Employment in Slovakia: contracts, probation and forms of work

Start by identifying the legal form of your work

In Slovakia, distinguish an employment contract — pracovná zmluva, agreements outside an ordinary employment relationship — dohody, and independent business activity — živnosť. Labels such as “contractor”, “freelancer” or “casual worker” do not determine rights on their own. Consider who organises the work, gives instructions, carries business risk and whose name you work in. Civil service and some professions have additional special rules; this guide concerns ordinary work under the Labour Code.

A useful first question is: “Which contract will I sign, how many hours must I work and what amount is stated before deductions?” Keep the job offer, draft contract and role description. These documents help compare promises with actual terms and resolve discrepancies before the first working day.

Dependent work: the change effective in 2026

From 1 January 2026, the statutory definition of dependent work no longer separately requires working time determined by the employer. Subordination, personal performance, the employer’s instructions and working in its name remain important. Freedom to choose your start time or work from home therefore does not by itself prove independent business activity.

Example for assessment: a specialist performs a manager’s daily tasks, cannot send a substitute and serves clients in the company’s name. The specialist holds a živnosť and invoices monthly. An invoice does not settle the issue: the actual relationship must be assessed. Conversely, one major customer does not by itself turn an independent supplier into an employee. Dependent work cannot be disguised through an ordinary civil or commercial contract instead of a permitted employment-law form. Ask why the form was chosen before starting, rather than after a sick-pay or holiday dispute.

What an employment contract should contain

Check both parties’ details and four essential terms: the work and a short description, its place or places, the start date and pay conditions. Multiple locations may require a rule for determining them. Do not confuse the company’s registered office with your contractual workplace: the latter affects some travel and relocation questions.

The employer must provide your written copy. Additional information about schedules, breaks, holidays, salary payments and ending employment may be in a separate written notice rather than one document. Some information is due within seven days and some within four weeks; the employer-obligations article explains the procedure. A separate notice cannot bypass essential contract terms.

Check that the amount is gross, how bonuses are earned and whether a collective agreement is referenced. “Up to €1,500” in an advertisement is not a guaranteed €1,500 base salary. If the terms are unclear, ask for a numerical example of a month without a bonus and a month meeting the target.

Indefinite and fixed-term contracts have different consequences

An indefinite contract does not automatically expire on a specified date. A fixed term must be expressly defined. The general limit is two years, with no more than two extensions or renewals within that period. Statutory grounds such as replacement permit exceptions; the basis for a further extension needs checking and proper documentation.

Practical example: a six-month offer may suit a temporary project, but ask beforehand when renewal will be discussed and what happens at expiry. A contract “until the residence permit expires” needs a separate legal assessment of its wording, not automatic treatment as a two-year contract. Do not base a family budget on an oral renewal promise. If the term has expired but work continues with the employer’s knowledge, §71 may have consequences; preserve documents and clarify your status before signing backdated paperwork.

Probation does not mean unpaid work

Probation must be agreed in writing; the ordinary maximum is three months, or six for specified management positions. In a fixed-term contract it must not exceed half the contract’s duration while also meeting the applicable general maximum. For example, an ordinary four-month contract allows at most two months’ probation, not three.

Probation cannot simply be extended by agreement because the employer has not finished its assessment. However, when an employee-side obstacle prevents an entire shift being worked, the law provides a one-day extension. A renewed fixed-term employment relationship cannot include another probation period. Check these details against dates and documents rather than a template’s “three months”.

Pay, safety and other applicable rights continue during probation. Real “trial work” without proper arrangements does not become lawful because it lasts only one day. Ask about the legal form and registration before attending a productive shift.

Dohody: comparing three agreement forms

Form	Main limit	Suitable use
Dohoda o vykonaní práce	350 hours per calendar year with one employer, including other agreements of this type	A task with a defined result
Dohoda o pracovnej činnosti	Ordinary form: 10 hours per week	Limited recurring activity
Dohoda o brigádnickej práci študentov	Average 20 hours per week over the agreement period; student-status and age requirements	Casual work for an eligible pupil or student

These ordinary forms require written agreements lasting no more than 12 months. Seasonal dohoda o pracovnej činnosti has separate conditions and cannot be used universally to avoid the ten-hour limit. Overtime cannot be ordered or agreed under these agreements. Minimum pay and applicable supplements remain relevant, but annual leave and meals do not automatically arise as under an ordinary employment contract.

Example: six hours on four days a week total 24 hours. A student agreement uses the average over its whole duration, whereas an ordinary dohoda o pracovnej činnosti cannot justify such a week by working less in the next one. Work start/end records and rest rules are still needed. Student contribution relief is a separate issue: it does not change the permitted working hours.

Part-time work, remote work and a second activity

Part-time employment is not the same as a dohoda: employee rights remain, subject to applicable proportional adjustments. Ask whether hours per day or working days per week are reduced. This affects, for example, converting holiday weeks into days and shift-related meal entitlement. Working from home does not remove time records, breaks or agreed task arrangements.

Distinguish regular domácka práca or telepráca under §52 from occasional home working by agreement. Agree the location, equipment, costs, contact hours and data protection. “Sometimes from home” does not authorise permanent work from another country: tax, insurance, work authorisation and employer obligations may be affected.

A general ban on any earnings outside prescribed working hours is not a universally valid term. Activity competing with the employer’s business, however, follows the special rules in §83. Before taking another job, check the actual activity rather than the job title alone.

For foreign nationals, the contract and work access are separate checks

Ukrainian citizenship alone does not determine permission to start work: the granted status and applicable basis matter. A person granted temporary refuge — dočasné útočisko — can access employment without the ordinary employment permit and relevant vacancy confirmation; the employer still meets notification duties. Other residence types may have different conditions.

Before starting, check the status document, permission for the specific work and duties when changing employers. Applying for a new residence permit is not a universal authorisation to start any job immediately. Do not apply the temporary-protection rule to business residence. A student agreement does not remove migration restrictions either. Once lawfully employed, foreign workers do not lose applicable pay, rest and safety guarantees because of their passport.

Ending employment: identify the method first

Dohoda o skončení pracovného pomeru is a mutual agreement with an agreed date. Výpoveď is unilateral notice with a prescribed period. Fixed-term expiry, probationary termination and okamžité skončenie follow different grounds and rules. The word “termination” does not combine them into one procedure. Employees can give ordinary notice without a reason; employers must use statutory grounds.

Before signing an agreement, read the date, grounds, payments and treatment of unused leave. Do not sign a promise to “fill it in later”. Retain proof of notice delivery and request termination documents. If a dispute arises, act promptly: court challenge deadlines are short and explained in the disputes article. An inspection complaint does not replace a timely court claim.

Your employee records: what to keep

The contract, attachments, written information and pay changes.
Schedules, evidence of actual hours, overtime approval and holiday approval.
Payslips and payment confirmations; gross pay and the bank credit are different figures.
Training records, equipment handovers and documented expenses.
For foreign nationals, work-access and notification documents applicable to their case.

Compare the schedule, actual work and payslip every month. If hours or a supplement differ, ask a specific question stating the date, number of hours and payroll line. A written check of one period is usually more useful than debating whether “everything is legal” without the underlying figures.