Slovenia, officially known as the Republic of Slovenia, is a developed country in Central Europe bordered by Austria, Hungary, Croatia, Italy, and the Adriatic Sea. The workforce in Slovenia is made up of highly educated people with a focus on training and education and is made up of 1 million people (2023). Slovenia currently has a GDP of 77.35 billion US dollars (2025).

The economy of Slovenia is ranked 24th out of 44 countries in Europe. It has proved to be resilient following the energy crisis and floods and is largely dependent on its automotive, consumer electronics, pharmaceutical, and tourism sectors. Employee benefits are crucial to giving workers in Slovenia a good work-life balance, and access to benefits such as annual leave, maternity pay, sick pay, and fair working hours.

This guide will provide a comprehensive overview of Slovenian labor laws, giving a thorough understanding of all mandatory benefits that employers must provide, recommended supplementary benefits, and information on how Remote People can help make hiring in Slovenia an easier process. 

Slovenian Employment Laws

Labow law in Slovenia is largely dictated by the Employment Relationships Act (ZDR-1) of 2013. This act outlines the rights of employees and the obligations of employers to ensure a safe and fair working environment, along with access to relevant mandatory benefits.

Other acts that determine Slovenian labor law include:

  • Minimum Wage Act
  • Health and Safety at Work Act
  • Social Assistance Act
  • Labour Inspection Act
  • Protection of Employees’ Rights Act

Employers in Slovenia need to consult with legal professionals to ensure that all mandatory employee benefits are adhered to when employing in Slovenia. 

Mandatory Employee Benefits in Slovenia

There are several mandatory employee benefits in Slovenia that employers must comply with. We’ve detailed these below:

Social Security Contributions

Slovenia has a Social Security Program that takes contributions from both employers and employees to fund a system that provides access to the following benefits:

  • Pension and Disability Insurance
  • Health Insurance
  • Unemployment Insurance
  • Injury at Work
  • Parental Insurance

The rates of social security in Slovenia are currently 16.1% for employers and 22.1% for employees.

Annual Paid Leave

Employees in Slovenia are entitled to paid annual leave. This usually amounts to 4 weeks in each calendar year, which applies to both full-time and part-time employees.

Additional days of annual leave may be accrued based on the following circumstances:

  • Age
  • Disability
  • Children
  • Physical Disability
  • Care for a child requiring special care

Workers are also entitled to 7 working days of paid leave for personal reasons such as the following:

  • Employee’s wedding
  • Death of a spouse, child, or parent
  • Serious accident
  • Accompanying child on first day of school

Days of absence are also permitted to donate blood or to fulfill obligations such as jury service or military exercises. 

Employees enrolled in education are also entitled to leave to prepare for and sit examinations.

Working Hours

The typical working week in Slovenia is 40 hours, spread over at least 4 days per week.

Full-time contracts may be less than 40 hours per week but cannot amount to less than 36 hours per week unless there is an increased risk of injury or harm to health.

Rest periods must be provided to workers of 12 uninterrupted hours for each 24 hours.

If working time is organized irregularly or is temporarily re-organised, a maximum of 56 hours can be worked but arrangements of this nature may not exceed 6 months.

Night working hours consist of hours worked between 11 pm and 6 am, and working time must not exceed 8 hours per day on average. Night work is not permitted for workers under the age of 18, or pregnant/nursing mothers.

National Minimum Wage

Employers in Slovenia must adhere to the government-mandated minimum wage. This is currently EUR 1,277.72 per month as of 1st January 2025.

The minimum wage is applicable for full-time workers, with part-time workers being entitled to a proportionate share of the minimum wage.

Overtime Pay

Overtime hours in Slovenia are hours that exceed the full working hours dictated in an employment contract – typically 40 hours per week.

Employees must be informed in advance of overtime work in writing. The typical rate of overtime pay in Slovenia is 150% of the employee’s regular salary, however, this can be negotiated in an employment contract or given as time in lieu.

Overtime hours are limited to 8 hours per week, 20 hours per month, or 170 hours per year. This limit can be extended to 230 hours per year for certain industries such as healthcare, but this must be agreed on within the employee’s contract.

