Working life in Slovakia

Notes: Values for real GDP per capita are chain-linked volumes (based on 2010 data; €). The unemployment rate for men and women is the annual average as a percentage of the active population aged 15–74 years, and the youth unemployment rate is the annual average as a percentage of people aged 15–24 years. The employment rate for men and women is the annual average as a percentage of the active population aged 15–64 years, and the youth employment rate is the annual average as a percentage of people aged 15–24 years. GDP, gross domestic product.

Source: Eurostat [sdg_08_10], for real GDP per capita and percentage change 2012–2022; [une_rt_a], for unemployment rate by sex and age; [lfsi_emp_a], for employment rate by sex and age.

Economic and labour market context

Between 2012 and 2022, gross domestic product (GDP) per capita in Slovakia increased substantially, by 23.5%. This was a higher rate of growth than the EU27 average growth of 15.3% for the same period. The unemployment rate fell significantly in all categories, with the biggest reduction in the youth unemployment rate, which decreased by 15.4 percentage points in the period, reaching 19.9% in 2022. The total unemployment rate stood at 6.1% in 2022, close to the EU average of 6.2% for the same year. With the exception of the youth employment rate, employment rates increased, with the growth rate particularly high for women, rising by 6.1 percentage points from 2012 to 2022.

Legal context

Since 1 April 2002, the Labour Code (Act No. 311/2001) has regulated employment conditions and industrial relations in the private and public sectors. Act No. 552/2003 and Act No. 553/2003 regulate employment conditions in the public service. Since 1 June 2017, employment conditions in the civil service have been regulated by Act No. 55/2017. Employees have traditionally been represented by trade unions and, when trade unions were not present, by works councils. However, since 1 July 2003, the Labour Code has allowed works councils in unionised enterprises. Nevertheless, only trade unions are entitled to be involved in collective bargaining.

In addition to the Labour Code, working conditions, including occupational safety and health, are regulated by Act No. 124/2006. Collective bargaining, including the extension of agreements and labour conflict resolution, is regulated by Act No. 2/1991 on collective bargaining.

Industrial relations context

The current industrial relations system was formed in the early 1990s, when the social partner organisations were established. Social dialogue takes place at tripartite and bipartite levels. The social partners are consulted by the government through tripartite social dialogue. Bipartite social dialogue consists of two-tier collective bargaining conducted at sector and company levels.

Industrial relations in Slovakia are mostly consensus oriented and relatively peaceful. Most collective disputes are settled by conciliation or mediation, and few require the arbitration procedure. Strikes are rare, and the collective disputes registered only exceptionally result in a strike.

Collective bargaining plays an important role in the formation of employment conditions and wages. Collective agreements at national level do not exist in Slovakia. Collective bargaining is voluntary, but concluded agreements are legally binding. Single-employer and multiemployer collective agreements are concluded in the private and public sectors. Multiemployer collective agreements are concluded in most of the relevant sectors in the economy. Extensions of collective agreements are allowed. In the public sector, separate multiemployer (multisector) collective agreements are concluded for civil and public services.

Trade union density has declined since the financial crisis of 2008–2009, which led to the loss of thousands of jobs. Nevertheless, the industrial relations system was not affected significantly. During the crisis, trade unions focused their activities mainly on maintaining employment in enterprises threatened by the recession, and they did not organise any significant social action. Any changes in the industrial relations system since the COVID-19 pandemic have been minor. The pandemic had no relevant impact on the industrial relations system in 2020, but the social partners that participate in the tripartite Economic and Social Council (Hospodarska a socialna rada, HSR) were rarely consulted by the government on changes adopted in the legislation.

Trade unions, employer organisations and public institutions play a key role in the governance of the employment relationship, working conditions and industrial relations structures. They are interlocking parts in a multilevel system of governance that includes European, national, sectoral, regional (provincial or local) and company levels. This section looks at the key players and institutions and their role in Slovakia.

Public authorities involved in regulating working life

The Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs and Family (MPSVR SR) is the main public authority in the legal regulation of industrial relations. Via the Labour Code, the MPSVR SR regulates basic individual and collective labour relations, employment and working conditions, and wages, and facilitates bipartite social dialogue. Through Act No. 2/1991 on collective bargaining, as amended, it regulates collective bargaining as well as conciliation or mediation and arbitration procedures for the resolution of collective labour disputes to facilitate the enforcement of employees’ rights. The MPSVR SR also regulates the legislation that defines the rules and standards for occupational safety and health. The Public Health Authority of the Slovak Republic (Oficiálna stránka verejnej správy, SR), which operates under the umbrella of the Ministry of Health Care, also plays a role in the protection of health and safety at work. In addition, the MPSVR SR regulates the provision of employment services for jobseekers through the Central Office of Labour, Social Affairs and Family.

The National Labour Inspectorate (Národný inšpektorát práce, NIP) is the state body responsible for enforcing labour legislation. Its activities are regulated by Act No. 125/2006. Labour inspectorates perform checks in companies, and if an employer is found to be breaching the legislation, the labour inspectorate can require them to implement remedial actions and to impose penalties.

Representativeness

Rules concerning the representativeness of the social partners are specified only in relation to the national-level tripartite body, the HSR. According to Act No. 103/2007 on tripartite consultations at national level (the Tripartite Act), only peak-level trade unions and employer organisations that represent at least 100,000 employees and employers in at least five (out of the eight) regions (higher territorial units) can participate in the HSR. Trade unions have to be active in several sectors. Since March 2021, if fewer than three unions or employers participate in the HSR, organisations representing fewer than 100,000 employees have also been able to participate (Act No. 76/2021). There is no representativeness criterion for trade unions regarding collective bargaining and the conclusion of collective agreements (a representativeness criterion was temporarily introduced from 1 September 2011 to 31 December 2012 via amendments to the Labour Code).

Trade unions

About trade union representation

Trade unions have a long tradition in Slovakia. Membership is voluntary, and – with the exception of professional soldiers – no particular group of employees is excluded from joining trade unions. The operation of trade union organisations is regulated by Act No. 83/1990 on the association of citizens. Trade unions are usually organised by sector – a hangover from the organisation of trade unions operating in the socialist political system before 1989. They are present in both the private and the public sectors.

Trade union density has declined continuously. For instance, while density in 2011 was about 14.5%, in 2018 it had declined to about 11.3%. From 2014 to 2019, it fluctuated around 12–13%. Trade unions are organised at sector and local company levels. Their members are usually active workers in the labour force, but some trade unions retain the membership of their retired members as well.

Trade union membership and density, 2011–2019

Notes: * Proportion of employees who are member of a trade union. ** Approximate figures. *** Total sum of trade (labour) union members (including self-employed workers and non-active union members, i.e. students, retirees and unemployed people) at national level.  n.a.: not applicable.

Sources: ¹ OECD and AIAS (2021); ² Authors’ own estimate; ³ 2013–2018 data are based on information from KOZ SR, NKOS and VSOZ and estimates on KUK; 2019 data are based on data from KOZ SR, SOS, NKOS and estimates on KUK and other non-affiliated unions.

