Staff welfare - Slovenia

Updated 04/2010

Legal requirements

The principles and objectives of relations between the social partners are laid down in the Social Agreement 2007–2009 which was concluded by the Government with both the employers' and workers' sectors in Slovenia. A new Agreement is not expected.

Social Agreement 2007–2009

This Agreement is the basis for legislation relating to social care and it binds companies to meet certain requirements for the social rights of employees and their families.

Non-discrimination, Equal Treatment and Gender Equality

Various Acts cover the most sensitive members of the labour market in detail, including older people, pregnant women, disabled persons, young workers etc. taking into account the above mentioned principles, which are written into the Constitution:

"In Slovenia each individual shall be guaranteed equal human rights and fundamental freedoms irrespective of national origin, race, sex, language, religion, political or other beliefs, financial status, birth, education, social status or whatever other personal circumstances. All persons shall be equal before the law."

Constitution of the Republic of Slovenia

TThe common basis for the improvement of the social standing of women and the promotion of equal rights of men and women in the fields of political, economic, social and other forms of society is laid down in the Act on Equal Opportunities for Women and Men.

Act on Equal Opportunities for Women and Men

The basis which ensures that everyone has the right to equal treatment in all fields of social life, irrespective of personal circumstances, including gender, is legally upheld by the Act Implementing the Principle of Equal Treatment.

Act Implementing the Principle of Equal Treatment

Labour Law

Contract Law

Employment relationships between a worker and employer which are concluded by an Employment Contract are regulated by the Employment Relationships Act. The objectives of the Act are:

promoting the involvement of employees in the work process,
providing for harmonised work processes and the prevention of unemployment, taking into account the rights of workers to freedom of labour,
dignity at work, and
the protection of the interests of the worker as a party to an employment contract.
Employment Relationships Act

The most important acts, executive regulations and collective agreements, which govern relationships in the social and economic fields and provide stable conditions for companis are available on the Employers' Association of Slovenia (ZDS) Website.

Labour and Social Law – ZDS

Relations between employers and employees

The Collective Agreements Act governs parties, contents, the procedure for concluding collective agreements, the form, validity and termination of collective agreements, the out-of-court settlement of disputes arising from a collective agreement, keeping records and the publication of collective agreements.

Collective Agreements Act

The right to a minimum wage, the amount of the minimum wage and conditions under which the transitional amount of the minimum wage may be paid out, the method of calculating the minimum wage and the publication of the calculated amount, are laid down in the Minimum Wage Act, where the minimum wage assumes full-time employment with no less than 36 working hours per week and no more than 40 working hours per week, including 0.5 hrs per day for refreshments. Since 1 March 2010 the minimum monthly wage has been € 734.15 gross and € 562.00 nett.

Minimum Wage Act

Occupational Health and Safety

The obligations of employers and workers relating to health and safety at work and the measures for ensuring health and occupational safety, are governed by the Occupational Health and Safety Act, which, among other things, requires the employer to draft in writing a Declaration on Safety and adopt the same. This Declaration will lay down the means of and the measures for ensuring health and safety at work, and will provide for regular health checks with a physician.

Occupational Health and Safety Act (ZVZD)

This Act also specifies the competent bodies for implementing the regulations relating to health and safety at work, and the most important is the Occupational Safety and Health Office of Slovenia which works within the Ministry of Labour, Family and Social Affairs. The Office monitors and assesses the situation of health and safety at work, and drafts recommendations for the unified regulation of health and safety at work.

Ministry of Labour, Family and Social Affairs

Complaints and disputes

In disputes which arise from labour and social relationships the authorised court will be the Labour and Social Court that has jurisdiction over the region where the dispute occurred. The authority and organisation of labour and social courts are regulated by the Labour and Social Courts Act.

Labour and Social Courts Act (ZDSS-1)

If the conflict of interests cannot be settled through negotiations and consultations, the workers have the right to take collective action to defend their interests, including strike action as the extreme form of their struggle to assert their rights. The right to strike is regulated by the Strike Act.

Strike Act [72 KB]

In disputes which arise from the violation of data protection laws, the aggrieved party may contact an independent and autonomous State body known as the Information Commissioner of Slovenia:

Information Commissioner of Slovenia
How do I lodge a complaint?
Information Commissioner Act

Mandatory social rules complete the requirements related to managing staff.

Staff — Slovenia

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

Sustainability — Slovenia

Administrative procedures

Non-discrimination, Equal Treatment and Gender Equality

The Commission for Petitions, Human Rights and Equal Opportunities examines complaints and motions of citizens regarding specific problems in the implementation of laws and other legal acts, examines complaints relating to individual cases, and acts as a facilitator in procedures involving other institutions, examines requests, complaints, and other initiatives of general interest addressed by citizens to the National Assembly and other State bodies, and establishes the reasons for such objections.

Working Bodies

Occupational Health and Safety

In accordance with the Occupational Health and Safety Act, an employer must, in his Declaration on Safety, state potentially dangerous situations and conditions in particular jobs and the working environment, and assess the risk of serious harm or injury to a worker, as well as potential hazards to human health. The employer must inform a worker of such risks of injury and/or threats to health and organise proper training for working safely.

Occupational Health and safety Act (ZVZD)

Social Insurance

At the latest 8 days before employment, an employer who wishes to recruit workers must report every vacancy personally to the Employment Service of Slovenia by filling in and submitting the standard Form (PD-1).

Employment Service of Slovenia
Forms
Form PD-1

After conclusion of the Employment Contract, but no later than 15 days from the date of the commencement of work, the employer is obliged to register the worker in the Pension and Disability Insurance Institute for the obligatory pension, invalidity, health and unemployment insurance.

Forms for Social Insurance

Employers must provide supplementary social security for a worker by the payment of social contributions through:

indirect contributions (contributions to the pension scheme and health insurance, health care, employment, maternity protection and injuries at work);
direct contributions for social security (wages in the case of sick leave, severance benefits paid upon retirement, redundancy payments and solidarity assistance).

Help relating to social security is available on the eVEM or e‑uprava Web Portals.

eVEM
e-uprava

All information, procedures and forms for social insurance are available on the Website of the Employment Service of Slovenia.

Employment Service of Slovenia
Fast e-Manual of Law [1 MB]

Resources

The Pension and Disability Insurance Institute of Slovenia offers information on rights relating to pension and disability insurance.

Pension and Disability Insurance Institute
Disability Insurance and Right to Pension
Forms for obtaining pension and disability insurance

If you employ persons with disabilities you may obtain information on support on the Funding and support for employers recruiting persons with disabilities Website.

Funding and support for employers recruiting persons with disabilities

The Health Insurance Institute offers information relating to the rights of employees to health insurance.

Health Insurance Institute

Information about rights and obligations in the case of unemployment is available on the Employment Service of Slovenia Portal. The website offers information for both employers and job seekers, as well as detailed information about exerting the right to insurance benefits in the event of unemployment.

Employment Service of Slovenia
Information for employers
Information for job seekers
Forms for insurance in the event of unemployment

The Institute of Occupational Safety provides for health and safety at work and in the living environment.

Institute of Occupational Safety (ZVD)

The Occupational Health and safety Economics Association: (GZVZD) this association aims to join all Slovenian businesses in the field of health and safety at work, and thus join all Slovenian experts in this area and offer a complete service in one place.

GZVZD – Occupational Health and safety Association

Check also the legislation on this topic in:

Staff welfare - Slovenia

Legal requirements