Public holidays are typically paid in Slovenia, with 15 paid national holidays occurring each year. The national holidays in Slovenia are as follows:

  • New Year’s Day (January 1)
  • New Year Holiday (January 2)
  • Prešeren Day (February 8)
  • Easter Sunday (April 5) (movable date)
  • Easter Monday (April 6) (movable date)
  • Day of Uprising Against Occupation (April 27)
  • Labor Day / May Day (May 1)
  • Labor Day Holiday (May 2)
  • Whit Sunday (May 24) (movable date)
  • Statehood Day (June 25)
  • Assumption of Mary (August 15)
  • Reformation Day (October 31)
  • Remembrance Day (November 1)
  • Christmas Day (December 25)
  • Independence and Unity Day (December 26)

Employees in Slovenia are entitled to sick leave, which is usually paid at a minimum of 80% of an employee’s regular salary.

There is no maximum duration for sick leave in Slovenia, however, sick leave that exceeds 30 days is compensated by the Social Security system.

Maternity Leave

Female workers in Slovenia are entitled to maternity leave.

Maternity leave consists of 105 days paid at 100% of the employee’s regular wage, and mothers begin maternity leave 28 days prior to the birth of the child.

Employees must have parental protection insurance to be entitled to maternity leave.

Paternity Leave

Male workers in Slovenia are entitled to paternity leave which allows them to care for their child together with the mother.

Fathers can claim up to 15 days of full paid paternity leave, and this leave must be taken within the first 3 months after the birth of the child.

Parental Leave

Both parents in Slovenia are entitled to 160 days of parental leave each. Of this amount, 100 days may be transferred from one parent to another.

The non-transferable 60 days of parental leave must be taken by the child’s 8th birthday.

Parental benefit is paid at 100% of the workers’ regular wage.

Pension

Slovenia operates under a three-tiered pension system. The three tiers are as follows:

  • Mandatory Pay As You Go System: The first tier of the Slovenian pension scheme covers both employed and self-employed workers.

    Each full year that an employee contributed to the scheme provides a pension accrual of 1.5% per year.

    The age limits for this scheme sit at 62 years for men and 55 years and 8 months for women, and provides a fully payable pensions after 20 years of covered employment, or a minimum length of service of 15 years.
  • Occupational Pensions: The second tier of the pension scheme is mandatory for certain sectors, but voluntary for others. Both employers and employees can contribute to the schemes and is mandatory for public service, banking sectors, and hazardous occupations.

    Employers within other sectors can set up voluntary schemes if at least two-thirds of employees agree to join.
  • Voluntary Personal Savings: The third tier of the pension scheme consists of voluntary savings which insured people or employers finance with a yearly or monthly premium.

Severance Pay

Employees who are dismissed for a business reason are entitled to severance pay. The basis for calculation is the average monthly salary of workers in the last three months of work.

Workers are entitled to severance pay amounting to:

Years of EmploymentSeverance Pay Rate
More than 1 and up to 10 yearsOne-fifth of the wage basis per year
10 to 20 yearsOne-quarter of the wage basis per year
Over 20 yearsOne-third of the wage basis per year

Supplementary Employee Benefits in Slovenia

Employers in Slovenia should consider offering supplementary benefits to employees. Supplementary benefits have been proven to improve staff retention rates and attract new employees to job opportunities. 

Some examples of supplementary employee benefits include:

  • Expenses for food vouchers, transport, and accommodation
  • Personal Accident and Life Insurance policies
  • Enhanced Health Insurance
  • Voluntary Pension Plans
  • Performance Bonuses

Optimize Employee Benefits with Remote People

If you’re looking for help with understanding and deploying employee benefits in Slovenia, Remote People can help.

Remote People’s Employer of Record (EOR) services in Slovenia help simplify employee benefits, payroll, and tax compliance—reducing administrative burden and ensuring full legal alignment with local labor laws.

For more information on how Remote People can support your hiring efforts in Slovenia, contact us today.

If you want help with hiring employees in Slovenia, Remote People can help with this too via their Slovenia recruitment services. We have a team of experienced professionals that fully understand the workings of the Slovenian recruitment space, and can help you find the best talent for your business.