All employment relationships come to an end — and there are specific rules and regulations that apply when that happens. For example, in Slovakia, employers may only terminate employment contracts in certain circumstances, which are defined by Slovak labour law. In some even narrower circumstances, it’s possible to terminate employment without notice.
In this section, we’ll take you through notice periods for employers and employees in Slovakia, as well as the formalities involved in dismissing an employee. We’ll discuss the post-termination restrictions you may be able to impose on your employees (and the limitations that apply to these). Lastly, we’ll discuss the rules governing what happens to employees in the case of a transfer of undertaking.
Employers and employees in Slovakia must give notice to the other party if they want to end their employment relationship. Here’s what you need to know as an employer.
Notice periods for employees in Slovakia depend on how long the employee has been engaged. The statutory minimum notice period for all workers is one month. This is increased to:
If the employee gives notice, the statutory notice period in Slovakia is one month if the employment has lasted less than one year, and two months if it has lasted more than one year.
In Slovakia, the notice period starts on the first day of the calendar month following receipt of notice. For example, if an employer gives one month’s notice to an employee on 15 April, the notice period will begin on 1 May. The employee’s last day of employment would be 31 May. Slovak labour law doesn’t allow for payment in lieu of notice.
Employees in Slovakia may be entitled to severance pay if they have been terminated due to one of the following reasons:
The amount of severance pay an employee is entitled to depends on their length of service and the type of termination. The minimum severance pay for an employee terminated with notice is four times the employee’s average monthly salary.
Probationary periods are permissible and common in Slovakia. Since the whole point of a probationary period is to test out an employee’s suitability for a role, it is not necessary to give notice to terminate employment during the probationary period. However, the employer must give the employee a written notification (not a formal notice) at least three days before the intended termination date.
There are specific rules that apply to the termination of an employment relationship in Slovakia. Employers considering hiring Slovak employees should ensure they understand their rights and obligations. Read on to learn what you need to know.
Employers must have a valid reason, as defined by Slovak labour laws, to dismiss an employee in Slovakia. These include:
Under some circumstances, it’s possible to dismiss an employee in Slovakia with immediate effect (without notice). This is only possible in exceptional circumstances, such as when an employee has been sentenced for committing a crime or has committed a serious breach of work discipline. This is known as a summary dismissal.
In these cases, the employer must dismiss the employee within two months of learning about the breach or reason for dismissal. The termination must also take place no more than one year after the breach took place. A notice of termination must be delivered to the employee in writing and must include the reasons for dismissal without notice.
Employees who are members of the works council can only be dismissed with the prior agreement of the respective employee representatives. Employee representatives themselves are protected from dismissal during their term of office and for six months afterwards. Approval of the state authorities is needed to dismiss a disabled employee.
There are also certain employees who may not be terminated without notice, including:
If there is a reason for immediate termination, employees in all of these categories apart from those on maternity and paternity leave may instead be dismissed with notice.
Post-termination restraints are restrictions that an employer can impose on an employee after their employment contract is over. There are specific limitations that apply to post-termination restraints in Slovakia.
Here are the main types of post-termination restraints it may be possible to impose on employees in Slovakia:
Non-compete clauses in Slovakia are only permitted where an employee’s position means they may acquire information that is not normally available, and which could cause substantial harm to the employer.
They are valid for a maximum of one year after the termination of the employee’s contract, and employees must be compensated at a rate of at least 50% of their average monthly earnings for each month the agreement applies. The parties can agree on an amount to be paid by the employee in the event of a breach.
Neither customer non-solicit agreements nor employee non-solicit agreements are regulated by the Slovak Labour Code, which means their enforceability is questionable. If agreed, they typically only serve as a deterrent and may not be legally binding. The Slovak Labour Code does not permit sanctioning the soliciting of customers or employees, for example by a contractual penalty.
In some countries, it’s possible for employees to waive certain rights, usually as part of a settlement agreement in exchange for a sum of money. While this is possible in Slovakia, it is not possible to waive rights that exist prior to the existence of the waiver.
A transfer of undertaking is when one business entity is wholly or partially acquired by another. In these circumstances, there are specific rules concerning what happens to the employees of the transferred entity.
