If you are interested in establishing a Ukrainian company, our experts have prepared an overview on company formation in Ukraine to provide all the necessary information about local forms of business, registration process and requirements.
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The Labor Code is the main law that governs employment relationships of all workers and the labour law in Ukraine. Its main purpose is to ensure a good work productivity, improvement of work quality, increase efficiency and ensure a good relationship between employees and their employers.
According to the current legislation of Ukraine, there are four ways to exercise the right to work and provide services as an individual:
Residents do not need to obtain a work permit, but they must be of legal age. Minors are allowed to work with parental permission only if they are over 14 years old and the work does not interfere with their studies.
Non-residents have the same labour rights as Ukrainian nationals. However, to be employed, a non-resident needs to obtain a work permit from the State Employment Service, issued for a specific position and a specific period, depending on the foreigner’s category and the duration of work. After obtaining a work permit, a non-resident can obtain a residence permit. The permit may be extended an unlimited number of times, provided there are valid grounds for its renewal.
When signing an employment contract, a person must provide a passport or another form of ID, as well as their employment record book (if they have one) or employment history from the State Register of Compulsory State Social Insurance. Depending on the job, additional documents may be required by law, such as proof of education, health certificates, military registration papers, or others.
For Ukrainian citizens, the employer is required to check their military registration documents during hiring or training. People who are conscripts, liable for military service, or reservists can only be officially employed or trained after being registered with the local recruitment and social support centre, the Security Service of Ukraine, or the relevant intelligence agency unit.
According to the labour law of Ukraine, we can identify the following types of employment contracts:
This is a contract between an employee and an employer. The employee agrees to do the work outlined in the contract, while the employer agrees to pay for the work and ensure proper working conditions, following labour laws, any collective agreements, and the company’s internal rules.
A fixed-term employment contract is used when a long-term employment relationship isn’t possible—either because of the nature of the work or due to personal reasons of the employee (such as family circumstances). The length of employment is clearly stated in the contract.
Starting from July 19, 2022*, employers are required to inform employees working under fixed-term contracts about any job openings that match their qualifications and offer the possibility of a permanent (indefinite) contract. Employers must also ensure that these employees have equal opportunities to apply for and sign such contracts.
*According to Law No. 2352 of 01.07.2022, which applies during martial law in accordance with the Law of Ukraine ‘On the Legal Regime of Martial Law’. Most provisions of this law will stop being in effect once martial law ends, except for part three of Article 13 and Article 15 of this Law, the articles relating to payments by the state that carries out military aggression against Ukraine of monetary amounts lost as a result of armed aggression related to labour relations.
Seasonal work is a type of fixed-term employment established for a specific period, which, due to natural or climatic factors, cannot be carried out throughout the year but only during a particular season or period not exceeding six months. The industries and types of work considered seasonal are determined by the List of Seasonal Work.
Temporary work is another form of fixed-term employment contract, which can be concluded for up to two months. If the purpose is to replace an employee who is temporarily absent but retains the right to their position, the contract may last up to four months. The grounds and duration for entering into such contracts are clearly defined.
This contract establishes employment for an indefinite number of hours, without guaranteeing continuous work. The employee is only required to perform tasks specified in the contract if and when the employer provides such work. While the employer does not guarantee ongoing assignments, all terms regarding remuneration must still be observed.
Remote work allows the employee to carry out their duties outside the employer’s premises, at any location of their choosing, while using information and communication technologies. In this arrangement, the employee is responsible for managing their own working hours and is not bound by the employer’s internal labour regulations, unless otherwise specified in the employment agreement.
When working under a home-based employment contract, the employee performs their duties from their place of residence or another location of their choosing. This location must have a designated workspace and the necessary technical equipment, including tools, devices, inventory, or a suitable combination, required for producing goods, providing services, or performing tasks. Unless the employment contract states otherwise, home-based employees follow the standard working hours set by the enterprise, institution, or organisation.
An employment contract must contain the following information:
identification details of the employer and employee
type of work
job duties
term of the agreement/contract
place of work
remuneration corresponding to the type of work (salary*)
working hours, days off, and entitlements to additional leave
probationary period
benefits, compensation, additional guarantees, etc.
notice period for termination of employment
* The minimum wage in Ukraine from 01.01.2025 is 8000 UAH (approx. 165 EUR)
Prior to starting employment, the employer must clearly inform the employee – using any mutually agreed method in accordance with Law No. 2352 of 01.07.2022 – about the following matters:
The employer must notify the employee of changes to the essential terms and conditions of employment no later than two months in advance (part 3 of Article 32 of the Labour Code). The law establishes a minimum two-month notice period so that an employee who does not agree to work under the new conditions can find another job.
If martial law is in effect, the two-month advance notice period for changes to essential working conditions – required under normal circumstances – does not apply when such changes result from adjustments in production or labour organisation. Instead, according to part 2 of Article 3 of the Law of Ukraine No. 2136-IX “On the Organisation of Labour Relations under Martial Law” of 15.03.2022, it is sufficient for the employer to notify employees of these changes simply prior to their implementation.
A probationary period may be included in an employment contract by mutual agreement between the employer and the employee. This period allows the employer to assess whether the employee is suitable for the position, in accordance with Article 26 of the Labour Code.
Under Ukrainian law, the probationary period must not exceed 3 months, unless otherwise specified. In certain circumstances, and with the consent of the primary trade union organisation, this period can be extended up to 6 months (Article 27 of the Labour Code). For certain categories of employees, such as technical or production staff, the probation period cannot be longer than 1 month.
During martial law, employers have the right to establish a probationary period for any category of employee, as provided by part 2 of Article 2 of the Law of Ukraine No. 2136-IX “On the Organisation of Labour Relations under Martial Law” of 15.03.2022.
According to the current labour law of Ukraine, employment may be terminated on the following grounds:
The employee’s reasons may be different (their own desire, as well as valid reasons, e.g. moving, starting studies at an educational institution, retirement, pregnancy, caring for a child under 14 years of age or a child with a disability, and other reasons).
Effective from 19.07.2022, several new grounds for dismissal have been introduced:
In addition, starting from 19.07.2022, the following nuances regarding dismissals apply:
Effective from 19.07.2022, several specific provisions regarding dismissal are in effect:
These provisions are enforced in accordance with Law No. 2136 of 15.03.2022.
On the day of termination of the employment contract, the employer is obliged to fulfil all their obligations and make all payments to the employee, including compensation for the unused vacation days.
Together with a copy of the dismissal decree, the employer shall provide the employee with a written notice of the amounts accrued and paid to them upon dismissal and make an entry in the employment record book.
An employee may initiate a labour dispute by submitting an application directly to the court within three months from the date when they became aware, or should have become aware, of a violation of their rights. In cases of dismissal, the employee has the right to file a claim with the court within one month after receiving a copy of the dismissal decree. If the dispute concerns payments due upon dismissal, this period is extended to three months from the date the employee receives written notification of the amounts accrued and paid upon termination.
If an employee wishes to resign, they must provide their employer with 14 calendar days’ notice before their intended resignation date. However, under martial law, if the company is located in an area affected by hostilities and the employee’s life and health are at risk, the employer is required to process the resignation within the timeframe stated in the resignation letter. Alternatively, if both the employer and employee agree, the resignation may occur on a mutually decided date.
