Employee Benefits in Uzbekistan
Uzbekistan is a country in Central Asia, bordered by Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan, and Turkmenistan. Hiring in Uzbekistan is becoming a more popular choice for expanding companies, with a skilled and educated workforce of 13.9 million people (2024) and a GDP of 101.59 billion US dollars (2023).
Labor in Uzbekistan is competitively priced compared with other countries, and is strategically located in the heart of Asia, which opens up opportunities for trading relationships with countries such as Russia, China, and European markets. Uzbekistan has a fast-growing economy and is known for key industries such as agriculture and services.
This help guide will provide companies doing business in Uzbekistan with everything they need to know to employ workers correctly, from an overview of Uzbekistan labor laws to all mandatory employee benefits that workers are entitled to. We’ll also explain how Remote People can help streamline hiring in this country via a range of different services.
Uzbekistan Labor Law
Labor law in Uzbekistan is primarily governed by the Labor Code of the Republic of Uzbekistan, which has been updated as recently as April 2023. The Labor Code provides information on elements of employment law such as contracts, working conditions, workers’ rights, and termination rules.
Other acts that are relevant in Uzbekistan’s labor law include:
- Law on Trade Unions (1992)
- Law on Occupational Safety and Health (1993)
- Law on Employment of the Population (1998)
- Law on the Social Protection of Persons with Disabilities (2008)
- Law on the Protection of Labor Rights of Citizens Working Abroad (2020)
- Law on State Civil Service (2015)
- Tax Code of Uzbekistan
- Law on Prevention of Forced Labor and Human Trafficking (2008)
Employers must consult with legal experts when hiring in Uzbekistan to ensure that all local labor laws are strictly adhered to. This is to protect companies against legal implications that can come with not complying with Uzbekistan employment laws.
Mandatory Employee Benefits in Uzbekistan
There are many different employee benefits that workers in Uzbekistan are entitled to. We’ve detailed a few of these in the below sections.
Uzbekistan has a Social Security System, otherwise known as the National Agency for Social Protection. This system is designed to provide high-quality services to the population of Uzbekistan, including pensions, sickness/maternity benefits, work injury assistance, and unemployment benefits.
Social security rates in Uzbekistan as of 2025 are as follows:
| Contribution Type | Rate |
|---|---|
| Employers | 25% of monthly payroll or 15% for small/micro enterprises |
| Employees | 8% of monthly earnings |
| Self-Employed Workers | At least the monthly minimum wage, or 50% if aged 60+ (men), 55+ (women), or disabled |
Annual Paid Leave
Workers in Uzbekistan are entitled to a minimum of 15 working days of paid annual leave per year.
This is provided once employees have completed a minimum of 6 months of continuous service.
Annual leave does not have to be taken consecutively; however, at least one instance of annual leave taken must be at least 14 calendar days in length.
Additional leave may be allocated to workers under the age of 18 or those with disabilities.
Working Hours
Normal working hours in Uzbekistan are limited to 40 hours per week spread over either 5 or 6 days. For 6-day workweeks, employees must work no more than 7 hours per day, whereas for 5-day workweeks, employees must work no more than 8 hours per day.
Employees working between the hours of 10 pm and 6 am are considered night workers and must be compensated at a higher rate than their normal level of pay. They may also work 1 hour less per shift.
Regular breaks should be provided to employees, and at least 12 hours of rest must be maintained between work shifts.
Overtime Pay
If an employee works hours over their normal contract, these hours worked count as overtime.
Overtime is typically paid at double the rate of worker’s normal rate. Employees can work a maximum of 4 hours of overtime in a 2 consecutive day period, with a yearly maximum of 120 overtime hours.
Public Holiday Leave
Various public holidays in Uzbekistan are considered paid days off for employees. The public holidays in 2025 in Uzbekistan are as follows:
- New Year (1 January)
- New Year Holiday (2 January)
- International Women’s Day (8 March)
- Day off for International Women’s Day (10 March)
- Nowruz (21 March)
- Eid al-Fitr (30 March)
- Eid al-Fitr Holiday (31 March)
- Remembrance Day (9 May)
- Eid al-Adha (7 June)
- Independence Day (1 September)
- Teacher’s Day (1 October)
- Constitution Day (8 December)
Sick Leave
Employees who are too unwell to attend work are entitled to paid sick leave in Uzbekistan, which is payable by the employer..
Sick leave is limited to 30 days of fully paid leave per calendar year. This may be extended by an additional 30 days for longer periods of illness; however, this must be decided by a medical commission and will likely be capped at 60% – 80% of an employee’s normal pay.
Workers must provide a medical certificate to be eligible for sick leave.
Maternity Leave
Female employees (including foreign workers) in Uzbekistan are eligible for maternity leave if they have a baby.
This consists of 126 days of paid maternity leave. Usually, employees take 70 days before birth and 56 days after birth.
Maternity leave may be extended in the event of complex or multiple births and is generally paid by the Social Security System.
Paternity Leave
There is no statutory paternity leave in Uzbekistan as of 2025.
However, there is currently a draft law that has been proposed to introduce paid paternity leave.
Parental leave also exists in Uzbekistan, which allows mothers to take leave with benefits to care for their child until they reach the age of 2. This type of leave is shareable with fathers, grandparents, or other relatives.
Pensions
Uzbekistan operates under a multi-tiered pension system. This includes the pay-as-you-go state pension and voluntary, supplementary pension schemes.
The state pension covers old-age pension, disability pensions, and survivor pensions, and is financed by mandatory contributions to the social security system.
Voluntary pensions are non-state pension schemes that are usually established by commercial banks or private pension funds. They are not widespread but are growing in popularity for workers in Uzbekistan who are looking for extra ways to fund their retirement.
Severance Pay
Employees who have had their employment contract terminated, excluding in the event of employee misconduct, are eligible for severance pay. Severance pay is typically calculated as follows:
| Years of Service | Severance Pay |
|---|---|
| Up to 3 years | 50% of the average monthly salary |
| 3 – 5 years | 75% of the average monthly salary |
| 5 – 10 years | 100% of the average monthly salary |
| 10 – 15 years | 150% of the average monthly salary |
| More than 15 years | 200% of the average monthly salary |
The level of pay in situations of severance may be negotiated between employer and employee, with additional levels of pay being offered as a supplementary benefit.
Supplementary Employee Benefits in Uzbekistan
It’s recommended that companies consider offering their employees supplementary benefits in addition to mandatory benefits required by law.
This is to optimize the number of job applications for new roles and increase staff retention rates.
Some examples of supplementary employee benefits include:
- Performance bonuses
- Transport, housing, or food allowances
- Company car
- Flexible working hours
- Enhanced leave entitlement
- Private pension scheme
- Advanced training
Optimize Employee Benefits with Remote People
There are a range of ways that Remote People can help companies hire in Uzbekistan.
Through our Employer of Record (EOR) services, we act as the legal employer for your workforce—managing benefit compliance, tax obligations, and payroll. An EOR ensures that employees are hired legally and receive all the benefits they’re entitled to under Uzbek labor law.
Contact Remote People today to see how we can help you optimize employee benefits in Uzbekistan, taking the pressure off your company and allowing you to focus on other key areas of your business.
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