Employment

Czech employment law, the parts foreigners actually need

Czech employment rules live in Act No. 262/2006, the Labour Code (zakonik prace). They are relatively protective of employees, especially around termination and overtime. This applies equally to foreign employees on any residence permit.

Employment contract essentials

A written contract must state the type of work, the place of work and the start date. Salary can be documented in a separate wage assessment (mzdovy vymer). A trial period (zkusebni doba) can last up to three months, or six months for managers. During the trial period either side can end the contract in writing without stating a reason.

Notice periods

Outside the trial period, notice is at least two months, and runs from the first day of the month after the notice is delivered. So notice served in mid-March ends on 31 May.

Employees can quit for any reason. Employers can only terminate on specific grounds listed in Section 52 of the Labour Code, such as redundancy, medical inability, poor performance after a formal warning, or serious breach of duty.

Severance

Under 1 year of service: 1x average monthly earnings.
1 to 2 years: 2x.
Over 2 years: 3x.
Termination for a workplace injury or occupational disease: 12x.

Non-compete clauses

Enforceable only if the employer pays at least half of the employee's average monthly earnings for every month of the non-compete, and only for a maximum of one year. Any weaker clause is void.

Dohoda contracts

DPP (dohoda o provedeni prace) up to 300 hours per year per employer, and DPC (dohoda o pracovni cinnosti) for continuing part-time work, are common alternatives to full employment. Since 2024 both types require formal scheduling of hours, and DPPs above certain thresholds trigger social insurance.