Hire in Slovenia

EOR in Slovenia

If a lack of speed or local expertise are among your top concerns when expanding to or employing workers in Slovenia, an employer of record may be the best option for achieving your global growth objectives.

An employer of record, sometimes known as an international PEO, enables you to quickly hire and onboard workers in Slovenia ―often in as little as two weeks―without having to take on the cost and risk of establishing a local entity.

Learn about the hiring, employment, payroll and benefits requirements for workers in Slovenia and how our employer of record service, EOR, and local HR experts can help you manage your international employment needs.

Hiring in Slovenia

Slovenian labor law is not consolidated in a single code but is covered by various laws, although the majority of rights and obligations stemming from the employment relationship are regulated by the Employment Relationship Act.

Employment contracts in Slovenia

As you look to hire employees in Slovenia, here are some standard regulations you’ll need to know to create a compliant contract, as well as how an employer of record and PEO can provide support for your unique HR needs.

Working hours

Regular weekly working time is 40 hours, and daily working time is eight hours including a paid 30-minute lunch break. For part-time employees, the lunch break is calculated proportionally with working hours.

Employees are entitled to an unpaid daily rest period of at least 12 hours, and a weekly rest period of at least 24 hours. If an employment agreement stipulates irregular working hours, the employee is entitled to an unpaid daily rest period of at least 11 hours.

Weekly working hours must not exceed 56, including overtime, and in any case, a resting period of at least 11 hours must be granted between working days. Daily working hours should average no more than 10 and can in no case exceed 13 hours.

Employers cannot demand more than 170 hours of overtime per year, 20 hours per month, and eight hours per week, and no working day may exceed 10 hours. Employees may voluntarily perform more than 170 hours of overtime work per year (up to 230 hours in total), but their consent is required for all work exceeding the 170-hour limitation.

Compensation

As you consider the appropriate salary to offer new employees, keep in mind:

• Effective January 1, 2024, the minimum monthly wage for full-time employees is 1,253.90 euros.
• The minimum wage is determined yearly by the Ministry of Labor, Family, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities.
• Collective bargaining agreements may prescribe minimum wages higher than the minimum wage determined by the government. Employment agreements may not stipulate remuneration below the statutory minimum wage prescribed in the Minimum Wage Act.
• Employees are entitled to additional payment for overtime work, the amount of which must be established in the collective bargaining or employment agreement. No general statutory provisions apply in this regard.
• Employees are entitled to additional payment for working on public holidays or work-free days.

As your employer of record in Slovenia, we can provide you with resources and insights about employee compensation, so you are better equipped to make a competitive employment offer.

Bonuses

Employees may receive payments in addition to regular wages. The law does not define such additional payments, which are therefore left to collective bargaining agreements, employer internal acts, or individual employment agreements.

Additional payments commonly include personal use of a company vehicle, a discount on goods or services, or a Christmas bonus.

Employees may also receive profit-sharing bonuses under the law. The financial participation of employees in the company’s operating results is governed by the Financial Participation Act. Per the law, there are certain restrictions to these bonuses: employees as a group can receive no more than 20% of corporate profits within an individual financial year and no more than 10% of the total payroll for that year, and the maximum amount an individual employee can receive is 5,000 euros.

Probationary period

The employer and the employee may agree in the employment agreement to a probation period for a maximum of six months.

Termination and severance

Either contracting party may terminate the employment agreement without a notice period (extraordinary termination) if taking into account all the circumstances and interests of both contracting parties the continuation of the employment relationship is no longer possible. The notice of extraordinary termination of the employment agreement must be delivered to the employee within 30 days of the incident justifying termination.

If the employer ordinarily terminates the employment agreement due to a business reason or the employee’s incompetence, the notice period varies between 15 and 80 days depending on the employee’s years of service with the employer. In case of employment up to one year, 15 days of notice is required, while 30 days is required for employees who have been employed for one to two years.

For every subsequent year of service, the notice period is extended to two days up to a maximum of 60 days. For the period of service above 25 years, a notice period of 80 days is required. Collective bargaining agreements or employment contracts may prescribe a different notice period, although, in cases of service above 25 years, the notice period cannot be shorter than 60 days.

If the employer ordinarily terminates the employment contract due to the employee’s culpability, the minimum notice period is 15 days. In cases of termination due to an unsuccessful probation period, the notice period is seven days.

Employee benefits and paid leave in Slovenia

When negotiating terms of an employment contract with a candidate in Slovenia, here are some of the statutory benefits and paid leave requirements to keep in mind, as well as how an employer of record can support your company’s benefits strategy.

Maternity leave

A new mother is entitled to take maternity leave for up to 105 days, out of which taking a minimum of 15 days is mandatory. Pregnant employees are allowed to start their maternity leave 28 days before the expected date of birth.

As a rule, employees must inform their employers about their maternity leave plans at least 30 days before the date on which they plan to begin taking leave.

A mother is entitled to the maternity benefit even if she is not entitled to maternity leave as long as she has been insured according to the law for at least 12 months during the three years preceding her requesting the benefit. The maternity benefit is calculated using an average based on the amount liable for parental protection contributions during the previous 12 months. In case of full absence from work, the maternity benefit amounts to 100% of the average and cannot be lower than 55% of the minimum wage.

