Slovakia, officially known as the Slovak Republic, is a country in Central Europe bordered by Poland, Ukraine, Hungary, Austria, and the Czech Republic. It has a workforce of 2.6 million people (2022) and a GDP of 132.91 billion US dollars (2023).

The Slovakian economy is dominated by the tourism, service, engineering, and automotive industries, and is ranked among the fastest growing Organization for Economic Development (OECD) economies. Public finances have been significantly affected by the pandemic and energy crisis in recent years, with improved housing affordability and property tax reforms being a major factor in improving the economy. 

Employee benefits are therefore integral to people working in Slovakia, giving them protection against poverty and exploitation. This help guide will provide all the information required when employing in Slovakia, including an overview of Slovakian labor laws, mandatory employee benefits that must be provided, supplementary benefits to consider, and information on how Remote People can simplify employee benefits in Slovakia.

Slovakian Employment Laws

Labor laws in Slovakia are determined by various acts, primarily the Labour Code of Slovakia. This act came into effect in 2002, and focuses on aligning Slovakian labor laws with EU law to establish rights and protections for employment contracts, working hours, overtime rates, parental leave, and termination of employment. 

The Labor Code has been amended as recently as 2023 to reflect changes in the labor market, giving employees more explicit rights to raise issues such as breach of contract during employment.

It’s strongly advised that companies employing in Slovakia seek legal advice to ensure employees are offered all mandatory benefits and Slovakian labor laws are strictly adhered to.

Mandatory Employee Benefits in Slovakia

There are many mandatory employee benefits that employees are entitled to including the following:

Social Security Contributions

Slovakia works under a Social Security System that collects contributions from employees and employers in Slovakia. This system provides a range of services such as:

  • Health Insurance
  • State Social Support
  • Social Assistance
  • Social Insurance (maternity, sickness, unemployment, old age, and disability)

The current Social Security rates in Slovakia in 2025 are 35.2% for employers and 13.4% for employees. The contributions collected are divided between the four sections above, providing money for services that employers and employees may require.

Annual Paid Leave

Employees in Slovakia are entitled to 4 weeks of paid annual leave per year.

If an employee is 33 years of age before the end of the relevant calendar year, or permanently takes care of a child, the annual paid leave is extended to 5 weeks a year.

8 weeks of annual paid leave a year is applicable to:

  • Teachers and teaching assistants
  • University teachers
  • Research/art workers of public and state universities
  • Employees with a minimum tertiary education of the second degree working on research or teaching activities

Employees that work in difficult or life-threatening conditions are entitled to an additional 1 week of leave per year.

National Minimum Wage

Employers must provide employees in Slovakia with the minimum wage, which currently sits at the following: a monthly wage of at least EUR 623 and an hourly wage of at least EUR 3.580. If an employee has earned less than the national minimum wage in a month, they are entitled to have the difference paid.

Working Hours

Working hours in Slovakia amount to a maximum of 40 hours per week, which is usually divided over 5 or 6 days. Anything over this amount counts as overtime hours which cannot exceed a total of 48 hours per week.

Work carried out between 10pm and 6am counts as night work, and employees working shifts longer than 6 hours must be allowed to take a break for at least 30 minutes.

Overtime Pay

Hours worked over an employee’s contracted amount count as overtime and must be compensated accordingly. Employees are entitled to overtime compensation of at least:

  • 25% of average earnings
  • 35% of average earnings if employee is carrying out hazardous work

Employees and employers may mutually agree compensatory leave to be taken instaid of paid overtime hours. 

Paid Public Holidays

Public holidays typically count as paid days for employees in Slovakia. The public holidays in Slovakia are as follows:

  • Republic Day (January 1)
  • Epiphany (January 6)
  • Good Friday (April 3) (movable date)
  • Easter Monday (April 6) (movable date)
  • Labor Day (May 1)
  • Day of Victory Over Fascism (May 8)
  • St. Cyril & St. Methodius Day (July 5)
  • National Uprising Day (August 29)
  • Constitution Day (September 1)
  • Day of Our Lady of Sorrows (September 15)
  • All Saints’ Day (November 1)
  • Fight for Freedom and Democracy Day (November 17)
  • Christmas Eve (December 24)
  • Christmas Day (December 25)
  • St. Stephen’s Day (December 26)

Paid Sick Leave

Employees in Slovakia are entitled to a maximum of 52 weeks of sick pay per year.  Employers are responsible for sick pay for the first 10 days of absence, which is paid as per the following:

Duration of Sickness Benefit Amount (EUR)
Initial 3 days 43.55
Following 7 days 223.54

If an employee is absent for over 10 days, employers must notify the Social Insurance Company so that the employee can claim sickness benefits.

Maternity Leave

Female employees are entitled to 34 weeks of paid maternity leave to care for a newborn child.

This increases to 37 weeks for single mothers and 43 weeks for mothers giving birth to two or more children simultaneously.

Maternity benefit is paid at 75% of the employee’s average daily wage, and is typically paid no sooner than 8 weeks prior to the expected due date.

Paternity Leave

Fathers are entitled to 2 weeks of paid paternity leave, which is to be taken in the 6 weeks following the birth of a child.

Paternity leave is paid at 75% of the employee’s average daily wage, as with maternity leave.

Pensions

Pension in Slovia are divided into 3 pillars:

Scheme/TopicDetails
Pension Insurance

Pension insurance is covered by social security contributions, and will be paid by the Social Insurance Agency once retirement age is reached.

The amount of pension payable is dependent on:

  • Number of years worked
  • Earnings in working life
  • Value of pension in calendar year employee becomes entitled to pension payouts
Old-age Pension Scheme

The Old-age pension scheme in Slovakia is managed by pension fund management companies, and is designed to provide extra income when people reach retirement age.

The system is not mandatory and employees can make both mandatory and voluntary contributions if they choose to enrol in the scheme.

Supplementary Pension Scheme

Supplementary pension schemes in Slovakia are voluntary, long-term schemes that are based on contributions from both employers and employees.

Participants of supplementary pension schemes can claim tax relief from contributions, and can also choose to invest their pension funds.

Enrolment is compulsory only for employees working in hazardous occupations.

Severance Pay

Employers in Slovakia are obliged to pay severance pay to employees ending employment contracts for the following reasons:

  • Company liquidation/disolvement
  • Employee redundancy due to change in duties or organizational changes
  • Employee is unable to perform work due to health conditions

If employment has been terminated with notice, the amount of severance pay is determined by an employee’s years of service:

Years of Service Severance Pay
Less than 2 years No severance pay applicable
2 years 1 monthly earning
5 years 2 monthly earnings
10 years 3 monthly earnings
20+ years 4 monthly earnings

Supplementary Employee Benefits in Slovakia

Employers should consider offering supplementary employee benefits in Slovakia to improve employee retention and attract new candidates for job opportunities. Some supplementary benefits employers could offer include:

  • Enhanced pension schemes
  • Performance bonuses
  • Access to private healthcare 
  • Enhanced holiday packages
  • Expenses for food, transport, and housing

Optimize Employee Benefits with Remote People

Compliance with employee benefits in Slovakia can be simplified by working with Remote People’s Employer of Record (EOR) services. Our team ensures your company meets all Slovakian labor law requirements, including mandatory employee benefits.

In addition to benefits compliance, our EOR solution also helps manage payroll, taxes, and other administrative responsibilities—making expansion into Slovakia more efficient and less burdensome.

Remote People can also assist with employing workers in Slovakia via their Slovakia recruitment services. You’ll be connected with the top candidates in Slovakia, curated by a team experienced with the Slovakian recruitment space.