Czech Employment Termination Training: Avoid Invalid Notices and Disputes

Employment law training under Czech legislation focused on notice of termination and ending employment is not a pointless administrative obligation – it is an investment that can save you tens to hundreds of thousands of Czech crowns in fines and the costs of court disputes in the Czech Republic. In practice, a significant number of termination notices contain legal defects that render them invalid. If you want your managers to know how to properly dismiss an employee, when they face sanctions, and how to avoid losing litigation in Czech courts, targeted and expert training is essential.

The illustrative image depicts a lawyer addressing issues related to employment law training.

Quick summary

  • Lack of knowledge of the Czech Labour Code costs companies hundreds of thousands of Czech crowns: Invalid notices of termination lead to an obligation to pay wage compensation for the entire duration of the dispute—months to years—plus court costs and fines from the Czech Labour Inspectorate.
  • Employment law is formal and strict: The rules on notice periods, service of documents, and protected periods are strict under Czech law. A single procedural mistake can render a notice invalid.
  • Managers and HR departments need specific practical know-how: Theoretical knowledge of statutory provisions is not enough—you need to know how to safely draft a written warning, what evidence to keep for Czech court proceedings, and what to do if an employee refuses to accept a notice of termination.
  • Training reduces the risk of sanctions from the Czech Labour Inspectorate: Labour inspections focus on compliance with the Czech Labour Code. If you have documented training and systematic procedures, you demonstrate efforts to comply with legal regulations, which may be a mitigating factor.

Why employment law training is essential

The Czech State Labour Inspection Office (SÚIP) carries out thousands of employer inspections every year. The result is fines totalling hundreds of millions of Czech crowns. Most often, inspectors identify breaches of legal regulations precisely in areas that every manager should know—commencement, changes and termination of employment, remuneration, and working time.

The point is to ensure your managers know how to act in practice when they must dismiss an employee, so that their decision stands up in Czech courts and the company does not have to pay high wage compensation due to an invalid termination of employment.

ARROWS law firm´s attorneys handle this agenda with clients on a daily basis and see that companies without training make systemic mistakes. These then cost employers significant amounts. Targeted training is therefore the best prevention.

Current legislative framework and pitfalls in 2026

The Labour Code (Act No. 262/2006 Coll.) has undergone a number of amendments in recent years (e.g., transposition of EU directives on work–life balance and transparent and predictable working conditions). For 2026, it is crucial to know the exact rules on time limits and service of documents, where managers most often make mistakes in the Czech Republic.

The strict rule still applies that the notice period starts running on the first day of the calendar month following the delivery of the notice. This means that if you deliver a notice on 2 March, the notice period will start only on 1 April and the employment will end only on 31 May. Managers who do not know this rule often miscalculate the end date of employment, which leads to legal disputes.

By law, the notice period is at least two months unless a longer period has been agreed. Changes aimed at increasing flexibility (e.g., shortening the notice period for breaches of duties) have been discussed for a long time in the legislative process; however, for legal certainty it is essential to always rely on the wording of the law effective at the time the notice is delivered in the Czech Republic.

The probationary period remains, as a standard, a maximum of 3 months (up to 6 months for managerial employees), and it may not be extended subsequently, except due to all-day obstacles to work.

Which training sessions are most important

Employment law training for managers and HR should focus on four key areas. First, when and under what conditions you can give notice. The Czech Labour Code strictly defines the grounds for notice in Section 52. An employer cannot give notice for any reason—it must be one of the exhaustively listed grounds.

Second, it is necessary to know the legal form in which notice must be given and how it must be served; only written form is valid, and an oral notice has no legal effect under Czech law.

Third, what a written warning must contain and how to proceed in cases of breach of work duties. Without training, many companies unknowingly set themselves up to lose in Czech court by formulating warnings incorrectly.

The training should be practical, not merely theoretical, and should include real examples, model situations, and step-by-step guidance on how to proceed in specific cases.

Basic types of termination of employment and their legal requirements under Czech law

The Czech Labour Code provides several basic ways to end an employment relationship. Each has different legal consequences and conditions.

Agreement to terminate employment

An agreement (Section 49 of the Czech Labour Code) is a bilateral legal act requiring a matching expression of will by both parties—the employee and the employer. It must always be in writing and each party must receive one copy. The advantage of an agreement is that the parties may agree the termination date freely—even as of the signing date.