Under Slovak labour law, legislation related to transfers of undertakings applies when there is a transfer of:
This definition reflects case law of the European Court of Justice.
When a transfer of undertaking occurs in Slovakia, the employees of the transferred entity are transferred to the new employer. The transferee assumes all rights and obligations relating to employment contracts between the transferred entity and the employees. Pension rights and other accrued benefits are also transferred, and any collective bargaining agreement that applies will continue to do so for their entire duration.
Employees in Slovakia are not entitled to object to a transfer of undertaking, as long as both the transferer and the transferee have met their obligations. The employee may choose to resign if they do not wish to work for the new employee.
However, if the transfer causes unavoidable changes to the working environment that employees do not agree to, their employment must be terminated. In this case, employees are entitled to severance pay equal to two or three months’ salary depending on their length of employment.
There are many different ways an employment contract can come to an end. But whatever the situation, you need to understand the rules that cover the end of employment in Slovakia — or you could end up facing legal issues.
Our solutions ensure your business is protected from risk when a relationship with a worker comes to an end — whatever the reason. We can also help you to avoid missed opportunities by re-deploying talent where possible.
Under Slovakia’s Labour Code (Zákonník práce), employers can terminate employment by giving notice only for specific legal reasons. These include redundancy, business closure or relocation, medical incapacity, failure to meet job requirements, poor performance and misconduct. Employers cannot simply dismiss someone because the working relationship is no longer suitable.
The grounds for dismissal have different legal requirements:
Immediate termination without notice is permitted only in exceptional circumstances, including a final conviction for an intentional criminal offence or a serious breach of work discipline. Employers must also follow the applicable statutory time limits and written dismissal requirements. Dismissal by notice may also require an offer of suitable alternative work. Prior consultation with employee representatives applies where required.
The statutory notice period in Slovakia is normally one to three months, depending on who gives notice, the reason and length of service.
The longer notice periods apply when the employer dismisses someone because the business is closing or relocating, the role is redundant, or a medical assessment confirms long-term unfitness for the job. Other lawful employer grounds and employee resignations follow the shorter period.
Service when notice is received | Closure, relocation, redundancy or long-term unfitness | Other employer grounds or resignation |
Less than one year | One month | One month |
One to under five years | Two months | Two months |
Five years or more | Three months | Two months |
Notice starts on the first day of the calendar month after receipt and ends on the last day of the relevant month. It is not counted from the date the letter was sent. A longer agreed period may apply. Consecutive fixed-term contracts with the same employer count towards service for the employer’s notice period.
Employers in Slovakia must pay statutory severance when employment ends due to business closure, relocation, redundancy or medically confirmed long-term inability to work. Employees dismissed with notice generally qualify after at least two years of service, while those leaving by mutual agreement on the same grounds can qualify regardless of service length.
Severance is calculated using average monthly earnings, with the amount increasing according to length of service. For termination by mutual agreement, the qualifying reason must be stated in the written agreement.
Special rules apply to employees who must stop working because of occupational disease, its risk or reaching maximum permitted workplace exposure. These cases can qualify for higher severance without a minimum service period, subject to statutory exceptions. Severance is generally not required for resignation, fixed-term contract expiry or dismissal for poor performance or misconduct. Employment contracts or collective agreements may provide additional payments.
Employers calculate severance pay in Slovakia using average monthly earnings, service and the exit route. Ordinary grounds are closure, relocation, redundancy or medically confirmed long-term unfitness.
Service at employment end | Employer notice | Mutual agreement |
Under two years | No ordinary statutory minimum | One month |
Two to under five years | One month | Two months |
Five to under ten years | Two months | Three months |
Ten to under twenty years | Three months | Four months |
Twenty years or more | Four months | Five months |
Each month means statutory average monthly earnings. Payroll uses the preceding quarter’s earnings. If the employee has not worked enough, payroll uses probable earnings, reflecting what the employee would be expected to earn.
A separate ten-month minimum applies when notice or agreement ends employment because work injury, occupational disease, its risk or maximum permitted exposure prevents the employee doing the job. Accident-related safety breaches or intoxication can exclude entitlement. Payment is due next payday after employment ends, unless both parties agree otherwise.
No, an employer cannot replace the statutory notice period in Slovakia with a cash payment and end employment immediately without the employee’s agreement. Simply offering the remaining notice wages does not create a right to bring the end date forward.
Both parties can instead sign a written agreement setting an earlier end date and any negotiated compensation. The employee can decline this proposal. If the reason qualifies for statutory severance, that entitlement still applies. The agreement must also preserve pay already earned and other mandatory final payments.
An employer can release an employee from work during the notice period while keeping them employed. If the employee remains ready and able to work, they normally receive compensation equal to average earnings. The employee stays on payroll and keeps any applicable employment entitlements until the end date.
A valid fixed-term contract ends when its agreed duration expires, without ordinary dismissal notice. Employers do not need a dismissal reason for this end of contract in Slovakia. The endpoint can be a date or a clearly defined event.
If the employee keeps working with the employer’s knowledge, employment becomes indefinite unless both parties validly agree otherwise. Any further fixed term must still meet the legal conditions and renewal limits. An employee turning up without permission does not automatically extend employment. Pregnancy, maternity or parental leave, and sickness protection against dismissal by notice do not automatically extend a fixed-term contract. It can still expire during these absences.
Employees do not receive statutory severance pay simply because their contract expires. The employer must still pay outstanding wages and compensation for unused annual leave owed and issue an employment certificate.
Yes. A paid non-compete can be enforceable after termination of employment in Slovakia if it is agreed in the written employment contract. It can last no more than one year after employment ends.
The employee must have had access to information or knowledge that is not commonly available and could cause the employer substantial harm if used in another job or business.
For each month the employee follows the restriction, the employer must pay at least 50% of the employee’s statutory average monthly earnings. This compensates the employee for limits on taking competing work.
The clause must be limited to what the employer needs to protect its business. A court can reduce or cancel excessive restrictions. Any agreed payment the employee owes for breaching the clause cannot exceed the total compensation promised by the employer.
Employers normally cannot give notice of termination of employment in Slovakia during protected medical, family or public-service periods.
The exceptions depend on the reason for dismissal and the employee’s protected status. Closing all or part of the business may allow dismissal by notice. Ordinary redundancy does not qualify for this exception.
Employers usually need labour-office approval before giving notice to an employee with a legally recognised disability. The employee can still resign or freely agree to end employment, and a fixed-term contract can still expire. These disability-approval requirements have statutory exceptions that must be checked against the dismissal ground.
Summary dismissal is immediate termination of employment in Slovakia without a notice period. It takes effect when the dismissal letter is properly delivered. Employers can dismiss this way only after a final conviction for an intentional crime or serious misconduct.
The employer must normally deliver the letter within two months of learning of the ground, and no later than one year after it arose. Signing or posting before the deadline is not enough.
The dismissal letter must clearly explain the facts behind the decision. The employer cannot change that reason later.
If the workplace has employee representatives, the employer must consult them before dismissing the employee. If they do not discuss the proposal within two working days of receiving the written request, the law treats the consultation as complete.
Employers cannot use summary dismissal against certain protected employees, including pregnant employees and those on maternity, paternity or parental leave.
CXC helps international businesses manage employee termination in Slovakia through local HR support, clear processes and attention to employee rights. Through its Employer of Record service, CXC provides local HR and employment law expertise to help companies assess lawful grounds for dismissal, notice requirements and employee protections before taking action.
Termination can be particularly sensitive when it involves redundancy, long-term illness or employees with additional legal protections. CXC works with businesses to review the circumstances, prepare the necessary documentation and support appropriate employee communications. This helps employers handle difficult decisions fairly while reducing the risk of disputes or procedural errors.
CXC also coordinates final payroll, unused annual leave payments, applicable severance and statutory employment documents. With local specialists supporting the process, businesses can meet their legal obligations while ensuring departing employees are treated professionally and with dignity. Speak with our team today.
With our EoR solution, you can engage workers anywhere in the world, without putting your business at risk. No more worrying about local labour laws, tax legislation or payroll customs — we’ve got you covered.
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