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Staff welfare - Hungary

Updated 01/2011

Legal requirements

Social rules

Non-discrimination, equal treatment and gender equality

Ensuring equal opportunities for men and women is one of the fundamental democratic principles of the legal system in Hungary.

Health and safety at work

The Health and Safety Act is one of the key documents detailing health and safety requirements for work organisations, as well as requirements for preventing work accidents and employment-related illness.

  • Health and Safety Act magyar

The labour and occupational health and safety authority responsible for the public administration of health and safety at work is the Hungarian Labour Inspectorate, as well as the occupational health and safety and labour inspectorates of the Budapest municipal and county administration bodies for occupational health and safety and labour.

  • Decree on the Hungarian Labour Inspectorate and the Decree Designating the Occupational Health and Safety and Labour Authorities magyar
  • Hungarian Labour Inspectorate

Under the Health and Safety at Work Act, employers have to provide an occupational healthcare service for all employees.

  • Decree on Occupational Healthcare Services magyar

Labour law

Contract law

General labour regulations on the territory of the Republic of Hungary are outlined in the Labour Code.

  • Labour Code magyar

An employment contract is a written agreement between an employer and an employee creating an employment relationship and containing the rights and obligations of the parties to the employment relationship.

  • Mandatory components of an employment contract magyar
  • Essential elements of an employment contract magyar
  • Rules for amending employment contracts magyar
  • Automatic amendments to employment contracts magyar
  • The employer's obligation to provide information when concluding a contract magyar

Employment relationships

The creation of an employment relationship is based on the conclusion of an employment contract that has strict requirements concerning its content and form. There is also the possibility of “simplified” employment, where the employment relationship is created when the employer meets his reporting obligations in respect of the tax authority on the basis of an agreement between the parties, or a simplified contract of employment is concluded.

  • Employment of foreigners in Hungary magyar
  • Commencement and duration of the employment relationship magyar
  • Parties to the employment relationship magyar
  • Termination of employment magyar
  • Termination of employment by mutual consent magyar
  • Termination of employment during the probation period magyar
  • Wage types magyar
  • Average earnings magyar
  • Minimum wage magyar
  • Working hours and schedule magyar
  • Breaks and rest days magyar
  • Normal leave, basic leave magyar
  • Simplified employment magyar

Labour protection

Employers must pay pension insurance contributions, health insurance contributions and labour market contributions every month, in order to cover any social security benefits. They must also pay sickness benefit contributions in the event that any sickness benefits are paid. They also have an obligation to pay healthcare contributions in order to cover healthcare services. Employees are entitled to fifteen working days' sick leave per calendar year for periods of incapacity owing to illness. In certain cases, there is a possibility of exemption from work.

  • National insurance contributions magyar
  • Healthcare and labour market contributions magyar
  • Healthcare contributions magyar
  • Pension insurance contributions magyar
  • Level of contributions to be paid
  • Sickness benefit magyar
  • Compensatory leave magyar
  • Special leave magyar
  • Exemption from work magyar

In the interests of working safely, employers must provide their employees with health and safety training, and arrange preliminary, periodical and one-off medical examinations for them.

  • Decree on Medical Examinations of Fitness for Work magyar
  • Health and safety training, and preliminary and periodical medical examinations magyar

Litigation

The labour courts operating in the counties and the capital city must be consulted in relation to legal employment disputes.

  • Labour courts magyar
  • Employment disputes magyar
  • Consequences of neglecting employment obligations magyar
  • Refusal to work and follow employer's instructions magyar
  • Trade unions magyar
  • Works council magyar
  • Secondary employment and work on the side magyar

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

The Equal Treatment Authority is a national body that receives reports and complaints relating to discrimination throughout the country.

Health and safety at work

In any case, the requirements for working safely so as not to endanger health must be ensured by the employer. It is an important provision that employers may not provide employees with financial or other rewards instead of fulfilling the requirements for working safely so as not to endanger health.

  • Requirements for health and safety at work magyar

According to the provisions of the Health and Safety Act, employers are obliged to perform a qualitative and, where necessary, quantitative assessment of the risk of endangering the health and safety of employees.

