IOM MIGRATION INFORMATION CENTRE

Free Advice and Services

 

Q&A Termination of employment relationship 

An employment relationship can be terminated by agreement, notice, immediate termination or termination in the probationary period. fixed-term employment relationship also terminates upon the expiry of the agreed period. Employment relationship of foreigner also terminates upon cancellation of the granted residence, expiry of the period for which the residence was granted, withdrawal or expiry of work permit. 

In this article, you may find answers to employment relationship termination related questionsnamely by notice given by an employer, notice given by an employee, or by agreement.

 

Q. Can my employment be immediately terminated by my employer based on the current COVID-19 situation? 

A. No.The employer may immediately terminate the employment relationship only in cases where the employee: 

  1. was lawfully sentenced for committing a wilful offence, or 
  2. was in serious breach of labour discipline. 

 

Q. Can I be given notice by my employer based on the current COVID-19 situation? 

A. Yes. The employer may give notice to the employee only for two legal reasons: 

  1. if the employer (or part thereofis wound up or the employer is relocated and the employee does not agree with the change in the agreed location for performance of work, or 
  2. if an employee becomes redundant under the employer’s or competent body’s written resolution on change in duties, technical equipment, or reduction in the number of employees with the aim of securing work efficiency, or on other organisational changes. 

Your employer cannot give you notice if you become redundant during the protection period. The protection period is i.e. period of incapacity of work due to illness or injury, gravidity, maternity or parental leave. During the extraordinary situationemergency or exceptional state, you are also protected during quarantine measures, isolation, personal and full-time care of a sick family member, or personal and full-time care of a natural person. 

 

Q. When is the notice given by my employer legal? 

A. Notice given by an employer must be given in writing, delivered to the employee and stipulating the legal reasons for giving notice. This reason must be defined in such terms that it may not be confused with another reason, otherwise the notice shall be deemed invalid. The notice given by an employer must be negotiated in advance between the employer and employee´s representatives, otherwise, the notice is invalid. The invalidity of the notice may be claimed in court within two months from the due day of employment relationship termination. 

 

Q. I want to give notice, what should I do?

A. You can give notice anytime and for any reason whatsoever. You are not obliged to state any reasons. Your notice must be in writing and delivered to your employer. You can deliver the notice in person or by registered mail via post office. In case of delivery in person, make two copies – you will give one to your employer and keep the other (confirmed by your employer) for yourself. If delivering by registered mail, the notice is deemed delivered on the day of receipt or on the day when the post office returned the mail as undeliverable. 

 

Q. What is the length of the notice period? 

A. If the notice is given (either by the employer or by the employee), the employment relationship shall terminate upon the expiration of the notice period. The notice period shall begin from the first day of the calendar month following the delivery of notice and end on the last day of the corresponding calendar month. The length of the notice period is at least one month and is usually defined in the employment contract. 

The length of the notice period in case of redundancy or employer´s dissolution is: 

  1. 2 months (employment relationship lasted at least 1 year and less than 5 years), 
  2. 3 months (employment relationship lasted at least 5 years). 

 

Q. Am I entitled to severance pay in case of notice? 

A. Yes, in case of notice given by the employer and if your employment relationship lasted at least 2 years. The severance pay depends on the length of the employment relationship: 

  1. 1x average monthly earnings (employment relationship lasted at least 2 years and less than 5 years), 
  2. 2x average monthly earnings (employment relationship lasted at least 5 years and less than 10 years), 
  3. 3x average monthly earnings (employment relationship lasted at least 10 years and less than 20 years), 
  4. 4x average monthly earnings (employment relationship lasted at least 20 years). 

In case of notice given by the employee (you), you are not entitled to severance pay.

 

Q. Can I terminate my employment by agreement? 

A. Yes, you can agree on the termination of your employment relationship with your employer at any time. The day of termination of the employment must be defined in the agreement (it can be any specific date; it means that the notice period does not need to be observed) and the agreement must be in writing. It is not necessary to specify the reason for termination of employment in the agreement, except in cases of reasons where the employer may give you a notice of termination or if you request the reason to be stipulated in the agreement. 

The employment relationship termination agreement is subject to the consent of the employer and the employeeTherefore, please read the proposal for such an agreement carefully. If you do not agree with the proposal, you are not obliged to sign the agreement, you can refuse to sign it. In such case, if the employer wants to terminate the employment relationship, he needs to give you a notice based on the legal reason(s). 

 

Q. Am I entitled to severance pay in case of agreement? 

A. Yes, if the reason for employment relationship termination is clearly stated in the agreement. The reason must be either the dissolution of the employer (or part thereof), its relocation if you do not agree with the change in the agreed location for performance of work, or the redundancy of the employee. Otherwise, you can´t claim the severance to be paid.  

The severance pay depends on the length of the employment relationship: 

  1. 1x average monthly earnings (employment relationship lasted less than 2 years), 
  2. 2x average monthly earnings (employment relationship lasted at least 2 years and less than 5 years), 
  3. 3x average monthly earnings (employment relationship lasted at least 5 years and less than 10 years), 
  4. 4x average monthly earnings (employment relationship lasted at least 10 years and less than 20 years), 
  5. 5x average monthly earnings (employment relationship lasted at least 20 years).

 

Q. I am unemployed, who pays my health insurance? 

A. If you are registered in the Jobseekers Register, the public health insurance is paid by the state. In case you lose the entitlement to public health insurance, you are obliged to sign up for private health insurance (commercial insurance) in one of the commercial insurance companies. A foreigner staying in Slovakia is obliged to have health insurance or medical expenses insurance in the territory of the Slovak Republic. 

 

Q. I am unemployed, can I be registered in the Jobseekers Register?

 

A. Only Slovak citizens, citizens of EU member states and their family members and third country nationals with long-term residence can be registered into the Jobseekers Register. Holders of the temporary residence or permanent residence for five years are not entitled to be registered into the Jobseekers Register. The Labour Office will not register the long-term resident if before submitting the registration: 

  1. he/she was not insured for the risk of unemployment for at least two years in the last three years, or  
  2. he/she was not insured for the risk of unemployment for the last two years in the last four years in case of being in the employment relationship for a definite period or voluntarily insured for the risk of unemployment. 

You can apply for registration into the Jobseekers Register at the competent Labour Office according to your residence. If applying within 10 calendar days after the termination of the employment relationship, the Labour Office will register you from the day following the termination of the employment relationship. You can also apply by electronic means or by registered mail within 10 calendar days as of the termination of the employment relationship.

 

Q. I am unemployed, can I apply for unemployment benefit?

A. The basic qualifying condition of the unemployment benefit from the Social Insurance Agency is that the insured person was insured for the risk of unemployment for at least two years in the last four years prior to registration into the Jobseekers Register. The entitlement to unemployment benefit depends on two conditions: your social insurance and the registration into the Jobseekers Register. If you are not granted long-term residence in Slovakia, you cannot be registered into the Jobseekers Register, and therefore, you cannot apply for the unemployment benefit. The unemployment benefit is usually paid for six months. Should this period expire during the crisis situation, it will be extended by one month. 

 

Q. How can the employment relationship be terminated in case of an employment contract with the Temporary Work Agency (TWA)? 

A. In case of temporary assignment, your employment contract is concluded directly with the TWA. The employment relationship can be concluded for fixed term (for the period of assignment to the useemployer), or for an indefinite period (in such case you have employment contract concluded with the TWA and also concluded the Temporary assignment agreement).  

The temporary assignment can be terminated upon expiry of the agreed period of assignment, by agreement, or by unilateral termination under agreed conditions. Conditions of unilateral termination of work before the expiry of the agreed temporary assignment are specified in the written Temporary assignment agreement (in case of the employment contract for an indefinite period) OR directly in the fixed-term employment contract. Therefore, it is important to read your employment contract and the Temporary assignment agreement carefully and act accordingly. 

The termination of temporary assignment does not automatically mean the termination of your employment relationship. If having concluded an employment contract for an indefinite period, the termination of the temporary assignment does not mean your employment relationship is terminated. If your employer (TWA) wants to terminate your employment relationship, you can mutually agree on termination and conclude an agreement on employment relationship termination, or your employer can give you a notice based on legal reasons (see replies above).  

 

 

 

 

The Slovak parliament has approved an amendment to the Act on the Residence of Foreigners, which is dealing with issues emerging in connection with the war in Ukraine. 

Note: a crisis situation is to be understood as an extraordinary situation or a state of emergency declared in connection to the COVID-19 disease. 

 

Do you work or plan to work in Slovakia? Join our informative webinar for highly qualified foreign workers in Slovakia and learn the basics about Slovak labour law and your employment rights and obligations.

 

WHEN: Wednesday, 3 May 2023, 5.00 PM (CET)

WHERE: Online

HOW: Register using the form below. You will receive a link to be able to attend in the morning before the event.

 

Key topics:

  • employment relationship – employment contracts
  • agreements for work performed outside the employment relationship
  • employer´s and employee´s rights and obligations
  • wage and working time
  • annual leave and sick leave
  • maternity, paternity and parental leave
  • termination of employment
  • employee´s working and welfare conditions

 

The webinar will be held in EnglishThe information in the webinar is tailored to highly qualified foreign nationals, not Slovak nationals. It is for this reason that registration is limited to individuals of foreign citizenship.

If you are interested in participating, please register here:

(e.g. temporary residence for employment/studies/research and development/family reunion, national visa for university graduates)

To support municipalities to raise awareness about COVID-19 among the migrant population, IOM Italy has produced the following multi-language informative leaflets. To download the leaflet, click on the desired language in the attachments below:

 

ARABIC

ENGLISH

FRENCH

ITALIAN

RUSSIAN

SPANISH

 

OTHER LANGUAGES

Migration Information Center IOM prepared a new factsheet concerning duties and obligations of Foreign Nationals holding a temporary residence permit for the purpose of study in Slovakia.

The factsheet includes information about the possibility of working and running a business while studying, obligation to take out health insurance for the duration of your residence permit in Slovakia, possibility to change the purpose of residence in Slovakia, termination of your residence permit and loss of purpose of residence, about your obligation to report changes to the Foreign Police, and your possibilities after completion of your studies in Slovakia.

Download:

ENG: What you need to know as a student with temporary residence in Slovakia

SK: Čo potrebuješ vedieť ako študent s prechodným pobytom na Slovensku

RU: Что нужно знать студенту с временным видом на жительство в Словакии

Migration Information Center IOM prepared a new factsheet on the subject of employment contract related to employment in Slovakia.

The factsheet was designed to provide the foreign nationals in Slovakia with practical information about employment contract, minimum wage, working time and overtime, benefits you are entitled to receive based on Slovak legislation, but also information about termination of employment or average priced of groceries and basic services in Slovakia.

Download:

ENG: What you should know before signing an employment contract

SK: Informačná karta: Čo by ste mali vedieť pred podpisom pracovnej zmluvy.

RU: Что нужно знать перед подписанием трудового договора

 

On January 1, 2019, both Act on Employment Services and Act on Residence of Foreigners have been amended

  1. Shortage occupation list will be updated more frequently, every quarter. Central Office of Labor, Social Affairs and Family will identify shortage occupations in districts where the average registered unemployment rate for the calendar quarter was less than 5%, and publish a list of these job positions at its website by the end of the calendar month immediately following the respective calendar quarter. The list can be found here: https://www.upsvr.gov.sk/sluzby-zamestnanosti/zamestnavanie-cudzincov/zoznam-zamestnani-s-nedostatkom-pracovnej-sily.html?page_id=806803 
  1. Cancellation of the obligation to prove the highest achieved education.

Evidence of required education must be provided only for regulated professions (medical professionals, pedagogues,…) or when applying for a Blue Card.

  1. Temporary Employment Agencies can assign a foreigner to work at the user employer, but only in case of the shortage occupations.

TEA must be registered for at least 3 years before foreigner applies for a residence permit for employment for shortage occupation. TEAs are not eligible to assign foreigners for another type of job.

  1. Job vacancy must be reported by the employer at least 10 working days before submitting the application for granting or extending the work permit
  2. The police will not require proof of accommodation for a foreigner working in international public transport.
  3. Police will require the consent of the municipality with accommodation

A foreigner applying for a temporary residence for the purpose of employment is required to submit the consent of the respective municipality that accommodation meets the conditions defined by the Ministry of Health. 

  1. Police will request confirmation on the possibility to fill in a vacancy from the Labor Office within 7 days of submitting a complete application for a residence permit for the purpose of employment. 
  1. Police decide on granting / renewing a temporary residence for employment within 30 days of receiving the confirmation on the possibility to fill in a vacancy, only in case of shortage occupations (notice: not from the submission of residence application) 
  1. Police decide on granting / renewing a temporary residence for employment within 30 days of submitting an application for a residence permit if foreigner represents or works for a center of business services or a technology center
  1. Foreigners with a residence in another EU Member State do not have to submit a medical certificate confirming that they do not suffer from any disease threatening public health, upon obtaining a residence in Slovakia.

Starting next year, parents will be able to receive maternity benefit simultaneously.

The current legislation does not allow a mother and a father to receive maternity benefit simultaneously. From next year, however, it will be possible for a father who is on maternity leave with an older child to receive maternity benefit even after a mother with her newborn baby remains at home and will receive maternity benefit.

It is not possible this year, the father would automatically lose his claim to maternity benefit in this case and only the mother could receive it. 

Maternity benefits:

- a mother is entitled to maternity benefit for 34 weeks, single mothers for 37 weeks

- the second parent is entitled to maternity benefit for 28 weeks

- 75 % of the probable basis for assessment, which is calculated from the salary

- maximum amount for a 31-day month is nearly 1,400 EUR (as of January 2019 increased to 1 458.50 EUR)

- for more information on maternity benefits see Social Insurance.

Subcategories

 

 

Migračné informačné centrum IOM (MIC) poskytuje nasledovné služby:

 

 

Vyššie spomínané bezplatné služby sú dostupné pre nasledovné skupiny :  

občanov krajín z krajín EÚ/ EHP a krajín mimo EÚ/ EHP, ktorí majú na Slovensku prechodný, trvalý alebo tolerovaný pobyt, vrátane žiadateľov o dočasné útočisko a osôb s udeleným dočasným útočiskom na Slovensku ("odídenci"),

  •  vysokokvalifikovaných cudzincov (s vysokoškolským vzdelaním) z krajín EÚ/ EHP a krajín mimo EÚ/ EHP a ich rodinných príslušníkov,
  •  zahraničných univerzitných študentov s  platným pobytom na území Slovenskej republiky študujúcich na vysokej škole v SR a ich rodinných príslušníkov.

 

Contact us

Tel: 0850 211 478
(reduced tariff calls only from Slovakia)

+421 2 5263 0023
(
calls from abroad)

Consultations in Ukrainian and Russian
 Telegram/Signal:

+421 908 767 853 (voice calls only)

Email:

Opening hours

MON,TUE,THU: 9,00 - 12,00 and from 13,00 - 17,00
WED, FRI: CLOSED

Until further notice the IOM Migration Information Centre  provides its services only via telephone and email. Personal consultations are provided by appointment.

 

Other Services