Every country has its own specific rules and regulations concerning employment contracts. For example, in Slovakia, employment contracts must be provided to employees in writing on their first day of employment. Both the employer and the employee must retain a copy of the contract for their records. Unless otherwise specified, employment contracts in Slovakia are concluded for an indefinite period.
In this section, we’ll discuss everything you need to know about employment contracts in Slovakia. We’ll consider the mandatory terms that must be included in your employment contracts, plus additional clauses you can choose to incorporate. We’ll also talk about the rules concerning working hours and remote work in Slovakia so you can ensure your employment contracts are compliant with the law.
In Slovakia, oral contracts are technically legally binding, but they can be difficult to enforce. This means that, in practice, employers usually provide written contracts for each employee. These must be given to the employee on their first day of employment, and both parties should retain a copy. They can be signed electronically or in paper format.
There are two main types of employment contracts in Slovakia: fixed-term contracts and permanent contracts. If a contract doesn’t specify a fixed term, it is automatically considered to be an indefinite (permanent) contract. Similarly, if a fixed-term contract isn’t documented in writing, it’s legally considered indefinite. That makes it particularly important to provide written employment contracts for fixed-term employees.
Unlike in some other countries, there’s no requirement to lodge employment contracts with a third party in Slovakia. However, employers must notify the healthcare authorities of each new employment relationship within eight business days of the employee’s first day of work.
The Slovak Labour Code also recognises three other types of employment contracts:
Employers in Slovakia can choose to issue internal regulations, subject to an agreement with the works council. Employees must be informed of any internal policies that apply.
Employers and employees in Slovakia are largely free to negotiate the terms of their employment agreements. However, they must be at least as favourable to the employee as the minimum standards set by the Labour Code and any relevant collective bargaining agreements. The Labour Code also provides guidance on the key terms that must be included in a valid contract of employment.
According to the Labour Code, employment contracts in Slovakia must include certain key information about the employment relationship, including:
Employment contracts can also refer to the relevant provisions of any applicable collective bargaining agreement. Employees in Slovakia must be given a copy of their contract.
Probationary periods are legal and common in Slovakia, up to a maximum of three months. For senior managers, the maximum length is six months. Probationary periods must be agreed in writing and may not be extended. Probationary periods for fixed-term contracts can’t exceed half of the total length of the contract.
In Slovakia, the general rule is that an employment contract is an indefinite agreement. However, employers can also choose to conclude fixed-term employment contracts in certain circumstances. The maximum length for a fixed-term contract is two years. The contract must clearly state the start and end dates, or it could be reclassified as a permanent contract.
Employees engaged on fixed-term contracts in Slovakia must not be treated any less favourably than comparable employees hired on a permanent basis. This applies pay and working conditions including health and safety. The Labour Code also requires employers to inform temporary employees of any permanent opportunities that become available within the organisation.
The maximum duration of a fixed-term contract in Slovakia is two years. Fixed-term contracts may be renewed or extended a maximum of twice within a two-year period. A further extension is permissible if the fixed-term contract is being used for one of the following reasons:
A fixed-term contract in Slovakia simply ends when the term is reached. There is no need for either party to give notice to terminate the contract.
Working hours in Slovakia are set by the Labour Code, with collective bargaining agreements providing additional requirements in some cases. In general, the working week in Slovakia is Monday–Friday and employees typically work eight hours per day.
In Slovakia, eight hours a day, 40 hours per week is considered to be full-time work. For shift workers, normal working hours should not exceed 38.75 hours per week. Employees working with chemical carcinogens shouldn’t work more than 33.5 hours per week. There are also special requirements for workers aged below 16 (30 hours per week) and between 16 and 18 (37.5 hours per week).
All work over 40 hours per week is considered overtime in Slovakia. It’s regulated by employment contracts and/or collective agreements. Overtime can only be required in Slovakia in special circumstances, such as when there is a temporary and urgent increased demand for work. In most cases, overtime in Slovakia must be paid at the following rates:
Employees in Slovakia shouldn’t work more than 48 hours per week on average, including overtime. This maximum can be increased to 56 hours for medical staff as long as they agree. Overtime must also not exceed 150 hours per year (250 hours for medical staff). In certain circumstances, this can be extended to 400 hours per year. Executive and C-level employees are exempt from overtime regulations.
Employees who work at least six hours in a day in Slovakia are entitled to a lunch break of at least 30 minutes. This is typically unpaid and is not included in working hours calculations. Employees must also be granted 12 hours of uninterrupted rest time between shifts and two consecutive uninterrupted days of rest per week. This should usually be either Saturday and Sunday or Sunday and Monday unless the employer’s operating conditions make this impossible.