  • Guide to carrying out a workplace risk assessment [302 KB] magyar

Social security

The Social Security Number (TAJ number) is a personal identifier that Hungarian nationals receive at birth and keep all their lives. This code is used in records relating to healthcare, social and personal pension systems. TAJ numbers are generated by the National Health Insurance Fund.

Employers must pay pension insurance contributions, health insurance contributions and labour market contributions every month, in order to cover any social security benefits, and also sickness benefit contributions (in the event that any sickness benefits are paid). They also have an obligation to pay healthcare contributions in order to supplement the resources necessary to fund healthcare services in respect of certain income.

  • National insurance contributions magyar
  • Healthcare and labour market contributions magyar
  • Healthcare contributions magyar
  • Pension insurance contributions magyar
  • Jobseeker's allowance magyar
  • Jobseeker's assistance magyar

Accidents at work and occupational diseases must be reported, investigated and recorded. Accidents at work that lead to incapacity must also be investigated immediately, and the result must be recorded in the workplace accident log book. The circumstances of any accidents at work that do not lead to incapacity must also be clarified, and the results must be recorded.

  • Workplace accident log book [205 KB] magyar
  • Amendment to the workplace accident log book [170 KB] magyar

Resources

Websites of governmental bodies responsible for health and safety at work:

Programmes

The Social Renewal Operational Programme focuses on job market supply, human resources development and increased involvement in the job market.

The Government’s main aim with the New Széchenyi Plan Employment programme is to increase employment and encourage employment in target groups for equal opportunities.

  • New Széchenyi Plan - Employment programme magyar

The aim of the Partnership for Safe Employment project, launched by the former Ministry of Social Affairs and Labour and the Hungarian Health and Safety at Work and Labour Inspectorate, is to promote safety at work through voluntary commitments from participants.

  • Partnership for Safe Employment magyar

The purpose of the National Equal Opportunities Network is to support the government's equal opportunities policy. It also aims to support the integration policies designed for social acceptance of disadvantaged groups.

  • National Equal Opportunities Network magyar

Check also the legislation on this topic in:

  • References

    Legal texts

    • Act CXXV of 2003 on the Promotion of Equal Treatment and Equal Opportunities - Hungarian Official Journal 2003/157 (28 December 2003) magyar
    • Act LXXV of 1996 on Labour Inspections - Hungarian Official Journal 1996/89 (18 October 1996) magyar
    • Act XCIII of 1993 on Health and Safety at Work - Hungarian Official Journal 1993/160 (3 November 1993) magyar
    • Act XXII of 1992 on the Hungarian Labour Code - Hungarian Official Journal 1992/45 (4 May 1992) magyar
    • Government Decree 337/2010. (XII. 27) on the Mandatory Minimum Wage and Setting the Guaranteed Minimum Wage - Hungarian Official Journal 2010/198 (27 December 2010) magyar
    • Government Decree 314/2010 (27 December 2010) on the Hungarian Labour Inspectorate and Designating the Occupational Health and Safety and Labour Authorities - Hungarian Official Journal 2010/198 (27 December 2010) magyar
    • Government Decree 230/2008 (12 September 2008) Designating Certain Bodies to Perform the Duties of the Occupational Health and Safety Authority - Hungarian Official Journal 2008/133 (12 September 2008) magyar
    • Government Decree 89/1995 (14 July 1995) on Occupational Healthcare Services magyar
    • Decree 33/1998 (24 June 1998) of the Ministry of Public Welfare on Medical Examinations and Opinions Concerning Suitability for Work, Professions or Appropriate Personal Hygiene - Hungarian Official Journal 1998/54 (24 June 1998) magyar

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Further help

The Health and Safety at Work Advisory Service of the Hungarian Labour Inspectorate covers the entire country. The organisation strives to disseminate information about health and safety at work in order to reduce the number of occupational accidents. It also provides assistance, advice and information to businesses, with the main emphasis upon prevention.

  • Health and Safety at Work Advisory Service magyar