Main trade union confederations and federations

There is one dominant trade union confederation in the country: the Confederation of Trade Unions of the Slovak Republic (Konfederacia odborovych zvazov Slovenskejrepubliky, KOZ SR). In 2022, KOZ SR had 25 sectoral trade union associations as affiliates, with about 211,200 members. In October 2018, a new trade union confederation, the Joint Trade Unions of Slovakia (Splocne odbory Slovenska, SOS), was established. The next largest trade union confederation is the Independent Christian Trade Unions of Slovakia (Nezavisle krestanske odbory Slovenska, NKOS), which has a substantially lower membership – according to available information and estimates, it may have about 3,000 members in total.

Main trade union confederations and federations

No significant organisational changes took place in KOZ SR until 2006. Mergers of sector trade unions affiliated to KOZ SR took place mainly in 2007–2009. Over this period, several trade unions merged with the Metal Trade Union Association (OZ Kovo), namely the Slovak Trade Union of Public Services in 2007, the Independent Public Road Transport Union in 2008 and the Metallurgy Union in 2009. In addition, in 2008, the Textile, Clothing and Leader Union and Transport Union merged with the Construction Trade Union Association (OZ Stavba) and established the Integrated Trade Union Association (IOZ) on 1 January 2009. In 2009, the Chemical Trade Union merged with the Slovak Trade Union Association of Energy Workers and established a joint Energy and Chemical Workers Union (ECHOZ).

Since 2012, some trade unionists have left the trade union associations affiliated to KOZ SR and established new trade union organisations: the New Education Trade Unions, the Trade Union Association of Nurses and Midwifes, the New Trade Union Association of Police, the Modern Trade Unions Volkswagen and the Modern Trade Unions AIOS. In 2018, these unions established SOS. Since 2021, SOS has been a member of the national tripartite body, the HSR, based on Act No. 76/2021 Coll. amending the Tripartite Act. The General Free Trade Union Association (Všeobecný slobodný odborový zväz, VSOZ),an organisation that had approximately 500 members until 2018, was dissolved in 2019.

Employer organisations

About employer representation

Before 1990, the only employer was the state. Employer organisations were established at the beginning of the 1990s practically from scratch. The density of employer organisations gradually increased and has been relatively stable since 2012. According to available information, their density fluctuated around 35% from 2012 to 2016 in terms of active employees covered. In 2019 and 2022, it had increased to about 45%.

Employer organisations that are established according to Act No. 83/1990 on the association of citizens, as amended, are entitled to participate in collective bargaining (similar to trade unions). Membership in employer organisations is voluntary. Employers are organised by sector (similar to trade unions). In 2019, employer organisations were affiliated to four peak employer organisations at national level. Representatives of sector-level employer organisations can participate in multiemployer collective bargaining. To avoid being covered by multiemployer collective agreements, some employers have not participated in sector collective bargaining or blocked the extension of collective agreements as far as possible. Employer organisations fulfilling the criteria participate in national-level tripartite social dialogue.

Employer organisation membership and density, 2012–2022

Notes: *Approximate figures, include AZZZ SR, RUZ and ZMOS. **Approximate figure, includes AZZZ SR, RUZ, ZMOS and APZ. ***Approximate figures, include AZZZ SR, RUZ, ZMOS, APZ and SZZ. ****Approximate figures, data for AZZZ SR, RUZ, APZD and ZMOS. ^†Percentage of employees working in an establishment that is a member of any employer organisation that is involved in collective bargaining.n.a.: not applicable.

Sources: ¹OECD and AIAS (2021); ²Based on information from employers and authors’ calculations; ³European Company Survey 2019.

Main employer organisations and confederations

Since 1991, all employer organisations have been affiliated to the Federation of Employers’ Associations of the Slovak Republic (Asociacia zamestnavatelskych zvazov a zdruzeni Slovenskejrepubliky, AZZZ SR). In 2004, the National Union of Employers (Republikova unia zamestnanvatelov, RUZ) was established as the second peak-level employer organisation. The AZZZ SR and RUZ have sector-level employer organisations as affiliates, and their members employ around 660,000 people. Besides the AZZZ SR and RUZ, the Association of Towns and Communities of Slovakia (Zdruzenie miest a obci Slovenska, ZMOS) also represents employers. Its affiliates are employers established by cities and municipalities for the provision of public services.

In 2016, employer organisations from the industry left the AZZZ SR and RUZ and established a new peak employer organisation: the Association of Industrial Unions (Asociacia priemyselnych zvazov, APZ), which, since 2021, has been the Association of Industrial Unions and Transport (Asociacia priemyselnych zvazov a dopravy, APZD). The AZZZ SR, RUZ, the APZD and ZMOS participate in the national-level tripartite consultations in the HSR. In 2022, they represented around 982,000 employees. ZMOS also participates in multiemployer collective bargaining for the conclusion of collective agreements for public servants (employees performing activities for the public interest). Organisations affiliated to ZMOS employ around 142,000 people. Licensed trade associations, guilds and other craft workers, and small and medium-sized enterprises are organised in the Slovak Craft Industry Federation (Slovenský živnostenský zväz, SZZ), with about 20,000 members. It is a member of the APZD.

Main employer organisations and confederations

Tripartite and bipartite bodies and concertation

From 1993 to 2004, national tripartite social dialogue took place in the Economic and Social Concertation Council. In 2004, this body was renamed as the Economic and Social Partnership Council (RHSP) and, since 2007, it has operated as the HSR. The HSR is a consultation body for social dialogue between the government and the social partners. KOZ SR (on the employee side) and RUZ, the AZZZ SR and ZMOS (on the employer side) represent the social partners in the HSR. Tripartite social dialogue usually deals with the implementation of public policies and the adoption of legislation related to the development of the business environment, citizens’ standards of living and employment conditions as the most important issues.

The conclusion of national-level social pacts, called Generalna dohoda (general agreements), is another significant outcome of tripartite social dialogue. From 1993 to 2000, seven general agreements were concluded in Slovakia, but no such agreement has been concluded since then. During the economic crisis, the adoption of anti-crisis measures was discussed first in tripartite social dialogue in the HSR. Sectoral tripartite social dialogue also takes place in some sectors. For instance, the transport, post and telecommunications sectors and the healthcare sector are examples of sectoral tripartism. In 2013, Industry Bipartite (Priemyselna bipartita) was established by the social partners in industry and construction, among others, in order to better prepare themselves for tripartite consultations at the HSR. The APZ became a member of the tripartite HSR in 2018 (now the APZD) and SOS became a member in 2021. With the exception of 2020, the HSR has met regularly in line with the schedule agreed with social partners, approximately 10 times a year.

Main tripartite and bipartite bodies

Workplace-level employee representation

Employee representation is regulated by the Labour Code. Until 2001, employees were represented only by trade unions. Since 2002, employees have been able to be represented either by trade unions or by works councils or employee trustees. Since 2003, a dual channel of representation has been implemented whereby works councils or employee trustees can coexist with trade unions in establishments.

