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Staff welfare - Slovakia

Updated 04. 2010

Legal requirements

The Slovak Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs and the Family is responsible for employment relationships, employment, collective bargaining, wages and other work-related remuneration, social security, socio-legal protection of children and minors, family welfare and other areas of social policy. 

  • Slovak Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs and the Family slovenčina

The main piece of employment law legislation in Slovakia is the Labour Code.

  • Labour Code slovenčina

The Civil Code governs relationships between natural and legal persons, property relationships between these persons and the state, and also legal relationships for the protection of persons.

  • Civil Code slovenčina

The Social Insurance Act defines the scope, legal relationships, organisation and financing of social insurance, as well as state supervision of the implementation of social insurance and proceedings in social insurance matters.

  • Social Insurance Act slovenčina

Non-discrimination, equal treatment and gender equality

Employees have rights arising from employment relationships free of any form of restriction and direct or indirect discrimination.

Individuals have the right to:

  • work and to a free choice of employment,
  • fair and satisfactory work conditions
  • protection from unemployment.
  • Discrimination at work slovenčina

In employment law relationships, employers must treat employees in accordance with the principle of equal treatment.

Pay conditions must be agreed without any gender discrimination.

Non-discrimination, equal treatment and gender equality

Men and women are entitled to equal treatment when it comes to access to employment, pay, job and career opportunities, vocational training and working conditions. 

  • Antidiscrimination Act pdf [38 KB] slovenčina

Occupational health and safety

The right of employees to health and safety at work is one of the basic principles of the Labour Code. Employers must apply the general principles of prevention when providing suitable work conditions.

  • Principles of prevention in occupational safety slovenčina

In the interests of preventing industrial diseases, employers must provide recuperation breaks for employees who perform certain jobs.

  • Recuperation breaks slovenčina

Assessments of physical fitness for the performance of work are based on the results of medical examinations.

Occupational health and safety

The mission of the National Labour Inspectorates (NLI) is to promote the protection of employees at work and to carry out state administration in the area of labour standards inspections.

  • National Labour Inspectorate slovenčina

General principles of prevention and basic conditions for ensuring safety

and the protection of health at work and the exclusion of risks and factors causing injuries at work, industrial diseases and other risks to health at work, are set out in the Act on Occupational Health and Safety.

  • Act on Occupational Health and Safety slovenčina
  • Key acts in the area of safety at work slovenčina

Labour law

Contract law

Employment law provides an integrated summary of legislative changes in the area of employment rights.

  • Legislative standards of employment law slovenčina
  • Labour Code slovenčina

Employment law relationships

The basic principles of employer-employee relationships are specified by the Labour Code. This Act governs individual employment law relationships in connection with the employment of individuals by businesses or by other individuals, as well as collective employment law relationships.

  • Labour Code slovenčina

Employment is based on a written employment contract signed by both the employer and the employee. It is drawn up in two copies, one of which is for the employee.

  • Employment contract pdf slovenčina

A collective agreement is a bilateral legal arrangement between the employer and representatives of the employees. A collective agreement may be concluded only for a fixed period. Claims arising from a collective agreement may be enforced by the courts.

  • Collective agreement slovenčina

Employers must provide employees with pay for the work performed. The pay must not be less than the minimum pay stipulated by the specific legislation.

  • Minimum pay pdf [26 KB] slovenčina

Social security is a broad concept and includes legislation on social insurance and employment rights. The Slovak social security system includes:

  • social insurance
  • social assistance;
  • social support.
  • social security slovenčina
  • Social Insurance Act slovenčina

Employers must ensure that disabled employees have working conditions where they can apply and develop their skills.

Employment protection

Under the terms of the Labour Code, employers must make payments on behalf of employees for different types of insurance: 

  • health insurance,
  • old-age insurance,
  • social insurance,
  • accident insurance,
  • guarantee insurance,
  • unemployment insurance,
  • contributions to the Solidarity Reserve Fund.
  • Obligations of the employer towards the Social Insurance Agency slovenčina
  • Labour Code slovenčina
  • Health Insurance Act slovenčina

Employers must ensure that disabled employees have working conditions where they can apply and develop their skills.

Litigation

Disputes between employees and employers over claims arising from employment law relationships, including breaches of the principle of equal treatment or breaches of conditions, are dealt with and decided by the Courts.

  • Labour Code, Section 14 slovenčina

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

Social insurance

You must meet certain tax obligations on behalf of your employees and pay contributions for different types of insurance, including health insurance.

The premiums vary according to the type of insurance. You must also comply with occupational health and safety regulations.

  • Payment of premiums to Social Insurance Agency slovenčina
  • Social Insurance Agency Forms slovenčina         Online government service

           Social funds are employer funds set up on behalf of employees.

Small-scale business owners operating as legal entities and employing at least one employee must set up a social fund.

Employers who only employ individuals on the basis of service performance agreements and/or temporary job agreements for students are not obliged to set up social funds.

  • Social funds - detailed information slovenčina

Programmes

The European Social Fund (ESF) promotes employment, education and professional skills.

  • European Social Fund slovenčina

The ESF strategy will be implemented using two Operational Programmes over the period 2007-13:

  • Employment and Social Inclusion slovenčina
  • Education slovenčina

Subsidies are also provided by the Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs and the Family to help improve social security services.

  • Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs and the Family - subsidies pdf [30 KB] slovenčina

The Social Implementation Agency   and the  Social Development Fund are the intermediary bodies for the Operational Programme 'Employment and Social Inclusion'.

  • Social Implementation Agency slovenčina
  • Social Development Fund slovenčina

Check also the legislation on this topic in:

  • References

    Legal texts

    • Act No 365/2004 of 20 May 2004 on equal treatment in certain areas and on protection from discrimination (the Anti-discrimination Act) pdf [38 KB] slovenčina
    • Act No 124/2006 of 2 February 2006 on health and safety at work slovenčina
    • Act No 459/2005 on health insurance slovenčina
    • Act No 355/2007 of 21 June 2007 on the protection, support and development of public health slovenčina
    • Act No 377/2004 of 26 May 2004 on the protection of non-smokers slovenčina
    • Act No 591/2007 of 27 November 2007, amending Act No 152/1994 on the social fund slovenčina
    • Act No 174/2008 on social insurance slovenčina
    • Act No 231/1999 of 24 August 1999 on state aid slovenčina
    • Act No 479/2007, the full wording of Act No 311/2001, the Labour Code slovenčina

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Further help

Advice in the field of employment relationships is provided by:

Consultancy, advisory services, manuals and practical guidelines on the European Social Fund are provided by:

  • Regional Advisory Centres slovenčina
  • Social Implementation Agency slovenčina