However, be careful—if the reason for termination is redundancy (Section 52(c) of the Czech Labour Code) or other organisational changes, or health reasons (work injury, occupational disease), the employee is entitled to severance pay even if the employment is terminated by agreement. The employer must state the reasons for termination in the agreement if the employee requests it. If the employer does not state the reason to avoid severance pay, it risks a court dispute in the Czech Republic.

Notice of termination given by the employer

Notice of termination (Section 50 et seq. of the Czech Labour Code) is a unilateral legal act. The employer may give it only on the statutory grounds set out in Section 52 of the Czech Labour Code. These include, for example: closure or relocation of the employer, redundancy of the employee, failure to meet prerequisites or requirements for the job, or breaches of obligations arising from legal regulations (work discipline).

The reason for termination must be defined in factual terms so that it cannot be confused with another reason, and it may not be changed subsequently.

The notice period is at least two months and begins on the first day of the calendar month following delivery of the notice. By contrast, an employee may give notice for any reason or without stating a reason.

An employer may not give notice during a protected period, i.e., for example when the employee has been certified as temporarily unfit for work, during military training, at a time when an employee is pregnant, or while she is on maternity leave.

Immediate termination of employment

Immediate termination (§ 55 of the Labour Code) is an exceptional measure that may be used only on grounds defined by law under Czech legislation. An employer may do so only if the employee has been finally convicted of an intentional criminal offence and sentenced to an unconditional term of imprisonment exceeding 1 year, or if the employee has breached an obligation arising from legal regulations relating to the work performed in a particularly gross manner.

An employer may not immediately terminate an employment relationship with a pregnant employee, an employee on maternity leave, or an employee (male or female) on parental leave.

Termination of employment during the probationary period

During the probationary period (§ 66 of the Labour Code), either party may terminate the employment relationship for any reason or without stating a reason. Written notice should be delivered at least 3 days in advance, although failure to comply with this time limit does not result in invalidity. The employment relationship ends on the date the termination notice is delivered, unless a later date is specified.

However, the employer may not terminate the employment relationship during the probationary period within the first 14 calendar days of the employee’s temporary incapacity for work.

When and how to give notice of termination – practical steps

This is where we reach the most sensitive area. The way the employer proceeds and prepares supporting documentation determines whether the notice of termination is valid under Czech law.

Requirements for a valid notice of termination

A notice of termination must always be in writing. An oral notice is considered null and void (it is disregarded). The notice must be specifically justified (in the case of termination by the employer). A mere reference to a statutory provision is not sufficient—the factual grounds must be described.

For example, an invalid wording: “I am giving you notice of termination for breach of work duties pursuant to § 52 (g) of the Labour Code.” (It is not clear what breach occurred).

Valid wording (example): “I am giving you notice of termination pursuant to § 52 (g) of the Labour Code due to repeated less serious breaches of obligations, consisting of late arrivals on days X, Y, Z and failure to submit the report on day A, and you were warned in writing about the possibility of termination by letter dated B.”

The notice of termination must be properly delivered into the employee’s own hands; the primary method is personal delivery at the workplace, and if that is not possible, it may be delivered electronically or via a postal services provider.

Procedures before termination – warning letters and notices

If you wish to terminate employment due to repeated less serious breaches of obligations (§ 52 (g) of the Labour Code), you must warn the employee in writing about the possibility of termination within the last 6 months.

Czech case law has concluded that “repetition” is typically met where three breaches of obligations occur, and it is not necessary that these be three identical breaches.

In the case of termination for failure to meet the requirements for proper performance of work (§ 52 (f) of the Labour Code), consisting of unsatisfactory work results, the employer must, within the last 12 months, call on the employee in writing to remedy the deficiencies and set a reasonable time limit for doing so. Only if the employee fails to remedy the results may notice of termination be given.

A warning letter should include a specific description of the deficiency, a reference to the breached obligation, and in the case of § 52 (g) a warning about the possibility of termination.

How to proceed with organisational changes and redundancy

For a redundancy termination (§ 52 (c) of the Labour Code) to be valid under Czech legislation, three conditions must be met:

1. A decision of the employer (the competent body) on the organisational change.

2. Redundancy of the specific employee.

3. A causal link between the organisational change and the redundancy.

The decision on the organisational change must be adopted before the notice of termination is given. Beware of so-called fictitious organisational changes. If the employer abolishes the position of employee A but then promptly hires employee B into that position to perform the same work, this is not a genuine organisational change and the termination is invalid.