Employee representatives have the right to information, consultation, co-decision and control of activities. Nevertheless, only trade unions are entitled to enter into collective bargaining. In establishments without a collective agreement, works councils can conclude agreements with management on employment and working conditions (but these agreements do not have the same status as collective agreements). Trade union organisations, members of works councils and employee trustees are elected by the employees of establishments. In most cases, the main employee representative bodies in the workplace are trade unions. Details about the operation of trade unions and their cooperation with management are usually agreed in collective agreements.

Regulation, composition and competencies of the bodies

The central concern of employment relations is the collective governance of work and employment. This section looks at collective bargaining in Slovakia.

Bargaining system

Collective bargaining is voluntary for the social partners and takes place without interference from the state. Two-tier collective bargaining takes place at sector and company levels, where multiemployer and single-employer collective agreements can be concluded. No national-level collective bargaining exists in Slovakia. Provisions agreed in both multiemployer and single-employer collective agreements are legally binding for the contracting parties. There is no separate collective bargaining for white- and blue-collar workers. Multiemployer collective agreements can be extended to employers performing comparable activities as indicated by the statistical classification of economic activities (NACE). Collective agreements are equally applied to all employees, regardless of whether or not they are a member of a trade union.

Since the economic crisis, there has been a trend of the decentralisation of bargaining from sector to company level. For instance, 27 and 23 new multiemployer collective agreements were registered by the MPSVR SR in 2011 and 2012, respectively. In both 2017 and 2018, 14 new multiemployer agreements were registered. Some multiemployer agreements are concluded for more than one year, which affects the number of new agreements concluded in the respective year. For instance, in 2019 and 2020, 20 and 11 new multiemployer agreements were registered, respectively. In 2022, 13 new agreements were registered.

Wage bargaining coverage

According to the social partners, up to 35% of employees nationally are covered by a collective agreement. According to the European Company Survey (ECS) 2013, about 30% of employees were covered at company level when all levels are considered. At sectoral and regional levels, the coverage is about 10%. Similarly, at occupational and cross-sectoral levels, the coverage is also 10%.

Collective wage bargaining coverage of employees from different sources

* Percentage of employees working in local units where more than 50% of the employees are covered under a collective pay agreement against the total number of employees who participated in the survey.

Sources: Eurofound, ECS 2013 and 2019 (including private sector establishments with >10 employees (NACE codes B–S), with multiple answers possible); Eurostat [earn_ses10_01], [earn_ses14_01], [earn_ses18_01], Structure of Earnings Survey 2010, 2014 and 2018 (including companies with >10 employees (NACE codes B–S, excluding O), with a single answer for each local unit).

According to KOZ SR, the overall coverage of employees by company collective agreements in Slovakia was 26.4% in 2019. In the private sector, the coverage was 15.4%, that is, higher than the coverage estimated by the ECS 2019. The overall coverage by collective agreements is, however, higher (around 35%) because employees in several companies that are not covered by company agreements are covered by multiemployer agreements. Since 2021, when the extension of representative multiemployer agreements was abolished, coverage has decreased. According to KOZ SR, the number of employees covered by collective agreements decreased by about 140,000 employees between 2021 and 2022.

Bargaining levels

Collective bargaining takes place at two levels: single-employer collective bargaining at company or establishment level and multiemployer collective bargaining in most sectors in the economy. Multiemployer and single-employer collective bargaining plays an important role in determining employees’ working conditions, working time and wages. While multiemployer collective bargaining is important, single-employer collective bargaining is dominant.

Collective bargaining exists in the private and public sectors. For instance, in the public sector, separate multiemployer (multisector) collective agreements are concluded for the civil and public services. The collective agreement for the public service covers employees in the education (including research) and healthcare sectors primarily.

Levels of collective bargaining, 2022

Articulation

Vertical coordination exists because collective bargaining at sector and company levels is interlinked. In company-level collective agreements, more favourable employment and working conditions can be agreed than what is defined in the respective multiemployer collective agreement.

Timing of the bargaining rounds

Bargaining rounds usually start a couple of months before the end of the calendar year, when collective agreements usually expire. Either party can start negotiations, but trade unions usually take the first step by submitting their first proposal to the employer, company management or employer organisation. Employer representatives are expected to respond within 60 days. Collective bargaining usually consists of one or more bargaining rounds. The number usually depends on the demands of the trade unions and the economic situation on the employer side. It can also be influenced by the style of negotiation (consensual or conflicting).

Coordination

Collective bargaining is coordinated vertically across different bargaining levels. There is a direct link between multiemployer and single-employer collective bargaining. Due to the link, multiemployer bargaining rounds usually precede single-employer bargaining rounds. According to the Labour Code, in company collective agreements, provisions can only be agreed that are equal to or more favourable for employees than those defined by the Labour Code or provisions agreed in the multiemployer collective agreement. For instance, an equal or higher wage increase can be agreed. There is no ‘pattern-setting’ collective bargaining or agreement. Collective bargaining in individual sectors is formally independent without formalised horizontal coordination.

Extension mechanisms

The extension of collective agreements is allowed by law. Multiemployer collective agreements can be extended to other employers in the same industry or sector according to the rules specified by Act No. 2/1991 on collective bargaining, as amended. A proposal for the extension can be submitted by either contracting social partner, but it is usually the trade unions that do so. The proposal is submitted to the MPSVR SR, and a special working group deals with it. Due to frequent changes in the regulation of extensions regarding the consent of employers affected by the extension, extensions are rarely applied. For instance, there were four extensions in 2005–2006, there were five extensions in 2009 and none during 2010–2013.

Since 2014, the extension of a collective agreement had been possible without the consent of the employer affected by the extension. Some trade union associations, particularly OZ Kovo, used this option to their advantage. In March 2016, the Constitutional Court decided that the extension mechanism was not in compliance with the constitutionally acceptable spirit of legislation. On 1 September 2017, amendments to the legislation introduced the term ‘representative multiemployer collective agreement’. Now, only such agreements could be extended, and the consent of employers that had not signed the collective agreement was not required. In both 2019 and 2020, five multiemployer agreements were extended. On 1 March 2021, the extension of representative agreements was abolished (Act No. 76/2021, Article II) and, in 2022, no multiemployer collective agreement was extended.

Derogation mechanisms

Deviations from multiemployer collective agreements are allowed only in favour of employees. For instance, it is not possible to derogate from collective wage agreements in order to pay wages below the collectively agreed level. Opt-out clauses are usually not applied in collective agreements, and opening possibilities are subject to mutual agreement between contracting parties.

Expiry of collective agreements

The collective agreement can remain valid unless the period of validity of some obligations is negotiated differently in it. When the date of validity or expiration is not specified in the collective agreement, it is valid for one year. Company collective agreements and multiemployer collective agreements in the public sector used to be agreed for one year, but recently multiemployer agreements in the public sector have been agreed for a longer period. Multiemployer collective agreements in the business sector used to be valid for two to three years.