Vacation

Employees who work a full year for the same employer are entitled to four weeks of paid annual leave, of which at least two weeks must be taken consecutively. Employees who work at least 60 days in a calendar year but not the full year are entitled to vacation prorated at one-twelfth of total annual leave entitlement for each month worked.

Collective bargaining agreements or employment contracts may stipulate additional days of annual leave.

Some categories of employees (e.g. elderly and disabled employees, employees nursing a disabled child) are entitled to up to three additional days of leave. Employees whose contracts are terminated before the end of the calendar year are entitled to one-twelfth of the annual leave accrued for the year of termination.

As a rule, employees must take their entire vacation before the end of a calendar year.

Holidays

The following national holidays are observed in Slovenia:

• New Year’s Day
• Preeren Day, the Slovenian Cultural Holiday
• Easter Sunday and Monday
• Day of Uprising against Occupation
• Labor Day (two days)
• Whit Sunday
• Statehood Day
• Assumption Day
• Reformation Day
• Day (of Remembrance) of the Dead
• Christmas
• Independence and Unity Day

If a public holiday or a work-free day falls on a Sunday, it is not transferred to the next business day.

The employee’s right to be absent from work on public holidays may be restricted if the working and/or production process cannot be interrupted or when the nature of the work requires its performance on public holidays.

Sick leave

In the event of temporary incapacity for work due to illness or injury, employees are entitled to wage compensation for sick leave. For the first 30 business days of sick leave, the employer must compensate the employee in one of 2 ways:

• In cases of accidents at work or occupational disease, employees are entitled to 100% of their average monthly wage for full-time work during the past 3 months.
• In cases of illness or injury not related to work, employees are entitled to 80% of their average monthly wage for full-time work during the past 3 months.

Collective bargaining agreements may outline more favorable wage compensation for sick leave. In the event of a longer absence from work, compensation is covered by health insurance. During the first 90 days, wage replacement is 70 to 100% based on conditions.

Health coverage

The social security system in Slovenia includes pension and disability insurance, unemployment insurance, health insurance (after 31 days of ailment), and parental protection. All employers in Slovenia need to pay social security contributions of 16.1% of gross monthly remuneration (16.34% for employees under fixed-term contracts), and employees must contribute 22.1% of their gross monthly remuneration, from which employer contributions for:

• Pension and disability is 8.85% of gross monthly remuneration.
• Health insurance is 6.56% of gross monthly remuneration.
• Occupational injury and disease are 0.53% of gross monthly wages.
• Parental protection with employee contributions is 0.1% of gross monthly wages.
• Unemployment insurance is 0.06% (0.3% for a fixed-term contract).

In addition to the statutory retirement pension, employees may acquire additional coverage from private retirement pension insurance. Both individual and group pension insurance is available. A prerequisite for additional group pension insurance is that the employer subscribes to an already existing retirement insurance fund or establishes such a fund itself.

Additional benefits

In addition to healthcare benefits, employees in Slovenia are entitled to pension, which is funded by government tax revenues, as well as workers compensation, which is covered through mandated employer insurance.

Employer social costs will cover a large portion of employee benefits in Slovenia, but we can consult with you about supplemental coverage options, such as additional pension contributions or life insurance if needed.

Updated: July 10, 2024

Employee onboarding with an employer of record in Slovenia

We write and validate all local employment contracts, streamlining the onboarding process for you and your Slovenian employees—all you have to do is provide relevant information and review and approve the employment agreement. As your employer of record in Slovenia, we will:

• Schedule a welcome call to discuss HR and employment information for Slovenia, as well as answer any questions
• Prepare a customized employment contract in English or other local language
• Share the employment contract and benefits information with the new employee for signature and review
• Gather tax and banking information from the employee to set up payroll
• Provide a local point of contact to the employee to answer any questions regarding their employment, local HR or payroll

The entire onboarding process for the employee is often completed in as little as two weeks.

Partner with Safeguard Global as your Slovenia employer of record and PEO

With over a decade of service, we are the longest-serving employer of record and PEO provider in the international market. Organizations around the world rely on EOR, our employer of record solution, to expand and hire in 170+ countries around the world, quickly and compliantly.

We’ve seen just about every global employment circumstance imaginable—and with our extensive knowledge of local law and culture, we know what it takes to get employment right in Slovenia. We provide written contracts in the local language, salaries in the local currency and HR support in your employees’ time zone.

Additionally, as a global payroll provider we support payroll administration—including payments, filings and other calculations— all around the world and can accommodate the payroll outsourcing needs of any size organization.

Whether you’re looking to hire as part of a strategic expansion or to meet specific talent needs, our global solutions advisors can walk you through your international hiring options so you can make the right choice for your organization. Contact us today.

Disclaimer

The information provided on or through this website is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Safeguard Global expressly disclaims any liability with respect to warranty or representation concerning the information contained herein, including the lost essence, interpretation, accuracy and/or completeness of the information in transit and language translation.