In the case of dismissal for valid reasons (according to the Labour Code of Ukraine), the employer must terminate the employment contract within the period requested by the employee.
In the event of mass dismissal (reduction in the number of staff), employees are personally notified of the forthcoming dismissal at least two months in advance, or three months in advance if the Trade Union is present.
The suspension of an employment contract occurs when the employer temporarily halts the provision of work and the employee stops fulfilling their work duties, due to military aggression against Ukraine which makes it impossible for both parties to meet their obligations under the employment contract.
Suspension of the contract can be initiated by either the employer or the employee, but it may only last for as long as martial law is in effect. If the employer decides to end the suspension before martial law is officially lifted or cancelled, they are required to notify the employee at least 10 calendar days before the employee is expected to return to work.
This is a special form of cooperation with experts that combines the features of an employment contract (due to social guarantees) and a civil law contract. Under a gig contract, a specialist is not hired, but invited to a specific project, where he or she completes the tasks assigned within the set timeframe.
A gig contract is a type of civil law agreement in which a gig specialist agrees to carry out work or provide services based on the assignments given by a Diia City resident as the customer. The Diia City resident company is responsible for paying for the completed work or services and for providing the gig specialist with suitable conditions and the social guarantees outlined in Section V of the Law “On Stimulating the Development of the Digital Economy in Ukraine”.
A civil law contract is a special form of service provision where the terms of cooperation are governed by the Civil Code of Ukraine and not the Labour Code.
In a civil law contract, a contractor agrees to perform specific work or provide a service, while the client accepts the completed work and pays for it. The contract focuses on the final result rather than the process. Both parties act independently and equally. The client is not responsible for providing working conditions, a workplace, equipment, or sick leave. The contractor organises their own work and is accountable for finishing it on time.
22% of the accrued salary is the Unified Social Contribution.
This percentage applies to wages that are less than 25 subsistence minimums. If the wage is more, the amount left is not taxed.
The subsistence minimum for an able-bodied person is set at 6,700 UAH (approx. 135 EUR) starting from January 1, 2022.
On November 28, 2024, the President signed the Law of Ukraine ‘On Amendments to the Tax Code of Ukraine on Peculiarities of Taxation during the Period of Martial Law’ No. 4015-IX of 10.10.2024, which increased the military tax rate from 1.5% to 5%. The rate for military personnel remained at 1.5%.
18% of the accrued salary is the income tax rate.
The standard workweek consists of 40 hours, evenly distributed over five days. However, employers may establish a six-day workweek, in which case employees must not exceed seven working hours per day.
Additionally, on the day preceding a national holiday, the duration of the working day is reduced by one hour.
*The changes from 19.07.2022. provide that:
Normal working hours during martial law may be increased to 60 hours per week for employees of critical infrastructure facilities (defence, public utilities, etc.).
During the period of martial law, the provisions on holidays and non-working days (Article 73 of the Labour Code) do not apply.
Effective from July 30, 2023, the Law of Ukraine ‘On Amendments to Article 73 of the Labour Code of Ukraine’ removed Christmas Day celebrated on January 7 as a public holiday and introduced new dates for some of the holidays:
Some categories of employees are entitled to work fewer hours per week. For employees working in hazardous conditions, the working week is limited to 36 hours.
At the request of an employee due to their valid personal circumstances and at the initiative of the employer, part-time work may be established. Pregnant women, women with a child under 14 or a disabled child, and those caring for a sick family member based on a doctor’s recommendation are guaranteed to the ability to work a short day or week with a proportional change in salary.
Flexible working hours are a type of labour arrangement that permits a work schedule different from the standard internal regulations. In this case, employees must still comply with established working time limits – whether daily, weekly, or over another accounting period such as a month, quarter, or year. Flexible working hours allow employees to perform their duties in the office, remotely, or from home.
Unfixed working hours are a form of labour organisation that does not set a specific time for work. An employee is obliged to perform work only when the employer provides such work, as stipulated in the employment contract. The relevant conditions are fixed and agreed upon in the employment contract.
For employees called up for military service, the law obligates employers to retain their position and job during their period of service.
In accordance with the current legislation of Ukraine, there are several types of vacation:
basic annual leave
additional annual leave (for those who work in harmful and difficult working conditions, for a specific nature of work or in other cases provided for by law)
additional study leave
creative leave
social leave:
Unpaid leave:
The frequency of annual leave is determined in accordance with schedules prepared at the beginning of the year, which consider the interests of both the employer and the employee.
Employees are entitled to at least 24 calendar days of annual leave for each year of work.
In their first year of employment, full annual leave – both basic and additional – may be granted after completing six months of continuous service with the company. However, employees requiring additional social protection can receive their full annual leave entitlement before completing this six-month period.
If an employee who does not need additional social protection has worked for less than a year, their annual leave is calculated in proportion to the actual time worked. For instance, an employee earns two days of leave for each month worked, resulting in 24 days of leave over a full calendar year.
Employers also have the right to grant their employees longer annual leave.
Certain categories of employees are entitled by law to longer leave and the employer is obliged to provide it:
Employees who work irregular hours are entitled to an annual additional leave of 1 to 7 calendar days per year.
An employee may take a full or partial leave of absence, provided that the main continuous part of it is at least 14 working days.
Employees must receive their salary for the entire duration of their leave before the leave begins, unless a different arrangement is specified by law, employment contract, or collective agreement.
*The changes effective from 19.07.2022. provide that:
Starting from July 29, 2023, the Law of Ukraine ‘On Amendments to Certain Legislative Acts of Ukraine on Peculiarities of Using Maternity Leave’ provides that, in the absence of medical contraindications, a pregnant woman has the right to transfer the prenatal part of the leave to the postnatal period (starting from the day of delivery) in part or in full. The total duration of pregnancy and childbirth leave does not change.
On December 23, 2023, the following amendments were made in accordance with the Law of Ukraine ‘On Amendments to Certain Legislative Acts of Ukraine on the Regulation of the Granting and Use of Leave, as well as Other Matters’ No. 3494-IX:
The following categories of employees are entitled to leave that employers are required to provide:
Under certain circumstances, the employer is obliged to grant leave to:
Starting from April 3, 2024, the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine issued Resolution No. 356 of 29.03.2024, which amended the Procedure for Granting Parental Leave.
The document states that the right to such leave is confirmed by:
For family reasons and certain other reasons, an employee may be granted unpaid leave for a period agreed upon between the employee and the owner or their authorised representative:
The changes effective from July 19, 2022 include new provisions for employees during the period of martial law. If an employee leaves the territory of Ukraine or acquires a status of an internally displaced person, they can request an unpaid leave of absence. The employer is required to grant this leave for the period specified in the employee’s request, but it cannot exceed 90 calendar days. Importantly, the time spent on this unpaid leave will not be included in the employment record that counts towards the entitlement to annual basic leave, as outlined in paragraph 4 of part one of Article 9 of the Law of Ukraine ‘On Leaves’. The law does not provide for the employer’s right to refuse to grant such leave to an employee.
The most common employee benefits include:
Financial bonuses are added to the accrued salary and are taxed according to their type.
Such bonuses as professional trainings, language courses, company cars (used for business purposes) are considered company expenses and reduce the amount of taxes paid by the company.
Any personal (individual) bonuses are taxed in accordance with the accrued salary..
Key legislation regulating labour relations:
If you are interested in establishing a Ukrainian company, our experts have prepared an overview on company formation in Ukraine to provide all the necessary information about local forms of business, registration process and requirements.