Peace clauses

Industrial peace should prevail for the duration of the collective agreement. Peace clauses as such are, however, usually not included in collective agreements. Act No. 2/1991 on collective bargaining includes a provision according to which a collective labour dispute can arise through the non-fulfilment of provisions or rights agreed in the existing collective agreement (dispute of rights). In such cases, the contracting social partners can use the procedure of labour dispute resolution. To settle emerging labour disputes, internal mechanisms are provided for in some company collective agreements.

Other aspects of working life addressed in collective agreements

Besides weekly working time and wage increases, common subjects of collective agreements include workers’ representation rights, occupational safety and health, rules regarding dismissals (mainly severance pay), supplementary payments (for example for overtime work, working on holidays or night work), flexible forms of working time, the creation of a social fund in companies and its utilisation, and non-discrimination and gender equality at work. In 2020, the conditions for homeworking during the COVID-19 pandemic were agreed in company collective agreements.

Legal aspects

Industrial actions and the resolution of collective labour disputes are regulated by the law on collective bargaining. To defend their interests and pursue their demands, employees have the right to strike, and employers have the right to lock employees out of their premises. However, these tools are considered to be extreme and can be applied only when other options for settling the industrial conflict have failed. According to the law on collective bargaining, before calling a strike, trade unions must try to resolve the dispute through a conciliation or mediation procedure (konanie pred sprostredkovatelom). If this fails, either party can ask for an arbitrator, or trade unions can call a strike and employers can use a lockout (výluka).

A trade union decision on whether to strike must be based on the results of a secret ballot, whereby a majority of votes is needed. Trade unions can opt for different types of strike; usually a strike takes the form of a work stoppage but on rare occasions it can be a work-to-rule. Before going on strike, trade unions declare a strike alert (strajková pohotovost) or call a short-time warning strike to put pressure on the employer when bargaining. A strike can be considered illegal if it is not preceded by a formal claim for a collective agreement and an attempt at conciliation (apart from solidarity strikes), if it takes place while the collective agreement on the issue is still valid or if the arbitration process has started.

Strikes happen relatively rarely – there were only three genuine strikes during 2005–2010. In 2011, there were two symbolic warning strikes, while in 2012, two short-term strikes were organised by teachers. Some strikes were not organised in line with Act No. 2/1991 on collective bargaining, which regulates strikes; instead, they were based on the constitutional right of Slovak citizens to strike. During 2013–2015, there were no significant strikes but, in 2019–2022, the number of strikes increased. In this period, the highest number of working days were lost in 2020 (19 days) when 330 employees participated in three strikes.

In addition to the tools discussed previously, internal mechanisms and rules for conflict resolution can be agreed in collective agreements to prevent open conflicts. Internal mechanisms are usually agreed in collective agreements. In multiemployer collective agreements, bilateral parity committees are usually established to deal with disputes.

Civil courts can decide on the legitimacy of strikes, but such cases are rare.

Developments in industrial action, 2011–2022

Note: n.a., not available.

Sources: ¹ETUI; ²Statistical Office of the Slovak Republic (Štatistický úrad Slovenskej republiky).

Dispute resolution mechanisms

Collective dispute resolution mechanisms

The standard mechanisms for dealing with collective labour disputes are conciliation or mediation and arbitration procedures. Collective labour disputes can concern the conclusion of a new collective agreement or the fulfilment of provisions or duties agreed by the contracting parties in existing multiemployer collective agreements or company agreements. Collective labour disputes usually arise from dismissals and wage issues.

Conciliation or mediation takes place only if the parties desire it and it is aimed at bringing the two parties in a collective dispute to an agreement. Conciliators and mediators are available from a list maintained by the MPSVR SR. If conciliation or mediation fails, the parties may agree to refer the dispute to arbitration. The MPSVR SR, at the request of any of the contractual parties, may appoint an arbitrator if the dispute concerns the interpretation of an existing collective agreement or in companies where strike action is forbidden due to the nature of the profession or work, such as in some specialised civil service and public service areas. Either party can appeal the arbitrator’s ruling to the civil court within 15 days once the decision has been delivered; otherwise, the ruling is legally binding. If the arbitrator’s ruling is endorsed as invalid, the same arbitrator deals with the case again. If this is not possible, the MPSVR SR appoints another arbitrator.

Individual dispute resolution mechanisms

Specialised labour courts do not exist in Slovakia. Disputes between an employee and their employer over claims deriving from labour law relations, mainly from the Labour Code, are heard and decided by the civil courts. Participants can resolve their disputed claims by an agreement on those claims, which must be in writing or, otherwise, it is invalid.

Use of dispute resolution mechanisms, 2012–2022

Source: MPSVR SR (undated)

Use of alternative dispute resolution mechanisms

With the exception of 2013 and 2021, among the available dispute resolution mechanisms, the use of conciliation or mediation dominated in 2012–2022. For instance, in 2019 and 2020, conciliation or mediation was used in 23 and 22 cases out of 28 and 26 registered labour disputes, respectively. Only conciliation or mediation was used in 2015 and 2022.

Dispute resolution mechanisms are used effectively, and almost all registered disputes are successfully resolved. The majority of disputes concern the conclusion of new collective agreements or supplements to existing agreements.

Use of dispute resolution mechanisms, 2012–2022

Source: MPSVR SR (undated)

‘Individual employment relations’ refers to the relationship between the individual worker and their employer. This relationship is shaped by legal regulation and by the outcomes of social partner negotiations over terms and conditions. This section looks at the start and termination of the employment relationship and entitlements and obligations in Slovakia.

Start and termination of the employment relationship

Requirements regarding an employment contract

An employment relationship is established by a written employment contract between the employer and the employee on the day agreed in the employment contract as the day of taking up work. The employer is obliged to provide the employee with one written copy of the employment contract.

In an employment contract, the employer is obliged to stipulate the following substantial items to the employee:

• the type of work for which the employee was accepted and a brief description of it
• the place of work performance (municipality, part of municipality or a place otherwise determined)
• the day of take-up of work
• wage conditions, unless agreed in a collective agreement

In addition to the above, further working conditions, particularly concerning payment terms, working time, duration of paid holidays and the length of the notice period, can also be outlined in the contract.

An employer can only conclude an employment contract with an adolescent (less than 18 years of age) upon medical examination of the adolescent.

Dismissal and termination procedures

The Labour Code regulates the termination of the employment relationship and dismissal procedures. An employment relationship can be terminated by agreement, by notice, by immediate termination and by termination within a probationary period. By agreement, the employment relationship terminates upon a specific day. Notice must be given in writing and delivered to the other party or it will be invalid. An employer may give notice to an employee only for reasons expressly stipulated in the Labour Code. The period of notice ranges from one to three months, depending on the employee’s health status and number of years in service for the employer. The reasons for immediate termination are strictly defined by law. An employment relationship concluded for a fixed period terminates upon expiry of the agreed period.