Remote work has become more and more popular around the world over the last decade, and Slovakia is no exception. Slovak labour laws recognise two distinct forms of remote work: telework and domestic work. Both of these can take place anywhere other than the employer’s premises (they don’t need to happen in the employee’s home).
However, the place of work must be agreed upon in the employee’s contract of employment. The difference between the two types of remote work in Slovakia largely comes down to the equipment used: telework is defined as work using IT equipment, while domestic work covers all other types of remote work.
According to the Labour Code, remote work in Slovakia must be agreed upon in writing between the employer and the employee. This can be part of the written employment contract or an additional written agreement. The place of work that is mentioned in the remote work agreement is binding; neither party can unilaterally change it. However, it’s possible to avoid mentioning a specific place and simply agree that work will be completed in a location designated by the employee.
Employers of remote workers can also choose to agree on flexible hours with their remote workers, though this isn’t a requirement. Remote workers have the ‘right to disconnect’ outside of work time.
In Slovakia, the concept of ‘home office’ work is different from telework. This is the occasional use of remote work, which may be permitted on an ad hoc basis.
Employers in Slovakia must provide their remote employees with the technical equipment and software they need to do their jobs. Workers should also be reimbursed for costs related to remote work, such as increased electricity or internet usage. It’s best practice to conclude an agreement on the details for reimbursement so everyone understands their rights and responsibilities.
Employers are also responsible for the health and safety of their remote employees, and any equipment provided to them must meet health and safety standards. For example, employees working on computers should be provided with an appropriately sized monitor, mouse, and keyboard. Remote workers in Slovakia benefit from the same protection from work-related accidents and illnesses as onsite employees.
Like all countries, Slovakia has its own rules and regulations when it comes to employment contracts — and non-compliance could land your company in hot water.
Thankfully, our team is experienced in drawing up tailored, compliant contracts in Slovakia (and more than 100 countries worldwide). That means that, when you work with us, you won’t need to waste time worrying about whether you’ve got it right. Instead, you can focus on what matters: your business.
A legally valid employment contract in Slovakia is a written agreement between an employer and employee that identifies both parties and specifies four mandatory terms: the type of work and a brief job description, the place of work, the employment start date and wage conditions.
Under Slovakia’s Labour Code (Zákonník práce), the workplace can be a single location, multiple locations or a location chosen by the employee. Where pay conditions are covered by an applicable collective agreement, the contract can refer to those provisions instead of repeating them.
The employer must provide the employee with a copy of the written contract. Other employment conditions, including working hours, pay dates, annual leave and notice periods, must also be communicated in writing if they are not already covered in the contract. Any subsequent changes to the agreed contract terms require agreement between the employer and employee. Any probationary period must be agreed in writing. It is normally limited to three months, or six months for specified senior managers, and cannot exceed half the agreed duration of a fixed-term contract.
Yes, employers must put employment contracts in Slovakia in writing and give each employee a written copy. Both parties should sign the contract no later than the day work starts. Employment begins on the agreed start date.
The employer can supply some additional working conditions in a separate written statement if the contract leaves them out. This statement does not replace agreement on the essential contract terms. An oral agreement may still establish employment, but the employer has breached the writing requirement.
Working hours and pay dates must also reach the employee in writing within seven days of the start, and leave and notice rules within 4 weeks, even when the contract leaves them out. Many employers avoid a second document by writing these terms into the contract from day one.
A labour contract in Slovakia can be indefinite or fixed term, while separate agreements cover work performance, work activity and temporary student work. Indefinite contracts have no agreed expiry date, while fixed-term contracts last for an agreed period. Both can have full-time or part-time hours. Part-time work means reduced hours, rather than a separate category of work agreement.
Employers in Slovakia can also use three written agreements outside ordinary employment for limited work.
These are Labour Code arrangements, not freelance contracts. Work-activity agreements also include a special subtype for seasonal jobs listed in law, with different limits from ordinary occasional work.
An employment contract in Slovakia must identify the employer and employee and record their agreed job, workplace arrangements, start date and pay terms. The job entry needs a brief description of the work. The workplace entry must name the place or places of work, or state that the employee chooses where to work.
Where a collective agreement negotiated with trade unions sets the pay terms, the contract can refer to its pay rules. A reference to legislation only covers rights that the law actually regulates. A general reference to the Labour Code cannot replace agreement on basic pay.
