Employment contract

An employment contract establishes an employment relationship between you and your employer. An employment contract is very important especially because of the accurate job description (what exactly are your work duties for the employer going to be), description of working hours and of your wages for the work performed. In the case of a future conflict between you and your employer, it will serve as proof of evidence in settling the dispute.  

An employment contract must always be concluded in writing. It must contain the following:

• job description (a precise indication of what actions you will perform for the employer)
• place of work (precise address where you will be performing the work)
• date of commencement of employment
• In the contract of employment or in an ammendment to it, it is advantageous for you to include a specification of the amount of the wages for the work performed and the date and method of its payment
• the contract may stipulate the length of the probation period, which may last for a maximum of 3 months, however, it must not be longer than half the duration of the contract and it must not be negotiated until after your commencement of employment.

If you want to stay in the territory of the Czech Republic based on an employee card, the contract must stipulate the amount of wage which must equal at least to the specified minimum wage amount (CZK 8,500 for the year 2014) and it must also stipulate the extent of working hours, which shall not be less than 15 hours a week.

If the contract does not stipulate what exactly your rights and obligations are with regards to the employment relationship, the employer is required to inform you in writing about these, and must do so within 1 month of the commencement of your employment at the latest. This information must include a specification of the length of vacation, duration of the notice period, weekly working hours and the schedule, wages and the method of remuneration, as well as information on the due date of the wages, and the place and manner of their payment (e.g. the money will be handed to you in person, it will be sent to a bank account, etc.).

Your employer may not force you to do work not agreed upon in the contract of employment. If your job description is to be changed, this must be agreed upon in writing.

It is always necessary for you to have one original copy of the employment contract in writing. The employer must give you a copy of your employment contract!

For the year 2014, the minimum wage amounts to 8500,- CZK gross per month for full-time work.