Employees who are made redundant for defined reasons are entitled to receive severance pay according to the number of years in service, which is at least equal to their average monthly earnings but up to four times the amount of their average monthly earnings. Rules regulating the dismissal of employees and the amount of severance pay are usual subjects of collective bargaining.

Entitlements and obligations

Parental, maternity and paternity leave

In 2021, 31,990 maternity benefits were provided per month, on average. The proportion of the men who are eligible who receive the parental allowance has been increasing and was 22% in 2019. Parental allowance was provided to 141,323 people per month, on average. Almost all of these people were women – only 3.4% were men. Paternity leave was introduced in late 2022; therefore, no figures are available on take-up yet.

Statutory leave arrangements

Sick leave

Sick leave is regulated by Act No. 461/2003 on social insurance and by Act No. 462/2003 on income replacement in the case of an employee being temporarily incapacitated for work. Some sickness-related issues are also regulated by the Labour Code. Sickness pay is calculated based on a daily assessment and is provided for a maximum of 52 weeks. The first 10 days of sick leave benefit is paid by the employer – in the first three days, the rate is 25% and from the 4th to the 10th day it is 55%. For the remainder of sick leave, the benefit is paid by the Social Insurance Agency at a rate of 55% of the assessment base. The Labour Code prohibits termination of the employment relationship while an employee is on sick leave is not allowed. In 2021, the total number of paid benefits was 2,205,283. From March 2020 to December 2021, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Social Insurance Agency paid the benefit for the first 10 days of sick leave instead of employers.

Retirement age

In 2004, the retirement age for receiving the old-age pension was increased to 62 years for all population groups (except for women with multiple children, for whom this retirement age was reached in 2023). Since 2017, the legal retirement age has been gradually increasing in line with the increase in life expectancy. In 2022, the retirement age was 62 years and 10 months. The age of retirement is lowered by six months if a person raised one child, by 12 months if they raised two children and by 18 months if raised three or four children. If a woman took care of five or more children, her retirement age is lowered by 25 months, while, for men, only the first three children apply.

For workers, pay is a reward for their work and their main source of income; for employers, it is a cost of production and a focus of bargaining and legislation. This section looks at minimum wage setting in Slovakia and guides the reader to further material on collective wage bargaining.

Wages in Slovakia have been increasing since 2012 in all sectors of the economy. For instance, average gross monthly wages across all sectors increased from €888 in 2012 to €1,405 in 2021, an increase of 58%. Major increases took place in healthcare and social services (83%), public administration and defence (77%), and education and administrative and support services (both 75%). The highest average wages are in the information and communication (€2,264 per month), financial and insurance activities (€2,079 per month) and electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply (€2,020 per month) sectors. The lowest wages have for a long time been in accommodation and food service activities (€817 per month).

Average gross monthly wages per worker (€), 2012 and 2021

Average gross monthly wages per worker (€) by sex, 2012 and 2021

 Source: Statistical Office of the Slovak Republic (undated).

Minimum wages

The minimum wage is the statutory monthly and hourly wage rates. According to Act No. 663/2007 on the minimum wage, as amended, the social partners negotiate the level of the minimum wage. Negotiations usually take place in the tripartite HSR. The statutory deadline for negotiations is 15 July of the calendar year. If the social partners do not reach an agreement, the MPSVR SR proposes the level of the minimum wage for the next year. The government takes the proposal from the MPSVR SR into consideration and makes a decision, which is published in a government decree. The minimum wage enters into effect on 1 January and is valid for the whole calendar year. It is effective for all employees, branches of industry and regions. Wages in Slovakia are quite low, and the minimum wage increases nearly every year. The monthly minimum wage increased from €81.30 in 1993 to €380 in 2015 and to €700 in 2023; the latter was 8.5% higher than the minimum wage in 2022 (€646).

Monthly minimum wage (€), 2013–2023

Collectively agreed pay outcomes

According to the Information System on Working Conditions (Informačný systém o pracovných podmienkach, ISPP) issued annually by the MPSVR SR and Trexima, the following average increases in nominal wages were agreed in collective agreements concluded in the business sector: 3.2% in 2014, 3.5% in 2015, 3.6% in 2016, 4.5% in 2017, 5.7% in 2018 and 5.9% in 2019. According to the ISPP, nominal wages increased in almost all sectors. In 2019, the highest increases were agreed in the hotel, restaurant and catering sector; the agriculture sector; and the transport and storage sectors. In the multiemployer collective agreements for employees in the civil and public service, a 10% increase was agreed upon for 2019 and an additional 10% increase was agreed for 2020.

In July 2022, the nominal wages of teachers (both teaching and non-teaching staff) and all employees in the civil and public service were increased by 3%. In the same year, the government and trade unions agreed upon a 7% increase from January 2023 onwards, followed by an additional 10% increase in September 2023 for employees in the civil and public service and two increases of 10% and 12% for teachers including teaching and non-teaching staff.

In November 2022, it was agreed that, as of 1 January 2023, the nominal wages of all health workers in institutional healthcare facilities and in the ambulance service of the emergency medical service were to increase substantially. After a tense round of collective bargaining lasting several months, an increase in doctors’ salaries was approved by the government.

• From 1 January 2023, the nominal wage of a non-certified doctor increased from 1.25 to 1.5 times the average wage in Slovakia. For each year of practice, up to 30 years, a non-certified doctor will earn 0.015 times the average wage.
• From the same date, the nominal wage of a certified doctor increased from 2.3 to 2.5 times the average wage in Slovakia. For each year of experience, a certified doctor will be entitled to 0.025 times the average wage, for a maximum of 30 years. From 1 January 2025, the coefficient for years of experience will increase from 0.025 to 0.03 for certified doctors.

This change aimed to address the mass resignations of doctors, but also aimed to prevent the declining levels of interest in studying medicine and to reduce the number of doctors leaving Slovakia to work abroad.

Working time is ‘any period during which the worker is working, at the employer’s disposal and carrying out his activity or duties, in accordance with national laws and/or practice’ (Directive 2003/88/EC). This section briefly summarises the regulation of and issues regarding working time, overtime, part-time work and working time flexibility in Slovakia.

Working time regulation

Working time is regulated by the Labour Code, which defines working time as the time when an employee is at the disposal of the employer, performs work and discharges obligations pursuant to the employment contract. A rest period is any period that is not working time. For the purposes of determining the extent of working time and planning working time, a week is seven consecutive days. Working time in the course of 24 hours usually cannot exceed 8 hours. The maximum weekly working time of an employee is 40 hours.

For adolescent employees (less than 18 years of age) working time cannot exceed 8 hours in the course of 24 hours. The maximum weekly working time of an adolescent employee is 30 hours per week for those under 16 years of age and 37.5 hours for those over 16 years of age, even when working for several employers.

In the case of an employee who works with proven chemical carcinogens or with a risk of chemical carcinogenicity, who performs work leading to exposure to radiation of category A or who works in the controlled zone of a workplace where there are sources of ionising radiation of category A, except for the controlled zone of a nuclear power plant, the maximum weekly working time is 33.5 hours.

For an employee with a health disability, a pregnant woman, a woman or man permanently caring for a child younger than three years of age or a single parent who permanently cares for a child younger than 15 years of age, working time may be distributed unevenly across individual weeks only upon agreement with them.

Working time is a typical issue covered in collective bargaining. The weekly working time standards set by the Labour Code can be shortened in favour of employees in multiemployer collective agreements and, consequently, in single-employer or company-level collective agreements as well.

Overtime regulation

Overtime is regulated by the Labour Code and is defined as work performed by an employee beyond the determined weekly working time by order of the employer or with the employee’s consent arising from the predetermined distribution of working time and performed outside the scope of the timetable of work shifts. The average weekly working time of an employee, including overtime, may not exceed 48 hours for a period of four consecutive months. In the case of a healthcare employee under other relevant regulation, if the employee agrees to the given extent of working time, the average weekly working time may not exceed 56 hours. The total amount of overtime hours in a calendar year is limited to 150 hours (or 250 hours for healthcare employees) by order of the employer and to 400 hours in total, that is, including overtime work agreed with the employee.

An employee whose job falls under the category of healthcare pursuant to relevant regulation and who is over the age of 50 may not be ordered to perform overtime work. Pregnant women, women or men permanently caring for a child under the age of 3, and single women or single men permanently caring for a child under the age of 15 may work overtime only with their consent. Juvenile employees may not work overtime.

Overtime is compensated by supplementary payments – a wage surcharge equal to at least 25% of the employee’s average earnings. Details of overtime work are usually agreed in collective agreements.

Part-time work

Part-time work is regulated by the Labour Code and implemented in individual employment contracts. According to the Labour Code, an employer may set out an agreement with an employee in the employment contract for a shorter weekly working time than the determined standard weekly working time. Reduced working time does not need to be distributed over all working days. An employee with reduced working time is entitled to wages corresponding to the agreed reduced working time. An employee in an employment relationship with reduced working time may not be advantaged or constrained in comparison with a comparable employee.

People employed part time, EU and Slovakia compared, total population and by sex, 2012–2021 (% of total population)

Source: Eurostat [lfsi_pt_a], Labour Force Survey – people employed part time (20 to 64 years of age), total and by sex.

In 2021, part-time workers represented only 3.1% of all Slovak employees, while in the EU27 they represented 17.2%. The proportion of women in part-time employment is nearly double that of men and has been so over the long term. The difference is usually attributed to the fact that women still predominantly assume responsibility for the family and domestic life. Part-time work is mainly undertaken by students, pensioners and mothers with small children. The advantage of part-time work is that it provides more flexible working hours, which enables workers to attend to other responsibilities – for students, classes, and for mothers, childcare. Part-time work is often the only choice for those with disabilities who cannot work an eight-hour day.

Night work

Night work is work that is performed between 22:00 and 06:00. According to the Labour Code, an employee working at night is an employee who regularly works at night for at least three consecutive hours or who works at night for a minimum of 500 hours per year. An employer is obliged to regularly negotiate the organisation of night work with the employee representatives. An employer who in the normal course of business employs employees at night is obliged to notify the competent labour inspectorate and employee representatives of this fact, if they so request.

For employees who work at night, the employer should arrange the established weekly working time in such a way that the average length of a shift does not exceed eight hours in a period of at most four consecutive calendar months (the calculation being based on a five-day working week).

An employee performing night work is entitled to a wage surcharge for each hour worked. Amendments to the Labour Code of 2018require this surcharge to be at least 40% of the hourly rate of the minimum wage from 1 May 2019. In 2021, this was replaced by a fixed payment of €1.43 per hour. Employees performing risky work are entitled to a wage supplement of at least €1.79 for each hour of night work.

Shift work

A work shift is part of the stipulated weekly working time that, on the basis of a predetermined timetable of work shifts, an employee is obliged to work within 24 consecutive hours, including a work break. Shift work is a manner of organising working time in which employees alternate at the same workplace according to a certain schedule and, during a certain period of days or weeks, work at differing times.

The beginning and end of working time and the timetable of work shifts is determined by the employer after agreement with the employee representatives and must be communicated by the employer in writing at a place that is accessible to employees.

• A morning shift is a work shift of which the greater part falls between 06:00 and 14:00.
• An afternoon shift is a work shift of which the greater part falls between 14:00 and 22:00.
• A night shift is a work shift of which the greater part falls between 22:00 and 06:00.

For an employee who regularly performs work in two shifts, the maximum weekly working time is 38.75 hours. In a three-shift operation or in continuous operation, the maximum weekly working time is 37.5 hours.

Weekend work

The Labour Code sanctions weekend working. However, an employer is obliged to arrange working time so that an employee has two consecutive days of continuous rest once per week, which must fall on Saturday and Sunday or on Sunday and Monday. An employee can be required to work on Sundays and public holidays only in special circumstances set out in the Labour Code.

New wage surcharges for working on Saturday or Sunday were introduced by the amendments to the Labour Code in 2018. From 1 May 2019, the surcharge for Saturdays was set at 50% of the hourly minimum wage and for Sundays it was 100% of the hourly minimum wage. For working during a public holiday, the wage surcharge was 100% of the employee’s average earnings. In 2021, these rates were changed to a fixed payment of €1.79 per hour for work on Saturday and €3.58 per hour for work on Sunday. These amounts remained the same in 2022.

According to acts on the civil service and public service, a public employee working on Saturdays and Sundays is entitled to a wage surcharge of 30% of their hourly functional salary, but not less than the surcharges defined based on the hourly minimum wage.

Rest and breaks

Rest days are the days on which the continuous rest of an employee falls in the week and public holidays. Work on rest days may be demanded only in exceptional circumstances and upon prior negotiation with employee representatives. An employer is obliged to arrange working time in such a way that, between the end of one shift and the beginning of another, an employee has a minimum rest of 12 consecutive hours within 24 hours. Adolescent employees must have at least 14 consecutive hours of rest within 24 hours. Such a rest period may be reduced to eight hours for an employee older than 18 years of age in workplaces with continuous operations and with work batches when performing urgent agricultural work, when providing a universal postal service, when performing urgent repair work to avert  a threat that endangers the lives or health of employees, and in the case of extraordinary events. If an employer shortens the minimum rest period, they are obliged to provide the employee with an additional continuous equivalent rest period as compensation within 30 days.

An employer is obliged to provide an employee whose work shift is longer than 6 hours with a break for rest and eating of 30 minutes. For adolescent employees, this break must be provided if the shift is longer than 4.5 hours. If the work cannot be interrupted, an employee must be provided with adequate time for rest and eating in such a way that the work is not interrupted.

A safety break is provided when performing work that poses a specific safety risk. This is not considered a rest period because it is included in the working time and a salary or wage is paid for it.

