New labour code in Slovakia

In contrast to the cuts in employee rights in much of the rest of Europe, the centre-left government in Slovakia has introduced changes to its labour code which improve employees’ position.

One of the key changes is the reintroduction of severance pay and an extended notice period for dismissal. There are also increased rights for temporary workers, bringing their position closer to that of permanent employees, and a reduction in the number of times temporary contracts can be renewed — from three times over three years to twice over two years.

The changes will come into force from January 2013.