Protected periods – when an employer may not give notice of termination

During a protected period (§ 53 of the Labour Code), termination is prohibited under Czech law. If notice of termination was given before the start of the protected period in such a way that the notice period would expire during the protected period, the protected period is not counted towards the notice period, unless the employee states that they do not insist on the extension.

Incapacity for work and the protected period

The prohibition on termination applies during the period when the employee is recognised as temporarily incapable of work (unless the incapacity was caused intentionally or while intoxicated). Note: In the first 14 days of illness, the employer may check compliance with the sick-leave regime. If the employee breaches, in a particularly gross manner, the obligation to remain at the place of residence, the employer may terminate the employment pursuant to § 52 (h) of the Labour Code.

Pregnancy and maternity/parental leave

Pregnant employees, employees on maternity leave, and employees (male or female) on parental leave enjoy enhanced protection under Czech labour law. A pregnant employee cannot be dismissed by notice of termination (except for limited exceptions such as the employer’s closure). Immediate termination is entirely excluded for pregnant employees and persons on maternity/parental leave.

How to identify and challenge an invalid termination

The invalidity of termination of employment by notice, immediate termination, termination during the probationary period, or by agreement may be asserted by both the employee and the employer before a court in the Czech Republic no later than within 2 months from the day the employment relationship was supposed to end by such termination (§ 72 of the Labour Code). This time limit is forfeiture (preclusive).

Consequences for the employer

If the court determines that the termination is invalid and the employee has notified that they insist on continued employment, the employment relationship continues and the employer is obliged to pay the employee wage compensation in the amount of the average earnings from the date of the notification until the employer allows the employee to continue working.

Severance pay – what the employee is entitled to

Entitlement to severance pay (§ 67 of the Labour Code) arises in particular in the case of termination by notice or by agreement for organisational reasons (§ 52 (a) to (c)) or for health reasons (§ 52 (d)).

The amount of severance pay (organisational reasons) depends on the length of the employment relationship:

  • Less than 1 year: 1x average monthly earnings
  • 1 to 2 years: 2x average monthly earnings
  • At least 2 years: 3x average monthly earnings

In the case of termination due to a work injury, occupational disease, or risk of such disease (§ 52 (d) of the Labour Code), the employee is entitled to severance pay of at least 12 times the average earnings.

An employee is not entitled to severance pay if the employment relationship ends by termination for breach of obligations, during the probationary period, or if the employee resigns without stating a reason (and it is not a deemed agreement).

Related questions on the legal forms of termination and service

1. Can an employer give notice of termination orally?
No. An oral notice is disregarded and is null and void from the outset, as if it had never been given.

2. What are the safest ways to serve a notice of termination?
The safest option is personal delivery at the workplace against the employee’s signature on a copy (“Received on …”). If the employee refuses to accept it, it is advisable to have a witness and draw up a written record of the refusal to accept – at that moment, the document is deemed served. Another option is delivery by post “to the addressee only” or via a data box (if the individual has one set up and not disabled for this purpose).

3. What if the employee refuses to accept the notice of termination?
Under Section 334a of the Czech Labour Code, if an employee prevents service of a document by refusing to accept it or by failing to provide cooperation, the document is deemed served on the day this conduct occurred. It is crucial to document this refusal in a provable manner.

Risk and penalty table – what companies face for incorrect procedures

Risks and penalties

How ARROWS helps (office@arws.cz)

Invalid termination and wage compensation: An obligation to pay back wages for the entire duration of the dispute if the employer loses in Czech court.

Legal review of termination notices: Reviewing documents before service eliminates formal errors.

Fine from the Labour Inspectorate: For breaches of obligations relating to the establishment, change, or termination of employment, a fine of up to CZK 2,000,000 may be imposed under Czech legislation. For illegal work (the “švarcsystém” misclassification), up to CZK 10,000,000.

Compliance and audit: Setting up internal processes and documentation to withstand an inspection by the Czech State Labour Inspection Office (SÚIP).

Discrimination: Incorrect wording of a termination notice or the selection of employees to be dismissed may be challenged as discriminatory (age, gender, childcare responsibilities).

