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Staff welfare - Estonia

Updated 12/2012

Legal requirements

Social rules

Non-discrimination and equal treatment

The Constitution of the Republic of Estonia specifies that everyone is equal before the law. No one shall be discriminated against on the basis of nationality, race, colour, sex, language, origin, religion, political or other opinion, property or social status, or on other grounds.

  • Constitution of the Republic of Estonia eesti
  • Gender Equality Act eesti

Adult learning is regulated by the Adult Education Act. An entrepreneur must be familiar with the social rights of an employee and ensure the protection of these.

  • Adult Education Act eesti

It should be kept in mind that the citizens of EU Member States have the legal right to work in other EU Member States and that thereby their discrimination on the grounds of their origin is forbidden.

  • General Principles of the Civil Code Act eesti
  • Social Welfare Act eesti

Labour law

Employment relations

The employee-employer relations are mainly regulated by the Employment Contracts Act, but also many other legal acts.

Occupational health and safety

Occupational health is regulated by the Occupational Health and Safety Act. The social rights of an employee are extended after becoming a parent. For example, parental leave and tax benefits are funded from the state budget. The rights of parents are provided for in the Employment Contracts Act.

  • Occupational Health and Safety Act eesti
  • The list of risk factors of the working environment and jobs, in case of which the employment of minors is forbidden eesti
  • Occupational health and safety eesti

Supervision of the implementation of the legal acts regulating occupational health and safety is carried out by the Labour Inspectorate. Supervision is carried out by different methods, which may be inspection, targeted inspection and post-inspection. Targeted inspection may be triggered by information received by the Labour Inspectorate on the violation of the requirements specified in the occupational health and safety legal acts, on diagnosing an illness related to work, an occurrence of a work accident, or dangerous work.

Even though the labour inspector possess an extensive list of rights, his/her purpose is, above all, to help the employer direct its activity towards the creation of a safer and healthier working environment.

  • Labour Inspectorate eesti

The obligations and rights of employers for ensuring occupational health requirements

The employer must ensure the implementation of occupational health and safety requirements in every situation related to work. The employer is solely responsible for the implementation of the requirements specified in the Occupational Health and Safety Act.

The employer has the right to impose a disciplinary punishment on an employee for a violation of requirements of legislation regulating the occupational health and safety of employees and to establish more stringent occupational health and safety requirements in the company than those prescribed by legal acts.

  • Occupational Health and Safety Act eesti
  • Employees Disciplinary Punishments Act eesti
  • Labour Inspectorate eesti

Litigation

Employment relations between the employee and the employer occur upon the conclusion of the employment contract, also in case the employer has permitted the employee to work and the employee has factually started working. The main obligation of the employer in labour relations is to ensure work agreed upon to the employee and to pay wages for it; the main obligation of the employee is to carry out work for the employer in subordination to the management and supervision of the latter.

  • Employment Contracts Act eesti

A labour dispute, occurring between the parties of an employment relationship – employee and employer –, is a disagreement, that, in the application of a labour relations legal act, administrative act or a regulation established by the employer, could not be settled by agreement. For settling a labour dispute a person can turn to labour dispute committee or a court.

Labour disputes are solved by a three-member labour dispute committee whose decision is requiredto be fulfilled. In case of disagreement with the resolution of the labour dispute committee, a person has the right to turn to a court for reviewing the same dispute. The resolution of a labour dispute in a labour dispute committee is regulated by the Individual Labour Dispute Resolution Act.

  • Individual Labour Dispute Resolution Act eesti

Mandatory social rules complete the requirements related to managing staff.

Businesses are free to go beyond the minimum social legal requirements at their own initiative.

Administrative procedures

Non-discrimination, equal treatment, and gender equality

Gender equality is based upon the assumption that men and women are free to develop their abilities and make choices without the restrictions established by prejudices and stereotypical gender roles. Gender equality means that the different behaviour, aspirations and needs of men and women are taken into account and valued, and they are treated equally.

Promoting gender equality, coordinating work in this field and preparing the drafts of the relevant legal acts has been the task of the Ministry of Social Affairs since 2000. There has been an office for gender equality in the ministry since 1996, which in 2004 was renamed the department of gender equality. The department develops policies, strategies and measures for reducing gender inequality and promoting equality in all areas of life.

The department also assesses the compliance of Estonian legislation with international requirements and agreements, analyses the status and situation of women and men, and consults the specialists in this field. The Ministry of Social Affairs also prepares instructions and methods, which allow for the evaluation of the impact of various programmes, measures, or projects for women and men.

Since 2006 there is a gender equality and equal treatment commissioner in Estonia, who supervises compliance with the requirements of the Gender Equality Act and the Equal Treatment Act as an independent and impartial expert.

  • Gender equality and equal treatment commissioner eesti
  • Gender Equality Act eesti
  • Equal Treatment Act eesti

Social security

Social security taxes (social tax, unemployment insurance tax and compulsory funded pension contributions) are paid to the Tax and Customs Board.

  • Tax and Customs Board eesti

Programmes

From Enterprise Estonia,  start-up enterprises can apply for direct support and start-up loans on favourable terms.

  • Enterprise Estonia eesti

Check also the legislation on this topic in:

  • References

    Legal texts

    • Employment Contracts Act eesti
    • The list of risk factors of the working environment and jobs, in the case of which the employment of minors is forbidden eesti
    • The conditions and procedure for payment of average wages eesti
    • Occupational Health and Safety Act eesti
    • Employees Disciplinary Punishments Act eesti
    • Individual Labour Dispute Resolution Act eesti
    • Gender Equality Act eesti
    • Adult Education Act eesti
    • General Principles of the Civil Code Act eesti
    • Social Welfare Act eesti
    • Constitution of the Republic of Estonia eesti

Living and moving in Europe

Still need help?

Still need help?

Enterprise Europe Network - Contact points

The Enterprise Europe Network provides businesses with information and advice through its local contact points. 

Choose your nearest contact point for personalized help and advice:

Further help

Enterprise Estonia supports start-up businesses. Since business activity in Estonia is still lower than the European average, the emphasis in the activities aimed at beginners is on raising business awareness and inspiring potential entrepreneurs.

Information and awareness are also in the foreground for more advanced entrepreneurs, who, though often possessing considerable skills and experience in their field of activity, lack business knowledge. Beginners are offered wide-ranging information, starting from web-based information up to personal counselling within the framework of a mentoring programme.

  • Enterprise Estonia eesti

Useful information can also be found on the websites of the following authorities: