Employment contract template
Employment contract under the Slovak Labour Code
This document rests on a fixed pattern prepared by Paragrafo; it is not a law firm template. Its wording is not written by AI, only the details from the form are filled in. For a non-standard situation we recommend a solicitor.
Law in force as at
Pracovná zmluva
- I. Zmluvné strany
- II. Druh práce a jeho stručná charakteristika
- III. Miesto výkonu práce
- IV. Deň nástupu do práce
- V. Mzdové podmienky
- VI. Trvanie pracovného pomeru
An employment contract establishes the employment relationship between an employer and an employee. It is concluded in writing and is governed by the Labour Code, that is Act 311/2001 Coll.
The Labour Code sets out the essential particulars that the contract has to contain in every case. Alongside them, the employer also gives the employee written information on further working conditions. That is a separate document, not part of the contract, which is precisely why changing it is not done by an amendment to the contract.
Who needs this document
- Employers taking on an employee for an indefinite period
- Companies changing the terms of an existing employment relationship by amendment
- Sole traders hiring their first employee
What the document must contain
- The identification details of the employer and the employee
- The type of work and a brief description of it
- The place of work, or several places, or a rule that the employee determines it
- The start date
- The pay conditions. Where these are agreed in a collective agreement, a reference to its provisions is enough
Legal basis
Zákon č. 311/2001 Z. z. Zákonník práce
The essential particulars of an employment contract are in § 43(1). Further working conditions are provided under § 47a in separate written information, not in the contract. The probationary period is governed by § 45.
Most common mistakes
An old template that puts everything into the contract
Older templates put working time, holiday entitlement and the notice period straight into the contract. Under § 47a of the Labour Code these details are provided in written information on working conditions, and only where the contract does not contain them. The difference is practical: changing a detail in the separate information does not call for an amendment to the employment contract.
One of the essential particulars missing
The type of work, the place of work, the start date and the pay conditions belong in the contract in every case. Leaving any of them out makes the contract incomplete.
The place of work defined too broadly
Wording such as “the territory of the Slovak Republic” has consequences for posting, for travel allowances and for any change of location. The definition should match reality.
A probationary period agreed later or extended
The probationary period is agreed in the employment contract. Under § 45(1) of the Labour Code it is three months at most; six months at most for a managerial employee reporting directly to the statutory body or a member of it, and for a managerial employee reporting directly to such a manager. It cannot be extended; however, if the employee did not work a whole shift because of an obstacle to work on the employee's side, § 45(3) extends it by one day. In a fixed-term employment relationship it must not exceed half the agreed duration.
Confusing an employment contract with an agreement on work performed outside employment
Such agreements have their own regime and their own limits on the amount of work. Where dependent work is actually being performed, an agreement does not replace an employment contract.
Frequently asked questions
Does an employment contract have to be in writing?
Yes, the Labour Code requires written form and one copy belongs to the employee.
How long can a probationary period last?
Under § 45(1) of the Labour Code, three months at most. Six months at most for a managerial employee reporting directly to the statutory body or a member of it, and for a managerial employee reporting directly to such a manager. In a fixed-term employment relationship it must not exceed half the agreed duration. The probationary period cannot be extended; however, if the employee did not work a whole shift because of an obstacle to work on the employee's side, § 45(3) extends it by one day.
What is the written information on working conditions?
A separate document under § 47a of the Labour Code. In it the employer states details such as the arrangement of working time, the notice period or the right to training, and only to the extent that the employment contract does not contain them. Part of the details has to be provided within seven days of the employment relationship arising.
Can an employment contract be changed?
The content of the contract can be changed by agreement of the parties, usually by a written amendment. A unilateral change is possible only in the cases the Labour Code expressly allows.
Employment contract for your business
You fill in your company details and the document is ready in under a minute.
Generate the document