. For less serious employee misconduct, the employer may only terminate an employee if they have been warned in writing in the last six months regarding the conduct and advised that they could face termination if there is no improvement.

The notice period for termination, regardless of who is giving notice, is normally a minimum of one month. The minimum notice is two months if the employee has worked for the employer for at least one year, but less than five years, and three months if the employee has worked for the employer for five years or more.