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Staff welfare - Portugal

Updated 02/2011

Legal requirements

The Portuguese Labour Code defines the workplace rules applicable to the employees of a business.

  • Labour Code português

Social rules

Non-discrimination, equal treatment and gender equality

Men and women must be treated equally at work in accordance with the policy of the Commission for Equality in Work and Employment (CITE). The websites of the CITE and of the Commission for Citizenship and Gender Equality (CIG) and the Equality Gateway contain information on maternity and paternity rights.

  • Commission for Equality in Work and Employment português
  • Parental protection português
  • Leaflet on parental protection pdf [827 KB] português
  • Equality and non-discrimination português
  • Commission for Citizenship and Gender Equality português
  • Equality Gateway português
  • IV National Plan on Equality, Gender, Citizenship and Non-Discrimination (2011-2013) pdf [314 KB] português

Occupational health and safety

The Working Conditions Authority (ACT) is responsible for promoting improved working conditions by ensuring compliance with labour regulations, in the context of private labour relations, and for promoting occupational risk prevention policies.

  • National Strategy for Occupational Health and Safety 2008-2012 pdf [397 KB] português
  • Accidents at work and occupational diseases – Frequently Asked Questions português

Labour law

Contract legislation

The website of the Working Conditions Authority contains questions and answers on various aspects of employment contracts.

  • Signing employment contracts – Frequently Asked Questions português
  • Dismissal – Frequently Asked Questions português

Labour relations

The Directorate-General for Employment and Labour Relations (DGERT) is responsible for helping to develop policies on employment and vocational training and on labour relations, including working conditions and health, safety and welfare at work. It is also responsible for monitoring and encouraging collective bargaining and the prevention of trade disputes, and for promoting the accreditation of training bodies.

  • Guaranteed minimum monthly wage for 2011 pdf [185 KB] português
  • Working conditions and relations português

Labour protection

The vocational training of workers is recognised as a right and as an asset for business. Legislation requires 10% of employees with permanent contracts to receive at least 35 hours of certified training per year.

  • Compulsory notifications and authorisations – Labour relations and occupational health and safety português
  • Accidents at work and occupational diseases – Frequently Asked Questions português
  • Sickness protection português
  • Disability protection português

Disputes

The Portuguese Labour Mediation Service (SML) has the authority to mediate in disputes concerning individual employment contracts, except for those matters relating to unavailable rights. Such disputes can involve:

  • payment of amounts due on the termination of employment contracts;
  • promotions;
  • change of workplace;
  • termination of employment contracts;
  • holiday scheduling;
  • disciplinary procedure;
  • legal status of employment contracts.

The employer and employee can, voluntarily and through a joint decision, refer the dispute to mediation. Using the SML costs each party EUR 50, regardless of the number of mediation sessions.

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 Commission for Citizenship and Gender Equality (CIG) is responsible for ensuring the implementation of public policies in the area of citizenship, and promotion and defence of gender equality.

The tasks of the CIG include: assistance with the preparation and implementation of general and sectoral policy on the promotion of citizenship and gender equality; promotion of citizenship education and actions to raise awareness among public opinion and to ensure the adoption of good practices on gender equality; and development of a legal service providing information and legal and psychosocial support, and guaranteeing access to justice, particularly in situations of gender discrimination and violence.

  • Conciliation Gateway português

Social security

As employers, businesses must register with the social security authorities when the business is set up. Businesses must also register each employee by the end of the month after the one in which they start work.

  • Social security registration for employees português        Online government service
  • Social security contributions português
  • Social Security Direct português             Online government service

The information to be provided to the Working Conditions Authority (ACT) is indicated in the following two documents:

  • Compulsory notifications and authorisations – Labour relations português
  • Compulsory notifications and authorisations – Occupational health and safety português

Whenever a serious or fatal accident occurs at work, the employer must inform the ACT within 24 hours of the event.

The injured person must undergo treatment and comply with the clinical and surgical recommendations of the doctor appointed by the business, which are necessary to treat the injury or illness and regain the capacity to work.

  • Accidents at work and occupational diseases – Frequently Asked Questions português

Resources

The Working Conditions Authority can provide information and publications   on the various types of accident at work and occupational disease.

  • ACT Resource Centre português
  • ACT Information Centre – Access to articles português

The website of the Directorate-General for Employment and Labour Relations (DGERT) has afacility for searching for accredited training bodies.

  • Accredited training body search português

Some Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) can be viewed on the ACT website. These cover accidents at work and occupational diseases, employment contracts, dismissal, Comprehensive Reports and parental protection, among other issues.

  • Frequently Asked Questions português

Check also the legislation on this topic in:

  • References

    Legal texts

    • Law No 105/2009 of 14 September 2009 – amending the Labour Code português

    Key documents

    • National Strategy for Occupational Health and Safety 2008-2012 pdf [397 KB] português
    • White Paper on Labour Relations pdf português
    • Green Paper on Labour Relations pdf português
    • IV National Plan on Equality, Gender, Citizenship and Non-Discrimination (2011-2013) pdf [314 KB] português

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Further help

The Portuguese Labour Mediation Service (SML) has the authority to mediate in disputes concerning individual employment contracts. The SML currently covers the whole of mainland Portugal and can be contacted in the following ways:

  • Blue Number (local call rate)808 26 20 00 ;
  • on-line form português