Amendment to the Labour Code 2025

Employment law is undergoing its biggest change in years. The amendment to the Labour Code, which is due to come into force in June 2025, changes the rules of the game for both employers and employees. A new notice period regime, longer probationary periods and greater flexibility in the scheduling of working hours all require adjustments to employment contracts and internal processes.

Author of article: ARROWS (JUDr. Barbora Kořenářová, office@arws.cz, +420 245 007 740)

Testimony: No more waiting. The notice period starts immediately.

One of the most discussed changes concerns the notice period. While previously it only started from the first day of the following month when the notice was delivered to the other party, from the effective date a new logic will apply - the period starts from the date of delivery of the notice and lasts for 2 months. What does this mean in practice? Faster termination of employment and the need to act skillfully.

Ex. If notice is served on the employee on 15 April, the notice period will start from that date (not 1 May) and will end at the end of 2 months - i.e. 15 June. The period will therefore end on the date that is numerically the same as the date of service of the notice. For long-term problem employees, this gives you valuable extra weeks, but you also have to plan carefully for departures because you lose the time cushion for handing over the agenda.

Another new feature is the possibility to reduce the notice period to 1 month in cases where the employee does not meet the prerequisites and requirements for the performance of the job or seriously violates the job duties (according to Section 52 (f) to (h) of the Labour Code). This brings faster resolution of problematic situations, but at the same time the need to have everything documented.

"Imagine a situation where an employee is not meeting expectations for a long time and spoiling the team dynamic. Before you had to wait until the beginning of the next month, now you can act now. If you have good documentation and HR processes in place, the change will make your job much easier."

Trial period.

The amendment extends the maximum length of the probationary period. It moves from 3 to 4 months for regular employees and from 6 to 8 months for senior positions. At the same time, however, the probationary period may not be longer than half of the agreed working hours. This is a significant advantage for the employer - you have more time to check the employee's abilities, his adaptation and team functioning.

Now, the probationary period can only be extended by written agreement between the employer and the employee, but only within the limits of the statutory scope. It can also be extended for days when the employee has not worked a full shift due to work-related obstacles, taking leave or unexcused absences.

Flexibility of working time: new possibilities and new obligations

Self-scheduling of working time is not part of the future amendment, but has already been in force since the beginning of 2025. Originally, this option was only available for home office or job-sharing, but now it is also available for employees on a main contract. However, a separate agreement on self-scheduling of working time must be negotiated between the employer and the employee in writing. In the event of termination, the agreement will have a notice period of 15 days and only this agreement will expire.

Guarantee of a job upon return from parental leave

If a parent who has been on parental, maternity or paternity leave returns to work within two years of the birth of the child, he or she is guaranteed to return to the same job he or she held before going on leave. Until now, the guarantee of return to the same job was only for people on maternity leave. In addition, parents also have the option of concluding a work performance agreement, or a work activity agreement, for the same type of work that they performed in their main job, from which their leave is based.

What about other changes? Don't be surprised

The amendment to the Labour Code 2025 brings a number of other changes that you should not miss. While they may not affect every company at first glance, in practice they may affect your responsibilities, administration and employee relations. Here are the key changes:

1. Severance pay will be transferred to insurance companies: in the event of termination of employment in connection with an occupational accident, occupational disease or threat of such disease, the employer will no longer pay the severance pay, but the insurance company with which the employer has taken out compulsory insurance will pay it directly. This compensation will be in the same amount as the severance pay, i.e. at least 12 times the employee's average monthly earnings.
2. Employment of minors from the age of 14 over the summer holidays: this will cover light work that does not endanger the child's health and education, and the contract will also be subject to the consent of the legal guardian. Minors will be allowed to work a maximum of 7 hours per day and 35 hours per week.
3. Remuneration from agreements (FTE or FTE): new entitlement to benefits that apply to the main employment relationship. Rule for equal work, equal pay!
4. Payment directly into an account: cashless payment now as the primary method of payment of wages or salary. However, if the employee does not agree or does not provide an account number, the employer is obliged to pay the amount in cash.
5. The limit for the contribution: in the case of a DPP, the limit changes from the current amount for remuneration to CZK 11 499. Therefore, if the employee earns up to this amount, he is exempt from paying social security and health insurance.
6. Fixed-term employment: it may be agreed for a maximum of 3 years and may be repeated no more than twice between the same parties. Repeat is also considered to be an extension.

Conclusion

Changes to the Labour Code are not just about paragraph amendments. They are about people, responsibility and the ability to adapt. Don't wait for the new rules to catch you by surprise - prepare in advance. We'll be happy to help you reconfigure your internal processes to meet not only the legal requirements, but also the needs of your business. Contact us to gain confidence, not stress, in legal changes.