The employer must also give written information about working time, pay dates, leave, how employment ends and any training the employer provides. These details can appear in the contract or a separate statement. The parties can also agree additional benefits in the contract. The separate Equal Pay Act, effective from 7 June 2026, also introduces pay-transparency duties affecting recruitment information and pay-setting practices.
A fixed-term contract in Slovakia must state its limited duration in writing and normally cannot last longer than two years. The employer and employee can extend or renew it at most twice within that two-year period. These are combined limits, so a renewal does not start a fresh two-year allowance.
A new contract between the same employer and employee counts as a renewal if it begins before six months have passed since the previous contract ended.
Further extensions or renewals need a statutory exception, such as covering parental leave or qualifying seasonal work. The contract must record the reason. An unwritten fixed term, or one that breaches the legal conditions, means employment is indefinite, with no agreed end date. Temporary agency employment is subject to separate fixed-term and temporary-assignment rules. Employment ends when the agreed duration expires. If the employee continues working with the employer’s knowledge, employment becomes indefinite unless both parties agree otherwise. Any further fixed term must still meet the legal limits.
Yes, an employer can change an employment contract in Slovakia if the employee agrees to the new terms. The employer must record the amendment in writing and give the employee a copy. Simply sending a letter announcing lower pay, a different role or a new workplace does not establish agreement.
An employer can give day-to-day instructions within the job and workplace already covered by the contract. Those instructions do not rewrite the agreed terms. Whether a proposed change fits the existing arrangement depends on what the contract actually says.
A narrow exception allows an employer to assign different work without consent to prevent an emergency or deal with its immediate consequences. This power lasts only for the time needed, not for ordinary business difficulties such as lower revenue or restructuring. A health or pregnancy-related reassignment to a different type of work needs the employee’s agreement.
For employment contracts in Slovakia, employers can normally order up to 150 hours of overtime per calendar year, with employee consent needed for more. The ordinary annual total is 400 hours. Overtime must meet a temporary urgent need or serve the public interest.
Overtime averages must stay within eight hours a week, normally measured over four months. Total working time, including overtime, normally averages no more than 48 hours a week.
Employees receive pay for the extra hours plus a premium of at least 25% of average earnings calculated under payroll rules, rising to 35% for legally classified hazardous work. Equivalent time off can replace the premium if employer and employee agree.
Only specified senior or specialist roles can have overtime included in salary by written agreement, covering up to 150 hours per calendar year. Those hours attract no extra overtime pay or compensatory time off. Salary clauses do not remove the working-time limits.
Regular remote work must be agreed in the employment contract in Slovakia, including the working location and any balance between home and office days. Under section 52 of the Labour Code, telework means regular remote work using information technology.
For telework, the employer supplies, installs and maintains equipment and software unless the employee agrees to use their own. The employer repays proven extra costs under reimbursement terms agreed in the contract or collective agreement negotiated with trade unions. It must also protect data, explain equipment restrictions and prevent isolation, such as by allowing visits to meet colleagues.
Remote employees must receive equal treatment. They can disconnect during leave and holidays when no work is due. During rest periods, this right applies unless lawful overtime or on-call duties have been arranged.
If the employee agrees to set their own hours, statutory overtime pay and weekend supplements do not apply unless both parties agree otherwise. This exception also covers holiday and night-work premiums and compensation for difficult working conditions, unless otherwise agreed.
Employees can work from home occasionally if the employer agrees and their duties under the labour contract in Slovakia can be carried out remotely.
Both parties should agree the location and dates, when the employee will be available, and how equipment and work data will be handled. They should record these details. They do not need a separate contract amendment for each day worked from home if the agreed contract terms stay the same.
The usual rules on working hours, pay and rest still apply. The employer must protect work data, explain how to work safely and ensure that any equipment it supplies is safe to use.
If working from home becomes a regular part of the employee’s schedule, the employer and employee must agree it in the employment contract. This includes hybrid arrangements where the employee works from home for part of each week.
CXC combines tailored employment contracts in Slovakia with payroll, benefits and local human resources support, helping international companies hire with consistent local employment terms. The team drafts contracts for the role and maintains the documents as employment terms or legal requirements change.
Slovakia has specific requirements around fixed-term employment, probation, working arrangements and changes to contractual terms. CXC gives international HR teams access to local specialists who understand these requirements and can help ensure employment terms comply with Slovak labour law, particularly when the company is hiring in the country for the first time.
With more than 30 years of global workforce experience and support across 100+ countries, CXC can also assist businesses hiring beyond Slovakia. Its Employer of Record, payroll and contractor management services allow companies to support different workforce arrangements through the same international partner.
Speak to our team to learn more about managing employment contracts in Slovakia with CXC.
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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