The Join-Stock Company is a business entity with a charter capital divided into a certain number of shares of the same value. The joint stock company not later than after six months since an emission of shares had been registered must provide Shareholders with shares (certificate of the shares).
The Join-Stock Company is not liable for the obligations of the shareholders.
The company may be created by establishment, merger, division, separation or transformation of the business (business) companies, public (state), municipal (public) and other companies in the corporation.
Full name of the company in the Ukrainian language must contain the business type (public or private) and legal form (joint stock company).
Joint stock companies are divided into:
The Limited Liability Company is the company which has the capital divided into shares, as determined by the constituent documents.
The maximum number of participants in a Limited Liability Company is not declared.
An Additional Liability Company is the company with an authorized (share) capital divided into shares, as determined by the constituent documents.
The members of the company are liable for its obligations by their contributions to the charter (share) capital, and at the failure of these amount additionally by their property. This amount is the same for all participants and it is relevant to the contributions of each participant.
The maximum liability of members is detailed in the constituent documents.
The General Meeting is the supreme governing body of the Joint Stock Companies, Limited Liability and Additional Liability Companies.
The executive bodies of the company, which provides management of its current activity, are board or other bodies, defined by statute. In a Limited and Additional Liability created by the executive body: Collegial (management) or sole (Director). Directorate headed by General Director. Members of the executive body may also be persons who are not members of the partnership.
The General Partnership is a company, whose members are engaged in joint business activities and liable for the partnership’s obligations with all their property.
The name of the company must contain the names (names) of all its participants, the words “full partnership” or contain the name (title) of one or more members with the addition of the words “and company” and the words “full partnership”.
A Limited Partnership is a company, where one or more members do business on behalf of the partnership and is/are responsible for the company’s obligations with all their assets. There are one or more members whose liability is limited by contribution in property companies (investors) and who do not participate in the activities of the company.
If the Limited Partnership involves two or more participants with full responsibility, they are jointly liable for the debts of the company.
Administration of the Limited Partnership can be made only by participants with full responsibility.
Administration of the General Partnership must be agreed with all participants.
A citizen recognized as an entity if it exercises the entrepreneurial activity with the state registration as an entrepreneur without legal entity status.
Foreign business entities that want to do business in Ukraine can open a branch of a foreign entity. For this, the foreign entity must fill in an application and submit it to the Ministry of Economy of Ukraine (or other Ministry depending on the type of business activity of the foreign entity), together with a request for registration of the representation composed in any form, where should be noted:
The form of business | Minimum capital (approx. in EUR) | Number of shareholders | |
English | Ukrainian | ||
Public joint-stock company | Публічне акціонерне товариство (ПАТ) | 200 amounts of minimum salaries on the date of registration: As of 01/01/2024 – UAH 1,420,000. (approx. EUR 34 700) As of 01/04/2024 – UAH 1,600,000. (approx. EUR 39 000) | 1 or more |
Private joint-stock company | Приватне акціонерне товариство (ПрАТ) | 200 amounts of minimum salaries on the date of registration: As of 01/01/2024 – UAH 1,420,000. (approx. EUR 34 700) As of 01/04/2024 – UAH 1,600,000. (approx. EUR 39 000) | 1 or more |
Limited Liability Company | Товариство з обмеженою відповідальністю (ТОВ) | NS | ND |
Additional Liability Company | Товариство з додатковою відповідальністю | NS | ND |
General Partnership | Повне товариство (ПТ) | NS | ND |
Limited Partnership | Командитне товариство | NS | ND |
Individual/entrepreneur | Фізична особа-підприємець | N/A | ND |
Representative office | Представництво іноземного суб’єкта господарювання | N/A | 1 (not a shareholder, mother company) |
NS=not stated, ND=not declared
A Join-Stock, Limited and Additional Liability Company are established and are operating under the constituent documents, while the General and the Limited Partnership are operating under the foundation agreement.
The documents must contain at least the following information:
The founding contract of a General Partnership must include in addition to the conditions specified above also the following:
The founding contract of a Limited Partnership, in addition to the above conditions, must include:
The company acquires legal personality from the date of its registration. Under normal conditions, the incorporation time (registration procedure time) lasts 24 hours.
The state registration is conducted in the order prescribed by law for state registration of legal entities.
The company may open current and deposit accounts in banks and enter into contracts and other agreements only after its registration. Agreements concluded before the company registration deemed to be concluded with this company, only if it is approved after registration.
For registration of the legal entity the following documents are needed:
Ukraine’s standard CIT rate is 18%. Special rates apply to insurance and gambling activities.
ECT rate is 9%. It is a special tax regime for the residents of Diia City*
Rates for legal non-resident entities vary from 0% to 20% based on income type. Tax rates and taxable profit for permanent establishments are the same as for residence in Ukraine.
The standard PIT rate is 18%. This rate also applies to the taxable income received from abroad.
Standard VAT rate in Ukraine is 20% and is imposed on domestic sales of goods and/or services, imported goods or services.
A reduced rate of 7% is applied to supply and import of registered medicines and specific medical goods. For export of goods and other services defined by law, 0% rate applies under special conditions.
Provision of services to a non-resident are subject to 20% VAT or it can be considered as an outside the scope of VAT, depending on the place of supply.
*Related deadlines for taxpayers you may find in our 2024 Tax calendar for Ukraine.
How generous are Central and Eastern European countries when it comes to giving a break to employees?
Among European countries in general, there are almost no strong contrasts to be found when it comes to the public attitude towards vacations or using up the alloted leave days by employees. Many businesses consider the days off as a right of each individual to take a well-deserved rest and, in fact, increase their productivity when back at work. Furthermore, achieving an effective work-life balance has become the focus of many companies when defining their vacation policies.
However, regardless the similar attitude towards holidays in general, Labour Codes across the EU still bear some differences in various aspects of employment, concerning also the annual vacation and applicable conditions when it comes to further types of leave.
Our study explores how local legislations treat general terms and regulations related to days off work, such as the entitlement to minimum paid annual leave, public holidays, parental and health-related absence as well as vacation allowances and compensation – including the comparison of 9 European countries. The topics covered touch upon the following:
In the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, employees who established an employment relationship or have a discontinuance of employment longer than 15 workdays, are entitled to min. 20 and max. 30 vacation days, which are granted after 6 months of continuous work. Until the half year is fulfilled, the employee has the right to 1 day off for each month spent working.
Once entitled to the full possible amount of vacation days, employees must take at least one vacation at once with the minimum duration of 12 working days.
In the Republic of Srpska, employees who established an employment relationship or have a discontinuance of employment longer than 30 workdays are entitled to at least 20 vacation days, but extra vacation days can be granted by the employer. The employees are entitled to vacation after 6 months of continuous work. Until the half year is fulfilled, they have the right to 1 day off for each month spent working.
Once entitled to the full possible amount of vacation days, employees must take at least one vacation at once with the minimum duration of 12 working days.
Employees in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina are given altogether 7 working days of additional leave per year, which can be drawn in case of a marriage of the given employee, birth of a child, sickness or death of a close family member or voluntary donation of blood. In the Republic of Srpska, the additional leave for the same reasons amounts to 5 working days.
In the calendar year there are 10 public holidays celebrated in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and 12 in the Republic of Srpska, however, none of them are included in the paid annual leave; neither are national holidays and weekly rest days.
