Czech Republic: changes to the Labour Code

Czech Republic

Significant changes to the Czech Labour Code have come into force on 1 January 2008.

Among others, they include:

  • allowing managerial employees (those authorised to give orders to at least one subordinate employee) with an express provision in their contracts to do up to 8 hours’ unpaid overtime a week (subject to a maximum of 150 hours’ unpaid overtime per calendar year);
  • allowing employees under 18 to work for a maximum of 8 hours a day and 40 hours a week (instead of the current limits of 6 hours a day and 30 hours a week);
  • a simplified system of calculating working hours in certain cases;
  • allowing provisions in collective agreements about wages and supplements for weekend work to prevail over the relevant provisions of the Labour Code, including where they provide for lower supplements than the Labour Code.