A special kind of break at work is a break for breastfeeding a child. Breastfeeding breaks are included in a woman’s working time and are compensated for in the amount of her average earnings.

An employer must agree with employee representatives on the detailed conditions for providing breaks for rest and eating, including their extension.

Working time flexibility

Flexibility of working time is regulated by the Labour Code, according to which flexible working time is a method for the even or uneven distribution of working time that an employer may introduce by collective agreement or through agreement with employee representatives. Basic working time is a time segment in which the employee is obliged to be in the workplace. Optional working time is a time segment during which the employee is obliged to be present in the workplace in order to complete operational time. A flexible working period can be implemented as a working day, a working week, a four-week working period or another working period. The length of a work shift as part of flexible working time may be at most 12 hours.

According to the ECS 2013, in 33% of establishments, more than 80% of employees had the option to adapt the start and end of their working day according to their personal needs. In 23% of establishments, between 20% and 80% of employees had this option, and in 44% of establishments, this option was available to less than 20% of employees. This implies that, in almost half of the establishments surveyed, only a small group of employees had this option.

Under specified circumstances, working time flexibility can also be applied using working time accounts. By this means, an employer can schedule working time so that, when there is a greater need for work, employees work more hours than the established weekly working time, and when there is less need for work, employees work fewer hours or may not work at all. In such cases, the employer is obliged to pay an employee the basic wage corresponding to the employee’s determined weekly working time.

Maintaining health and well-being should be a high priority for workers and employers alike. Health is an asset closely associated with a person’s quality of life and longevity, as well as their ability to work. A healthy economy depends on a healthy workforce: organisations can experience loss of productivity through the ill health of their workers. This section looks at psychosocial risks and health and safety at work in Slovakia.

Health and safety at work

The MPSVR SR pays particular attention to health and safety at work, which is regulated by Act No. 124/2006 on occupational safety and health. The implementation of health and safety at work is also high on the social partners’ agenda. In addition, the NIP also pays particular attention to health and safety at the workplace and regularly performs related checks in companies. The efforts made by administrative bodies, trade unions and employers to implement the legislation is evident from the data, which show a continuous decrease in the number of accidents causing absence at work, as the following table indicates.

Accidents at work resulting in four days’ absence or more

Source: NIP (2023).

Psychosocial risks

Psychosocial risks are included among the category of risk factors at work, which are regulated by Act No. 355/2007 on public health protection, support and development. Section 30 of the act assigns particular obligations to employers in whose workplaces risk factors, including physical and psychological workloads, are present. The act requires companies to provide an occupational health service, and this works with employers to advise them on their obligations, for example on when to perform health-related supervision at work.

Ministry of Health Decree No. 542/2007 Coll. on the details of health protection against physical stress at work, mental workload and sensory stress at work defines mental workload and sets out methods to assess and reduce it. Some indicators of psychosocial risks are also regulated by labour legislation. For instance, long working hours and non-discrimination are regulated by the Labour Code, while Act No. 124/2006 Coll. on occupational safety and health determines employers’ obligations to ensure that chemical factors, physical factors, biological factors, factors affecting psychological workload and social factors do not threaten the health and safety of employees.

The European Working Conditions Survey analysed high work intensity, long working hours and discrimination over a 10-year period. The figures for Slovakia show that, while some of these indicators are below the EU27 average (working to tight deadlines), others are above it (long working hours). The degree of discrimination in Slovakia is around the EU27 average. The incidence of most of these indicators slightly declined over the reference period. For instance, working to tight deadlines was identified by almost 55% of respondents in 2000 and 2005, but this figure declined to about 53% in 2010. A significant proportion of respondents also indicated that they worked long hours – almost 46% in 2000 and 49% in 2005, but this fell to about 39% in 2010. About 5% of respondents indicated being subjected to discrimination in 2005 and 2010.

The NIP found violations in the area of ​​compliance with anti-discrimination legislation (Act No. 365/2004 Coll. on equal treatment in certain areas and on protection against discrimination and on amendments to certain laws, as amended). In the course of 2021, the NIP received 217 submissions (by employees, former employees and third parties, as well as anonymously) that, according to those who submitted complaints, pointed to violations of the principle of equal treatment and prohibition of discrimination for various reasons or to violations of other provisions of labour law regulations related to compliance with the principle of equal treatment and the prohibition of discrimination. Of these submissions, 122 were exclusively related to discrimination, and this number represented 1.94% of the total number of submissions (6,292) received by the NIP during 2021.

Despite the current Slovak anti-discrimination legislation having set up a protection framework that is in line with the requirements of international anti-discrimination regulations, its application in practice still points to the need to raise awareness of protection against discrimination. For more detailed information on health and well-being at work, consult:

Skills are the passport to employment; the more highly skilled an individual, the more employable they are. People with good skills also tend to secure better-quality jobs and better earnings. This section briefly summarises the Slovak system for ensuring skills and employability and looks at training provision.

National system for ensuring skills and employability

The national system for ensuring skills and employability is based on the National System of Occupations (Narodna sustava povolani, NSP) using SK ISCO-08, that is, the Slovak national classification based on the International Standard Classification of Occupations (ISCO). The NSP is identified as an important tool for ensuring skills and employability by Act No. 5/2004 on employment services – it is a national-level description of labour market standards for individual workplaces.

The NSP was implemented as a national project within the Operational Programme on Employment and Social Inclusion by the MPSVR SR in three phases between 2009 and 2015. Social partner representatives from the AZZZ SR, RUZ, KOZ SR and Trexima were involved in the project as partners. The first phase aimed to develop a system for monitoring labour market requirements and to transfer these into education and training with the support of the information systems of the ISCO and the NSP. The second phase focused on the proposal for a model to involve the social and other partners in monitoring labour market requirements and an action plan for implementing the NSP information system. The third phase followed on from the previous two phases to ensure the permanent sustainability of the monitoring system of labour market requirements and the transfer of these requirements into education and training through active cooperation of the social partners, the NSP information system and an updated classification of occupations.

Ensuring the sustainability of existing sectoral councils and establishing new ones was one of the NSP’s activities. Sectoral councils help to support the development of the NSP in individual sectors. They are voluntary associations of professional experts from public administration and representatives of employers, employees, education and other relevant institutions.

Between April 2019 and December 2022, the MPSVR SR implemented a national project entitled ‘Sector-driven innovations to an efficient labour market in the SR [Slovak Republic]’. The project was focused on integrating labour market requirements into the system of lifelong education. On 1 January 2023, an amendment to Act No. 488/2022 on employment, introducing the Sector Councils Alliance (ASR) into legislation, came into effect. The ASR was established by the MPSVR SR, the Ministry of Education, Science, Research and Sport (MSVVaS SR), and employer and employee representatives (the AZZZ SR, RUZ, the APZD, ZMOS, KOZ SR and SOS). It aims to integrate new employer requirements into lifelong education to increase the living standards and employability of citizens and the competitiveness of the labour market in Slovakia.