In Bosnia and Hercegovina, in case an employee’s contract is terminated but their vacation leave was not fully drawn due to the employer, the employer has to pay compensation for the remaining vacation days. There are no further consequences in case the vacation leave is overdrawn by an employee, who’s contract has been terminated, since their employment ends with the termination date as written in their termination agreement.
As for the probation period, which can last up to maximum 6 months, employees have the right to 1 day off for each month worked, unless prior to the date of employment they worked for another employer for more than 6 months and were entitled to a full annual leave.
The compulsory maternity leave lasts for 42 days in the federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, but mothers may take one full year off after a child is born. Upon agreement, after the 42-day compulsory maternity leave, the father may continue to use the leave (which is considered as the paternity leave) instead of the mother. The same is applicable to the Republic of Srpska, however, the compulsory leave for mothers lasts for 60 days. When an employee draws their maternity or paternity leave, their right to vacation days is dismissed. Upon the employee’s return from the leave, they regain the right to a paid vacation. Parental leave is granted only in case of an adoption of a child, or in case a child with serious developmental disability is born; however, there are no detailed regulations in this regard.
Each employee is entitled to health care and a paid doctor’s visit during their annual leave. This is applicable also to employed pregnant women. As for other employees, there is no limitation for the duration of sick leave, however, it depends on the legal basis of the leave or illness, and on the place of exact residence. A compensation of salary is granted when health-related leave is taken.
The vacation allowance and compensation are regulated individually in the Employment Rulebook by employers. In the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the allowance is calculated in the amount equalling max. the 50% of the average net salary paid in the preceding calendar quarter. This amount is non-taxable as specified by the Income Tax Law, but the rest above the 50% is subject to taxation. In the Republic of Srpska, the employee receives the vacation allowance in the amount of at least 100% of their average salary from the decisive period, which is subject to taxation.
According to the Croatian Labour Code, after 6 months of work each employee is entitled to at least 4 weeks of vacation leave in a year, which equals to 20 working days. During those 6 months, employees are granted only the proportional amount of overall vacation days.
Each year, one part of the vacation leave must be taken in one block, at least in amount of two weeks, i.e. 10 working days.
Additional leave can be drawn but must be either due to important personal needs such as wedding of the employee, childbirth or death of a close family member. The extra days off can amount to max. 7 working days each year.
In Croatia, there are 14 public holidays in one calendar year as of 2020, however, they are not included in the paid annual leave; neither are national holidays and weekly rest days.
When a contract is terminated or comes to an end without renewal, an employee receives a compensation for their remaining vacation days. In case an employee’s vacation leave is overdrawn, the employer cannot request a compensation from the employee even though they took more vacation days than entitled to.
Employees who are in a probation period have the right to a proportional amount of vacation days, i.e. to one-twelfth of vacation leave for each full month of work.
During maternity leave, employees exercise the right of compulsory maternity leave for a continuous period of 98 days, of which 28 days are taken before the expected birth and 70 days after the birth of the child. These employees are entitled to vacation days when returning from maternity leave. Parental leave may be drawn after the child reaches 6 months of age and may be used until age 8. As for paternity leave, mothers may pass on their remaining leave to fathers after their compulsory leave.
As for the health-related absence, the employer pays for a sick leave up to 42 days. After that, the sick leave is drawn at the expense of the Croatian Institute for Health Insurance. According to the Labour Code, the minimum amount of the paid sickness benefit is 70% of the salary compensation base, but the employer may also pay a higher amount than obliged. Therefore, an employee is entitled to a salary compensation while on sick leave. As for a doctor’s visit, is treated as a sick leave. Pregnant female employees are entitled to at least 1 examination per month.
When the vacation leave is drawn, an allowance is paid to the employee, calculated from the average monthly salary of the preceding calendar quarter. Due to this calculation, the amount of wage compensation can be affected and increased e.g. by bonus payments and other monetary rewards in the decisive period. If the employee is provided a wage or part of a wage that pertains for a longer period than one calendar quarter (e.g. yearly bonuses) during the decisive period, its proportionate part is used for the calculation of average earnings.
In the Czech Republic, employees are granted 20 working days of vacation leave, or 4 weeks altogether, as specified in the Labour Code. Exceptions concern some professions, such as government sector workers, who are granted 5 weeks or teachers and academic staff with 8 weeks of vacation days.
Requirements for the vacation days to be granted are the following:
If the vacation days are not taken at once in one block, at least one leave must take 2 weeks long, unless agreed otherwise with the employer.
Additional leave is granted in the amount of 5 working days per year to workers who are performing particularly hard work or are exposed to risks of health (further specified in Section 215 of the Labour Code) and had a continuous employment under the same employer for at least one calendar year. In case the one year is not fulfilled, the entitlement of the additional leave is decreased to a proportional part, i.e. one twelfth of annual leave for every 21 days of work.
In the Czech Republic, there are 13 public holidays in one calendar year. They are not included in the paid annual leave, however, employees are entitled to salary compensation for salary loss due to such public holiday. National holidays and weekly rest days are not included in the paid annual leave either.
Additional paid leave can be drawn but must be either due to important personal needs such as wedding of the employee, childbirth or death of a close family member.
In general, when an employee does not draw all their vacation leave in the Czech Republic, the remaining days get transferred to the next year and must be scheduled till the 30th of June.
If an employee’s contract is terminated, but their vacation leave has not been fully drawn, the employee is entitled to a salary compensation for the remaining days of their leave. In some cases, when a new employment immediately follows the terminated one, the remaining leave may be transferred to the new employer upon the employee’s request, based on an agreement between all parties involved.
If an employee’s contract is terminated and their vacation leave has been overdrawn, the employee must return to the employer the salary compensation paid in excess.
During the probation period, the proportional vacation entitlement is applicable. The general basic rule is, however, that not the employee schedules the vacation leave but the employer, who must respect the employee´s legitimate interests and take into consideration their operational needs. Therefore, in principle, the employer may rule out the possibility of taking a vacation during the probationary period either generally or in specific cases, which is then subject to the principle of equal treatment. Regardless, taking vacation proportionately prolongs the probationary period in the amount of days drawn.
Maternity leave, which lasts 28 weeks in the Czech Republic, is considered as work performance for the purposes of leave entitlement, and thus the entitlement for vacation leave emerges during the maternity leave. On the other hand, no vacation entitlement arises during parental leave, which can last up to 3 years of the child’s age, and the allowance may be decreased according to the statutory provisions. The Labour Code allows an employee to take their remaining vacation between maternity and parental leave, but not during any of them.
The paid paternity leave lasts 1 week (i.e. 7 calendar days without interruption) and starts based on the employee’s choice. The paternity leave may be taken within the first 6 weeks from the date of the child´s birth, or from the date when the child is taken into foster care. The father may also take parental leave starting from the day when the child is born.
Regarding health-related absences, an employee is entitled to an unlimited paid time off during medical examination or treatment in a health care institution for the necessary time period, if such procedure is performed in a suitable facility nearest to the employee´s home or workplace and could not have been performed outside the working hours. The same applies to doctor´s visits during an employee´s pregnancy.
As stated above, the vacation allowance equals the proportional part of leave, where less than 1 day is rounded to half a day. The same applies when calculating one twelfth of the leave entitlement.