Anti-discrimination advice: Reviewing employee selection criteria and the wording of documents.

Lack of evidence: The company has no warning letters or proof of service. In court, it will fail to meet the burden of proof.

Setting up HR processes: Training managers on how and when to create a written trail and how to archive evidence.

Training and internal processes – how to avoid mistakes

What management training should include

The training should be tailored to the specifics of the company. It should cover: identifying breaches of obligations (work discipline), drafting warning letters (the importance of specificity), calculating time limits (notice period, probationary period), protected periods (when not to dismiss), and the service process.

Attorneys from ARROWS, a Prague-based law firm, prepare tailor-made training in the form of interactive workshops addressing specific real-life situations from the client’s practice.

Internal documentation and policies

Prevention also includes reviewing work rules, remuneration regulations, and template documents. A common mistake is invalid provisions in employment contracts (e.g., overly broad wage confidentiality clauses that conflict with Czech law, or contractual penalties against an employee, which the Czech Labour Code generally prohibits except for non-compete clauses).

Attorneys from ARROWS, a Prague-based law firm, carry out an audit of employment-law documentation and ensure its compliance with the current 2026 legislation in the Czech Republic. Contact us at office@arws.cz.

HR processes and records

HR must keep systematic records of warning letters, evaluations, and proofs of service. Without “paper” (or a provable electronic record), the employer’s position in Czech courts is very weak.

Collective redundancies

Collective redundancies (Section 62 of the Czech Labour Code) occur if, within a period of 30 calendar days, employment is terminated by notice for organisational reasons (or by agreement for the same reasons) for a specified number of employees (e.g., 10 employees in a company with 20–100 employees).

Obligations:

  • Inform the trade union/employee council in writing and consult with them no later than 30 days before giving notices of termination.
  • Inform the regional branch of the Labour Office of the Czech Republic.
  • Deliver to the Labour Office a written report on the decision on collective redundancies.

The employment of an employee dismissed as part of collective redundancies will end by notice no earlier than after 30 days from the delivery of the written report to the Labour Office, unless the employee declares that they do not insist on the extension.

Penalties for breaches of employment law

The Czech State Labour Inspection Office imposes fines under Act No. 251/2005 Coll., on Labour Inspection:

  • In the area of employment (establishment, change, termination, service of documents): a fine of up to CZK 2,000,000.
  • Illegal employment (performance of dependent work outside an employment relationship): a fine of up to CZK 10,000,000 (minimum fine CZK 50,000).
  • Breaches in the area of remuneration: up to CZK 1,000,000 or CZK 2,000,000 depending on the offence.

ARROWS attorneys represent companies during Labour Inspectorate inspections and in subsequent administrative proceedings, helping to minimise the impact of penalties under Czech law.

Conclusion

Employment law training focused on termination is essential prevention. Attorneys from ARROWS, a Prague-based law firm, know the most common mistakes and how to avoid them. If you want to be sure your procedures comply with Czech law, contact us at office@arws.cz.

FAQ – Most common legal questions

1. Is an employer required to train managers in employment law?
The Czech Labour Code does not explicitly impose this obligation (unlike occupational health and safety), but the employer bears responsibility for managers’ mistakes. Training is part of managerial due care and damage prevention.

2. Does the training have to be repeated?
Given frequent amendments and the development of case law in the Czech Republic, we recommend refresher training at least once every 1–2 years.

3. Can an employer give notice of termination by email?
Only if the employee has given prior written consent (in a separate statement) and the notice is signed with a qualified electronic signature. Even then, additional service requirements must be met under Czech law. Without the employee’s consent, this is highly risky and usually ineffective.

4. How do I know the training will be high quality?
ARROWS law firm is registered with the Czech Bar Association, and the training is delivered by experienced attorneys with employment law practice.

Notice: The information contained in this article is for general informational purposes only and serves as a basic guide to the issue as of 2026. Although we strive for maximum accuracy, laws and their interpretation evolve over time. We are ARROWS Law Firm, a member of the Czech Bar Association (our supervisory authority), and for the maximum security of our clients, we are insured for professional liability with a limit of CZK 400,000,000. To verify the current wording of the regulations and their application to your specific situation, it is necessary to contact ARROWS Law Firm directly (office@arws.cz). We are not liable for any damages arising from the independent use of the information in this article without prior individual legal consultation.

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