Between March 2019 and February 2023, the MSVVaS SR implemented a national project entitled ‘Qualification verification system’. The project focused on the development of a system of qualification recognition gained in non-formal education and informal learning.

Both of these projects were implemented within the Operational Programme on Human Resources.

Training

The State Training Institute (Statny institut odborneho vzdelavania) is the main national public institution responsible for the coordination of vocational education and training and adult education in Slovakia. Its main activities include:

• the support of the MSVVaS SR in the development of vocational education and training and adult education policies and strategies
• the management and coordination of the national network of vocational schools in Slovakia
• development of national curricula and qualifications
• the analysis of trends and needs for the development of vocational education and training and adult education
• cooperation with national and international institutions in the field of vocational education and training and adult education

Since 1 September 2015, a system of dual education has been implemented in Slovakia. After finishing primary school, students can enter the dual system of vocational secondary education at secondary level. The aim of the dual education system is to better prepare students for the labour market. Besides lectures in classrooms, students have the opportunity to acquire practical skills at employers’ premises. A total of 628 employers had joined the system of dual education by the end of 2020. Moreover, 8,414 secondary vocational school students had participated in dual education by 31 January 2021.

In accordance with the Labour Code, employees can participate in training aimed at skill development related to their work. Employers can provide unpaid or paid time off for employees participating in job-related training. According to the ECS 2019, 61% and 14% of respondents reported having had selective and comprehensive training and learning opportunities, respectively.

According to the ECS 2013, the proportion of private establishments in which employees received paid time off for training depended on the existence of employee representation. For instance, among establishments with employee representation, in 21% of the large establishments, 22% of the medium-sized establishments and 20% of the small establishments, more than 80% of employees received paid time off for training. However, in more than 50% of the establishments (of any size) without employee representation, none or fewer than 20% of employees received paid time off for training. Employee representation influenced management decisions on training and skills development to a great extent in 21% of companies and to a moderate extent in 30% of companies, according to the ECS 2019.

The principle of equal treatment requires that all people – and, in the context of the workplace, all workers – have the right to receive the same treatment and not to be discriminated against on the basis of criteria such as age, sex, disability, nationality, race and religion.

In addition to the Constitution of the Slovak Republic, equality and non-discrimination is ensured by Act No. 365/2004 on equal treatment in certain areas and on the protection against discrimination and on amendments to certain acts.

Equality and non-discrimination at work is regulated by the Labour Code, according to which people have the right to work and to a free choice of employment, to fair and satisfying working conditions, and to protection against arbitrary dismissal from employment in accordance with the principle of equal treatment. These rights belong to them without any restriction and discrimination on the grounds of sex, marital status and family status, sexual orientation, race, skin colour, language, age, unfavourable health state or health disability, genetic traits, belief and religion, political or other conviction, trade union activity, national or social origin, national or ethnic group affiliation, property, lineage or other status. Regional labour inspectorates are entitled to monitor the implementation of equality and non-discrimination principles in companies.

In 2022, Slovakia implemented a national project entitled ‘Gender equality in the workplace’ through the Department of Equality of Women and Men and Equal Opportunities of the MPSVR SR. The main goal of the project, which was financed by the European Social Fund and the European Regional Development Fund, was to establish systemic measures for the implementation of the policy on reconciling work and family life.

Equal pay and gender pay gap

The Labour Code includes fundamental provisions to ensure equal pay for equal work in workplaces, including gender equality at work. It defines equal work and work of equal value and requires an equal assessment system of workplaces for men and women, as required by the European Commission (2014). In addition, the Statistical Office of the Slovak Republic (Štatistický úrad Slovenskej republiky) provides data on average monthly wages for men and women.

The social partners (mainly trade unions) also deal with this issue, and provisions aimed at ensuring equal pay for equal work are usually negotiated and included in collective agreements. Regional labour inspectorates regularly conduct checks in companies to ensure that the labour legislation is being observed by employers, including gender pay equality.

The gender pay gap was wide in the early 2000s, but it is slowly decreasing. According to the Eurostat Labour Force Survey, it was 27.6% in 2002, but had decreased to 20.9% in 2008. Since then, the gender pay gap has fluctuated around 20%: it was 19.7% in 2014 and 19.4% in 2018. According to the Information System on Average Earnings (Informačnýsystém o priemernýchzárobkoch), issued by the MPSVR SR and Trexima Bratislava, the average gross monthly gender pay gap was 19.8% in 2019.

According to the Statistical Office of the Slovak Republic, the gender pay gap in Slovakia remains high at approximately 18%. The difference in the average gross monthly wages between men and women in 2021 was the same as the year before, around 18%. One of the main reasons for the persistent pay gap is the high representation of women in areas for which low pay is typical, such as education and social services.

Quota regulations

There are no specific gender-related quotas, but quotas are specified for the employment of people with disabilities. For all employers with 20 or more employees (with the exception of the police and state security forces), people with disabilities must make up at least 3.2% of the workforce. If they do not, the employer pays a penalty amounting to 0.9 times the total average wage per year per vacancy for which a person with a disability should have been hired (one person whose capacity for work has been reduced by more than 70% compared with a person without a disability is equal to three people with disabilities). Employers pay lower health insurance contributions for their employees with disabilities (5% instead of 10%). Instead of employing a person with a disability, employers may assign custom work to a person with a disability.

Employers

• Federation of Employers’ Associations of the Slovak Republic (AZZZ SR)
• National Union of Employers (RUZ)
• Association of Towns and Communities of Slovakia (ZMOS)
• Association of Industrial Unions and Transport (APZD)

Trade unions

• Confederation of Trade Unions of the Slovak Republic (KOZ SR)
• Metal Trade Union Association (OZ Kovo)
• Joint Trade Unions of Slovakia (SOS)
• Independent Christian Trade Unions of Slovakia (NKOS)
• Energy-Chemical Trade Union Association (ECHOZ)
• Public Administration and Culture Trade Union Association (Sloves)
• Journalists’ Union (SSN)

Government

• Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs and Family of the Slovak Republic
• Ministry of Health of the Slovak Republic
• National Labour Inspectorate
• Central Office of Labour, Social Affairs and Family
• Public Health Authority of the Slovak Republic
• Statistical Office of the Slovak Republic

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Slov-Lex (2023b), Zákon č. 488/2022, Z. z., ktorým sa mení a dopĺňa zákon č. 5/2004 Z. z. o službách zamestnanosti a o zmene a doplnení niektorých zákonov v znení neskorších predpisov a ktorým sa menia a dopĺňajú niektoré zákony.

Statistical Office of the Slovak Republic (Štatistický úrad Slovenskej republiky) (undated), Štruktúra priemernej nominálnej mesačnej mzdy zamestnanca podľa ekonomických činností, web page.

Verejná správa (undated), Zmeny v duálnom vzdelávaní s účinnosťou od 1. januára 2022, web page.

Visser, J. (2014), ICTWSS database, AIAS, University of Amsterdam.