Salary compensation is calculated in the amount of average earnings, i.e. the average gross earnings from the decisive period (including bonuses and other variable payments), which is the preceding calendar quarter, divided by the hours of work performed in the given period.
The average earnings are ascertained on the first day of the calendar month following the decisive period. In case the employee did not perform work for at least 21 days within the decisive period, probable earnings are taken into consideration according to Section 355 of the Labour Code.
Taking the vacation leave after a quarter when premiums, extraordinary monthly or quarterly bonuses were paid, the value of average earnings is increased based on the calculation. However, this does not apply to the payment of annual bonuses, as those are distributed within the 4 quarters when the average earning is calculated.
Hungarian employees have the right to take 20 working days of vacation leave annually, which is granted in a proportional amount to the time spent at work in the given year. Vacation days are allocated by the employer and should contain at least 14 consecutive calendar days once in a calendar year, when the employee is exempt from work and availability. The weekly rest period, public holidays and any further days off are taken into consideration.
Additional leave is granted to workers according specific criteria, based on:
Additional leave is also granted for employees with reduced ability to work, employees eligible for disability allowance or employees eligible for special aid for the blind and employed minors under the age of 18.
In Hungary, there are 11 public holidays in one calendar year, however, they are not included in the paid annual leave; neither are national holidays and weekly rest days.
In Hungary, in case an employee’s contract is terminated but they still have remaining days of vacation leave left, compensation shall be provided. No certain rule applies in case an employee’s contract is terminated and their vacation leave has been overdrawn, but the compensation paid in excess might be reclaimed by the employer.
During the probation period, which can last no longer than 3 months, an employee may take vacation leave only based on the employer’s decision. In principle, the employer may rule out the possibility of granting a vacation during the probationary period.
Maternity leave lasts 24 weeks in Hungary and is considered as time spent at work in terms of the calculation of annual leave. Male employees are granted a fathers’ leave of 5 days; in case of twins the amount of extra days off is 7. In both cases, the leave may be drawn only once. Additional unpaid parental leave may be taken for the purposes of taking care of a child up to 3 years of age, or a prolonged unpaid leave for taking a personal care of a child until the age of 10 years.
The Hungarian Labour Code does not specify any entitlement of an employee to a paid doctor’s visit, neither in the case of pregnancy.
Employers are entitled to a salary compensation for the time spent on vacation, which is calculated from the wage base or fixed supplement in effect at the time when the vacation was drawn or from the performance-based wage or wage compensation paid in the preceding six calendar months before the vacation.
According to the Polish Labour Code, employees are entitled to a specific amount of vacation days, based on the number of years worked, such as:
Furthermore, employees in Poland shall draw at least 14 consecutive calendar days at once, which is precisely the half of the overall vacation leave. However, there are no sanctions foreseen for not meeting the obligation and, upon request, the vacation can be shorter than 14 days in bulk, being divided into parts.
Additional paid leave may be granted upon the occurrence of extraordinary family events, mainly:
In Poland, there are 13 public holidays in one calendar year, however, they are not included in the paid annual leave; neither are national holidays and weekly rest days.
In case the allocated leave has not been drawn in full extent due to the termination or expiry of an employment relationship, an employee shall receive an equivalent compensation. In case the allocated leave has been overdrawn by the employee and their contract has been terminated, the employer cannot reclaim any compensation.
An employee during the probationary period is entitled to a leave proportional to the period they carry out working. They acquire the right to take vacation after each month of work amounting to one twelfth of the leave they are entitled to after one full year of employment.
Maternity leave lasts 20 weeks in Poland, while a compulsory time off is 14 weeks. The length of the leave increases in case of the birth of twins. During maternity, employees retain their vacation rights, whereas the amount of days depend on the number of years worked, just as during regular employment. The vacation leave may be taken all at once, right after returning from maternity leave. In addition, employees are entitled to 32 or 34 weeks, depending on the number of children born in one delivery, while male employees may also take two weeks of paid paternity leave in the first 24 months of the child.
In case a medical examination prescribed by a doctor in connection with pregnancy cannot be carried out outside of working hours, the employer is obliged to grant paid time off to the pregnant employee.
Regarding health-related absences, employees in Poland are not granted a limited amount of days for sick leave, however, the employer reimburses the sick leave up to 33 days of illness per calendar year (or 14 days, in case the employee is aged over 50). After this period, a sickness allowance is paid by the Social Insurance Institute up to 182 days, or 270 in case of tuberculosis or the incapacity to work occurs during pregnancy.
Employees are entitled to remuneration for their vacation leave, in case they fulfilled their working duties during their employment. Remunerations are due for periods no longer than one month and are calculated based on the total amount paid to the employee during the preceding calendar quarter.
If the preceding three months, which are subject to the calculation of the remuneration, include a considerable fluctuation, such as annual bonuses, the salary compensation shall be calculated based on the total amount paid to the employee during a period which does not exceed 12 calendar months preceding the month when the vacation was drawn by the employee.
The remuneration for vacation days are calculated the following way:
In case of substantial differences in the amounts of remuneration within one year, the period over which the basis for assessment is calculated may be extended up to 12 months. Therefore, there is no specific period in a year when taking a vacation is financially more advantageous.
The Romanian Labour Code specifies 20 working days as annual paid leave, which is guaranteed to all employees. Vacation days are granted based on the labour contract and are mandatory in case of employment. While the effective duration of the vacation leave is established in the individual employment contract, in compliance with the law and the applicable collective labour contracts, the minimum duration of the vacation leave defined in general is 20 working days.
If vacation leave is scheduled in fractions, the employer falls under the obligation to do the distribution of vacation in one calendar year in a way that each employee benefits from at least 10 workdays of uninterrupted leave.
Additional leave may be granted up to at least 3 working days per calendar year, according to the following specifications:
In Romania, there are 11 public holidays in a year, counting up to 15 days of lawful holiday annually, however, they are not included in the paid annual leave; neither are national holidays and weekly rest days. Statutory public holidays are considered non-working days.
In case of a terminated employment, the rest of unused vacation days, to which the employee is entitled to, shall be compensated due to the contract termination. The employee who draws more vacation days than entitled to is obliged to return the allowance related to these days, for this allowance represents an undue payment.
During the probationary period, the employee benefits from all the rights provided by the Labour Code, as well as in the individual employment contract. However, it is generally recommended not use vacation days during probation, as this period serves for verifying the employee’s professional and personal skills in order to assess its ability to handle the job.
Maternity in Romania lasts at least 126 calendar days, while the salary received by the female employee is calculated from the amount equal to the 85% of their average salary in the preceding 2 quarters. Male employees are entitled to a paternity leave of 5 workdays within the first 8 weeks after the birth of a child, and additional 10 workdays, if the father of the newborn child has obtained a graduation certificate from a childcare course. Employees may also take up to two years of additional childcare leave.
When establishing the duration of the vacation leave, the periods of temporary incapacity for work related to the maternity leave, the maternal risk leave and the leave for the care of the sick child are considered as periods of activity. Therefore, the respective periods do not affect the number of rest days to which the employee is entitled each year.
Based on the maternity protection at workplace, pregnant employees are entitled to undergo medical examinations during pregnancy up to 16 hours per month without loss of pay, in case the medical check-ups can take place only during working hours.
