Meeting Social Rules

The text contains important information on social rules in the Czech Republic. It concerns obligations, regulations, institutions or standards.

Legal requirements

An entrepreneur – employer has a number of obligations toward the relevant bodies of state administration. This area is regulated by various legal regulations. The administrative bodies with powers in the area of social security are the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs of the Czech Republic as the supreme body, followed by the social security administration (i.e. the Czech Social security Administration, the regional social security administration, or the Prague Social Security Administration for the capital Prague).

Regulation of labour relations

The Labour Code regulates the basic principles of labour relations, out of which the most important ones are the employer''s duty to provide equal treatment of employees and maintain prohibition of any kind of discrimination towards employees, including the duty to maintain the principle of providing the same wage for work of equal value.

As far as employment conditions are concerned, the Labour Code regulates above all, basic standards for business and rest hours (the length and scheduling of business hours, standby hours, breaks at work, types of business hours, overtime work), vacation (types of vacation, vacation with irregular work scheduling, shortened vacation), obstacles at work and providing for vacation compensation. The Labour Code also defines the basic rules for employee remuneration, guaranteeing at least minimum wage and remuneration for travel expenses in cases of business trips. It specifically deals with the issues of compensation of damages, above all in case of injury at work and occupational illnesses.

Maintaining occupational safety and health

An employer is obliged to provide the employees with such conditions of occupational safety and health that are stipulated by the Labour Code, or, as the case might be, by other legal regulations.

Employment of handicapped persons

Subject to observing the legal criteria, employers are obliged to employ a certain number of handicapped persons.

Companies may, based on their own initiative, reach beyond the framework of minimal requirements and accept such measures that will make them even more socially responsible.

Administrative procedures

Duty of registering with administrative bodies

Within the deadlines stipulated by law, an employer is obliged to register with the regional social security administration, or the Prague Social Security Administration, for pension and sickness insurance, and with the relevant health insurance companies for health insurance payments, and with the Tax Authority for relevant tax payments.

Other duties

An employer has many obligations stemming from employing his/her employees. Their detailed overview can be found on the following web pages:

Resources

The following governmental and non-governmental institutions and web portals offer further information and useful services related to the area of social security and work conditions.

Programmes

Programme of subsidies for employing handicapped people enables the employer to draw on financial resources or get financial and tax benefits subject to meeting legal conditions.

Personalised help and advice

The Enterprise Europe Network is an extensive network (with 600 host organisations and 4 000 full-time staff) providing information and advice to entrepreneurs through its local partners.

Document created in co-operation between Your Europe - Business (EU portal for companies) and BusinessInfo.cz.