For health-related reasons, Romanian employees are entitled to medical leave. In case of temporary incapacity for work, employees may take sick leave up to 183 days per year, based on a medical certificate issued by the doctor in accordance to law provisions.
When the vacation days are drawn, an employee is entitled to an allowance which may not be lower than the basic wage, emoluments and permanent additions due for that period, as stipulated in the individual labour contract. This allowance represents the daily average of the wages in the preceding calendar quarter, multiplied by the number of leave days.
According to the Labour Code in Serbia, for each calendar year an employee has the right to no less than 20 working days of vacation. The duration of the leave is determined in the general act and employment contract, while the number of vacation days per year is determined by the work contribution, conditions of work, work experience, professional qualifications and other criteria. Based on that, the min. amount of 20 days of vacation leave may be increased.
The right to vacation arises after a month of continuous work from the stating date of employment. In general, an employee is entitled to one-twelfth of the vacation leave under Article 69 of the Labour Code for each month of work in which the employment either started or got terminated.
The vacation leave can be drawn at once or in two or more parts, based on a mutual agreement with the employer. If an employee takes it in parts, the first part shall be used in the duration of at least two consecutive working weeks during the calendar year, while the remaining shall be used by 30th of June of the following year the latest.
An employee is entitled to take a paid leave from work for a total duration of 5 workdays in a calendar year, which may be drawn either for getting married, due to a spouse’s childbirth, a serious illness of a close family member or in other cases determined by law or the employment contract.
In addition, the employee is entitled to paid leave in the amount of:
Close family members include spouse, children, brothers, sisters, parents, adoptive parent, adoptee or legal guardian. The employer may grant the leave to the employee for relatives other than listed and for other persons who live in the same family household with the employee, for a period specified by the employer. Furthermore, the duration of paid leave may be exceeded upon agreement.
In Serbia, there are 10 public holidays in one calendar year, however, they are not included in the paid annual leave; neither are national holidays and weekly rest days.
When terminating the employment contract of an employee who did not draw the full amount of their vacation days, the employer shall reimburse the remaining leave. In case the employee took more vacation days than entitled to, the employer can request a compensation. However, this is not common practice.
As for the probation period, an employee gains the right to vacation after a month of continuous work starting from the date of employment.
Female employees during pregnancy are entitled to a leave in case of temporary incapacity due to complication related to pregnancy. During the leave, they are entitled to a salary compensation in the amount of 100% of the average salary from the preceding 12 months.
Maternity leave in Serbia lasts for 3 months and can be extended with parental leave up to additional 9 months. In case of 3 or more children, the leave can be extended with 12 months. Male employees are entitled to 5 days of paid paternity leave (as listed among the additional leave). An employee, who has not taken vacation leave within a given calendar year due to absence from work for maternity leave, the absence for childcare and special child care, has the right to use the remaining vacation leave till the 30th of June at latest of the following year.
When it comes to health-related absence, female employees during pregnancy are entitled to a paid leave from work for medical examinations related to pregnancy, as instructed by a physician, and in accordance with the law, whereof she is obliged to notify the employer in time.
Furthermore, all employees are entitled to salary compensation for the time of absence from work due to temporary impairment lasting up to 30 days, as follows:
The compensation for the annual vacation is calculated from the amount of average earnings in the previous 12 months, in proportion to the number of days of vacation leave. The allowance and compensation are calculated according to the general act and the employment contract. Due to the way of calculation, there is no specific period when the allowance is financially more advantageous.
The basic scope of the paid vacation leave in Slovakia is at least 4 weeks, i.e. 20 working days. The paid vacation leave of an employee who at the end of the relevant calendar year will be at least 33 years old, increases to 5 weeks per year, i.e. 25 working days.
An employee who, during the continuous duration of an employment relationship with the same employer, performed work for at least 60 days in the calendar year, is entitled to a paid leave or a proportional part thereof. Under Section 102 of the Labour Code, the proportional part of the paid vacation leave for each whole calendar month of continuous duration of the same employment relationship shall be one twelfth of paid leave.
An employee who is not entitled to paid vacation nor the proportional part, as they have not performed at least 60 days of work in the calendar year with the same employer, shall be entitled to a paid vacation leave for days worked to the extent of one twelfth of leave for each 21 days worked in the particular calendar year.
At least one part of the paid vacation leave must have a duration of minimum two weeks, according to the Section 111(5) of the Labour Code, unless the employee and employer agree otherwise.
5 working days are granted as additional paid leave according to the Slovak Labour Code for specific professions. For instance, an employee working underground over a whole calendar year in the extraction of minerals, drilling tunnels or passages and an employee who performs particularly difficult or health-endangering work, shall be entitled to additional paid leave of one week. If the employee works under such conditions for only a part of the calendar year, they are entitled to one twelfth of additional paid leave for each 21 days of work.
To be more precise, the additional leave is granted for employees, who are:
These types of particularly difficult or health detrimental professions or workplaces can be found in more details in a generally binding regulation Directive No. 75/1967 Coll. issued by the Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs and the Family of the Slovak Republic and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Affairs of the Slovak Republic on such employees and their compensation for the loss of earnings resulting in the incapacity for work due to certain occupational diseases.
In the Slovakia, there are 15 public holidays in one calendar year, however, they are not included in the paid annual leave; neither are national holidays and weekly rest days.
In case the vacation leave is not fully drawn by an employee, who’s contract has been terminated, Section 116(3) of the Labour Code allows financial reimbursement of unused leave due to termination of the employment relationship.
If an employee uses all their vacation entitlement for a current year before it is fully accrued, which is possible only with the approval of the employer, they are deemed as not legally entitled to the full vacation leave but only to a proportional part based on the length of the employment relationship in the respective year, and therefore they should return the wage compensation or part to which they are not entitled. In case the employee does not return the wage compensation voluntarily, the amount is deduced from the employee’s wage according to the Section 131(2)(g) of the Labour Code.
During the probationary period, the same rules and conditions apply for vacation rights as for the annual leave in general. According to Section 113(1) of the Labour Code, the employer may let the employee to take a leave, regardless whether the employee met the conditions to be entitled to vacation days, given that they are expected to fulfil them by the end of the calendar year in which the vacation is taken. In conclusion, taking a vacation leave during probationary period depends on individual agreement between the employer and employee.
Maternity leave or paternity leave for men employees (i.e. as other insured person for the purposes of social insurance) is justified work leave provided by an employer in accordance with the Labour Code related to childbirth or care of a newborn. Male employees can take parental leave on the first 6 weeks from the birth if they take care of the child personally.
The basic extent of leave and financial support granted to women by legislation in respect to child birth and taking care of a child is a 34-weeks long leave. In case of a single parent the leave is 37 weeks; in case of 2 or more children born at the same time it increases to 43 weeks. For other insured individuals for the purposes of social insurance the leave amounts to 28 weeks; in case of a single parent it is 31 and in case of 2 or more children born at the same time it equals 37 weeks.
During maternity and parental leave, which is considered as performance of work, the employee is entitled to regular annual leave, if the full extent or part of the maternity or parental leave falls into the time period which is treated as a performance of work in extent of 60 days within the calendar year.
Parental leave for women and men is considered as a justified leave from work, which is provided by the employer to the employee (the parent) until the day the child turns three years old for the purpose of deepening the care of the child if the employee requests so. If a child requires special care due to a long-term unfavourable health state, the employer shall be obliged to provide the employee with parental leave until the day the child turns six years old. Parental leave shall be provided for the length requested by the parent, but not less than one month. The vacation days for parental leave can be reduced or not granted at all, as parental leave is not considered as work performance for the purposes of annual leave entitlements.
For health-related absence, the employer must grant the employee time off from work according to Section 141(2) of the Labour Code for the following reasons:
The wage compensation for vacation leave is calculated based on the average earnings during the preceding calendar quarter in which the vacation is drawn, which is therefore considered as the decisive period. The average earnings are always ascertained on the first day of the calendar month following the decisive period and used during the entire following quarter. The average earnings are ascertained as average hourly earnings and rounded to four decimal places.
In case an employee did not work at least for 22 days or 170 hours during the decisive period, the probable earnings are used for calculations instead of average earnings. Probable earnings are ascertained from wages that the employee has attained since the beginning of the decisive period, or from wages they would evidently attain.
Due to the way the wage compensation for vacation leave is calculated, the amount of wage compensation can be affected and increased, for example, due to the payment of bonuses and other monetary rewards in the decisive period. If an employee during the decisive period is provided with a wage or part of a wage that belongs to them for a period longer than one calendar quarter (e.g. yearly bonuses, etc), its proportionate part that pertains to the calendar quarter is determined and used for calculation of average earnings.
Slovenian employees are entitled to at least 20 working days of vacation each calendar year. With employment, the rights for vacation leave are automatically gained, however, additional leave is granted according to the amount of years spent working or the employee’s age, tariff class, having children under 15 years old or having a disability.
Furthermore, employees shall draw at least 14 consecutive calendar days at once, i.e. 10 working days, which is precisely the half of the overall vacation leave.
The amount of additional leave is not specified in the Slovenian Labour Code, but extra days off may be granted upon the death of a close relative, marriage of the employee, childbirth or for the purposes of relocation.
In Slovenia, there are 12 public holidays in one calendar year, however, they are not included in the paid annual leave; neither are national holidays and weekly rest days.
If an employee’s contract is terminated, but their vacation leave has not been fully drawn, the remaining days may be compensated upon agreement between the employer and the employee.
The law in Slovenia does not specify whether the allowance must be returned in case the employee overdrew the vacation leave and their contact has been terminated; it is a matter of agreement with the employer.
During the probation period, employees have the same entitlement to vacation days as employees who already finished their probation.
Employees, who leave for maternity, are entitled to 105 days of paid leave calculated from the average of their salary, or 30 days of paternity leave, both entitled to the same amount of vacation days as other working employees. The parental leave lasts 130 days for both parents or 260 in case only one of them takes them. In addition to child-related absences, pregnant women are entitled to a paid doctor’s visit during their pregnancy.
As for health-related absence, if not caused by a work-related illness or injury, the leave is compensated in an amount equal up to 80% of their wage. If the source of sick-leave is work-related, the compensation equals 100% of the wage. In general, the employer covers the costs of the first 30 working days of sick leave; after then the state finances the compensation.
Slovenian employees receive a vacation allowance for their vacation leave, which has to be paid until the 30th of June of the current year. The amount of the allowance must be at least equal to the amount of the gross minimum wage in Slovenia (approx. EUR 941) and is except from taxation. Allowance is not limited upward and is not taxed up to the amount of the average gross salary in Slovenia (which equals approx. EUR 1700). Allowance in excess of the gross national average wage is subject to taxation.
Vacation leave is part of the paid annual leave, usually granted by the local Labour Code to employees and financed by the employer, guaranteeing a reimbursed time off work. Most countries define a minimum duration of one vacation leave, e.g. 2 weeks, but in common practice the amount of days taken at once depends on a mutual agreement between employee and employer.
Public holidays are not included in the paid annual leave, but when not falling on a weekly rest day, i.e. weekend, they may bring the benefit of extra days spent off work for employees.
No. of vacation days* | Min. duration of one leave* | No. of public holiday days | Total no. of paid vacation days and public holidays per year | |
BIH | Min. 20, max 30 | 12 | 10 | 30 or 40 days |
SRP | Min. 20 | 12 | 12 | Min. 32 days |
HR | 20 | 10 | 14 | 34 days |
CZ | 20 | 10 | 13 | 33 days |
HU | 20 | 10 | 11 | 31 days |
PL | 20 or 26 | 10 | 13 | 33 or 39 days |
RO | 20 | 10 | 15 | 35 days |
SR | 20 | 10 | 10 | 30 days |
SK | 20 or 25 | 10 | 15 | 35 or 40 days |
SI | 20 | 10 | 12 | 32 days |
*Expressed in working days; **Expressed in calendar days
Legend: Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BIH), Republic of Srpska (SRP), Croatia (HR), Czech Republic (CZ), Hungary (HU), Poland (PL), Romania (RO), Serbia (SR), Slovakia (SK), Slovenia (SI)
When an employee’s contract is terminated, but they did not fully draw their vacation days, in most cases they have the right to compensation for the remaining leave. In case they took more vacation days than entitled to, sometimes they must compensate the employer. In both cases, the outcome depends on the local legislation.
The same applies to probation period and vacation – country Labour Codes specify different rights when it comes to new employees, but usually grant only a part of what regular employees are entitled to for a specific time.
Compensation of employee* | Compensation of employer** | Vacation days during probation | |
BIH | yes | no | 1 day per months worked |
SRP | yes | no | 1 day per months worked |
HR | yes | no | 1/12 of vacation leave |
CZ | yes | yes | 1/12 of vacation leave |
HU | yes | individual*** | depends on the employer |
PL | yes | no | 1/12 of vacation leave |
RO | yes | yes | regular vacation leave |
SR | yes | yes | regular vacation leave after a month of employment |
SK | yes | yes | depends on the employer |
SI | yes | individual*** | regular vacation leave |
*Financial reimbursement of employee for unused vacation leave in case of contract termination; **Financial reimbursement of employer for overdrawn vacation leave in case of contract termination; ***No specific rule applies in case of overdrawn vacation leave, but the employer might reclaim the compensation paid in excess
Legend: Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BIH), Republic of Srpska (SRP), Croatia (HR), Czech Republic (CZ), Hungary (HU), Poland (PL), Romania (RO), Serbia (SR), Slovakia (SK), Slovenia (SI)
When a child is born, employees are entitled either to a maternity or paternity leave, based on their gender, and an additional parental leave. Their length depends on local legislation and may be voluntary, such as paternity and parental leave.
Health-related absence can be defined as time spent off work due to illness or health-related matters, such as medical examination. Labour Codes may define either paid or unpaid days of sick leave, with specified or unspecified number of days per year.
Length of maternity leave | Length of paternity leave | Length of parental leave | No. of working days of paid sick leave | |
BIH | 6 weeks | depends on the length of maternity leave* | not specified | no limitation |
SRP | 12 weeks | depends on the length of maternity leave* | not specified | no limitation |
HR | 14 weeks | depends on the length of maternity leave* | 8 years | 42 |
CZ | 28 weeks | 1 week | 3 years | no limitation |
HU | 24 weeks | 1 week | 3 to 10 years*** | not specified |
PL | 20 weeks | 2 weeks | 32 to 34 weeks**** | no limitation |
RO | 18 weeks | 1 week | 2 years | 5 |
SR | 13 weeks | 1 week | 9 to 12 months** | 30 |
SK | 34 weeks | 6 weeks | 3 to 6 years*** | 7 |
SI | 15 weeks | 4 weeks | 130 to 260 days***** | no limitation |
*Parents may agree that the father and not the mother continues to use the leave after the expiration of the compulsory maternity leave, **Based on the number of children, ***Based on the health conditions of the child; ****The number of weeks increases in case of twins; *****Depends on whether both parents take the leave or only one of them
Legend: Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BIH), Republic of Srpska (SRP), Croatia (HR), Czech Republic (CZ), Hungary (HU), Poland (PL), Romania (RO), Serbia (SR), Slovakia (SK), Slovenia (SI)
Vacation allowance is paid to employees for each day of vacation taken in a calendar year. They are calculated usually from the average wage from the decisive period, which varies for each country.
Decisive period* | Calculation of compensation | |
BIH | preceding calendar quarter | from 50% of average wage |
SRP | preceding calendar quarter | from 100% of average wage |
HR | preceding calendar quarter | from 100% of average wage |
CZ | preceding calendar quarter | from 100% of average wage |
HU | preceding 6 months | from 100% of average wage |
PL | preceding calendar quarter | from 100% of average wage |
RO | preceding calendar quarter | from 100% of average wage |
SR | preceding calendar year | from 100% of average wage |
SK | preceding calendar year | from 100% of average wage |
SI | preceding calendar year | from 100% of average wage |
*The period from which the vacation allowance is calculated; **But not more than 2150,68 RUR per day
Legend: Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BIH), Republic of Srpska (SRP), Croatia (HR), Czech Republic (CZ), Hungary (HU), Poland (PL), Romania (RO), Serbia (SR), Slovakia (SK), Slovenia (SI)
Despite the difficult time for the Ukrainian economy, the country continues to have investment potential in the agribusiness sector, energy and IT sector.
The potential of IT industry in Ukraine is far from exhausted. Calculations show that the capacity of the industry is from $ 15 billion to $ 30 billion. At the same time the full potential of IT-industry will be able to open only because of one condition: Ukraine will encourage developers to generate ideas and create products here, “home” and not seek every opportunity to develop and resell themselves abroad.
Ukraine is also a major transport and transit hub, connecting Western and Eastern part of Europe, the Baltic and South-West Asia.
Foreign legal entities (individuals) can purchase and sale any real estate together with land (expect agricultural land) in Ukraine as well as get commercial benefit from their property and let it on lease, while paying due taxes. According to the applicable laws of Ukraine sale of agricultural lands is in moratorium until 2018.
Employers are liable to pay Unified Social Security Contributions. The social security contribution in Ukraine is 22% of the gross earnings (salaries and benefits paid to employees).
This percent is applied to salaries which are less than 25 subsistence minimums for able-bodied persons. If the salary is higher, then only the amount up to 25 subsistence level for able-bodied persons is taxable, while the rest is non-taxable.
The subsistence level for able-bodied persons in Ukraine is UAH 1,600 (approx. EUR 55) starting January 1st, 2017.
The 22% from gross salary is divided among different funds (unemployment fund, accident fund, pension contribution and temporary disability fund).
Applicable laws
Ukraine’s standard CIT rate is 18%.
There is an additional tax for insurance activity – 3% or 0% on the income of these companies. The contracts with term life insurance, a voluntary health insurance and insurance contracts within the non-state pension have the rate 0%.
Legal entities involved in gambling have to pay special CIT at 10%. The rate 18% can be applied to special gambling activity. This CIT paid from gambling income do not reduce taxable profit of a company engaged in gambling activities, so additionally they have to pay standard CIT 18%.
Rates for legal entities-non-residence pay CIT at 0%, 4%, 6%, 12%, 15% and 20% from their income (tax rates varies depending on type of income).
Tax rates and taxable profit for permanent establishments are the same as for residence in Ukraine.
Taxable income ̶ Taxpayers with an annual income exceeding UAH 20,000,000 have to use adjustments of the financial results for tax difference.
Taxpayers with an annual income that does not exceed UAH 20, 000,000 are allowed not to apply adjustments.
Tax period – The calendar year.
Tax returns and assessment ̶ companies with an annual income up to UAH 20,000,000 must perform the tax return for the whole calendar year until March 1st, 2017.
Companies with an annual income exceeding UAH 20, 000,000 must pay and perform tax returns quarterly. The complete list of deadlines for taxpayers you may find in our 2017 tax calendar for Ukraine.
Advance payments – companies that are quarterly payers must pay 2/9 CIT from the amount of three quarters income until the December 31st of the following year.
The standard PIT rate is 18% in Ukraine. This rate applies to (main):
This rate also applied to the taxable income received from abroad.
Starting from August 2014 1.5% military tax on personal income was introduced in Ukraine.
Standard VAT rate in Ukraine is 20% and is imposed on domestic sales of goods and/or services, imported goods or services.
Reduced rates
7% – this rate is applied to supply and import of registered medicines and specific medical goods.
0% – this rate is applied to the export of goods. Other services which are subject of 0% rate are an international transport services confirmed by a single international shipping document, toll manufacturing services if the goods are exported from Ukraine, etc.
Provision of services to a non-resident are subject to 20% VAT or it can be considered as an outside the scope of VAT, depending on the place of supply.
VAT payers must provide the report monthly until the 20th day of the month following the reporting month. Payment of VAT is made within 10 days from the end of the report’s submission, that is, as a rule, up to and including the 30th day.
The object of taxation for this tax is land plots owned or leased, as well as land shares that are owned. Land tax rates set by local councils. The rate of land tax depends on the category, location, and the existence of a state valuation for each particular land plot.
Starting January 1st, 2017, owners of cars which are not older than five years and with an average market value exceeding 375 minimal salaries as of January 1st of the reporting year (approx. EUR 40,000) must pay transport tax in amount UAH 25,000 for each car per year.
Payers of this tax are owners of objects of taxation on the territory of Ukraine: individuals, legal entities, non-residents.
Starting from January 1st, 2017:
Customs duty must be paid by the importer upon import of the goods into Ukraine. The rates are established by the Customs Tariff. Nowadays in Ukraine are two duty rates: relieved and full rates. Relieved rates are applied to goods from World Trade Organization (WTO) and some other countries.
This tax is applied for ethyl alcohol, alcoholic beverages, beer, tobacco and tobacco products, cars, car bodies, motorbikes, electricity, liquefied gas, petrol, diesel fuel, other fuel material and electric power. These goods can be imported or produced in Ukraine.
Ukrainian legislation divided the rates of the excise tax into three types:
Local authorities have the right to set rates of local excise tax, which are taxed by retail sellers of excisable goods. The rate of such excise is set at a rate of 2% to 5 % of the goods value.
Starting January 1st, 2013 until January 1st, 2023, IT companies that perform activities in Ukraine are exempted from VAT payments on operations of software products supply.
Software products are considered: the result of computer programming in the form of operating system, systemic, applied, entertaining and / or educational computer software (their components) as well as websites and / or online services; cryptographic data protection.
Beyond our free tax guideline for Ukraine, we’re ready to support you with hands-on expertise tailored to your business needs. Accace offers comprehensive tax advisory and tax compliance services in Ukraine to help you navigate local regulations, optimize your tax strategy, and stay fully compliant. Whether you’re entering the market or already operating in Ukraine, our local experts are here to make sure your tax matters are in good hands. Get in touch with us today!
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