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Employment in the Czech Republic. What's important to know?

Finding a job in a new country in a highly stressful situation while you do not yet know the language is not an easy task. We have prepared some basic information to help you find your way through the specifics of the employment relationship and job search in the Czech Republic. We have also analysed the main rules you need to know to avoid unpleasant situations when looking for a job.

P.S. Each case requires separate consideration. Your situation may be unique and require individual analysis, but we have tried to summarise the main issues here.

The first important thing to know is that in the Czech Republic, all employment relationships are formalised in writing (work agreements, safety briefings, job descriptions, dismissals, etc.). All documents are in Czech, even if they were initially written in Ukrainian or English - make sure that you ask a person you trust to translate the document's contents into Czech. If there are no such people in your vicinity, ask for volunteers, lawyers, or sympathetic people in Facebook groups.

As for wages in the Czech Republic, the employer must pay them no later than the last day of the month following the reporting month (i.e. April wages must be paid by 31 May). Usually, the employment contract or an internal document (analogous to the inner work regulations - Pracovní řád, Mzdový řád) specifies the exact date of payment of wages.

You will be shown your gross salary at the time of employment, which means "before tax". To calculate the amount you will be paid, use the calculator at the following link.
The probationary period in the Czech Republic is three months, but it can be extended to six months for managerial positions. During the probationary period, you can quit your job yourself or be dismissed by your employer on any day. In both cases the notice (zrušení pracovního poměru ve zkušební době) has to be given in writing.

Fixed-term contracts are valid until a specified date. The employer is not obliged to extend such a contract, and the employer is obliged to give at least three days' written notice of non-renewal. Suppose the employer does not give you notice in writing of the termination of your employment contract, and you are allowed to work. In that case, such a contract is automatically regarded as an indefinite one.

Contracts of indefinite duration are concluded for an indefinite period, and they can only be terminated by agreement. In the case of job cuts, company closure, and other circumstances beyond the employee's control, the employee is entitled to compensation (from one to three salaries, depending on the length of employment).

HPP - Hlavní pracovní poměr, work under an employment contract (40 or 37.5 hours per week depending on the shift pattern of the company).

DPP - Dohoda o provedení práce. In the Czech Republic, you may hear the expression "go to work for a brigade," which means that you can work for the same employer for 300 hours per year. One person can have several such "brigades". If the "brigade" income does not exceed 10,000 kronor a month, there is no social security or health insurance tax for the employee or the employer. More details are available here.

DPČ - Dohoda o pracovní činnosti can be done for any period without any limitation, but it entails working for half of the fixed working hours (i.e. with a 40-hour working week, you can work only 20). This work format entitles you to half the officially allowed days off with pay.

You can give your notice of termination yourself without giving a reason. There is a peculiarity: you must work for the company for a minimum of two months from the first calendar day following the month in which the application was submitted. For example, if you hand in your notice of termination on 25 May, you must work for two full months from 1 June.

By law, leave in the Czech Republic is four weeks (160 hours). Often companies provide an additional five days of holiday as a benefit.

Sick leave is always arranged through your physician, who electronically sends the sick leave to your employer. Sick pay is proportional to earnings - about 60 % of your monthly salary. The money does not come from your employer but the Social Insurance Office (správa sociálního zabezpečení). If you are on sick leave with your child, you are entitled to sick pay for the first ten days (16 days for a single parent). You are entitled to partially paid family care days. You can find out the exact conditions from your accountant at your company or by contacting the social security office directly.

The difference between a work visa and a visa for temporary protection for Ukrainians:

Temporary protection is a special regime for Ukrainians that allows them to stay in the E.U. for one year. Ukrainians under temporary protection either do not receive benefits or receive small financial assistance and are automatically granted a work permit. In other words, the program is designed to enable its participants to start work as soon as possible. Each holder of such a visa and work contract is entitled to the same benefits and working conditions as any other company employee.

As far as work visas are concerned, obtaining one has not changed much. It is rather complicated, except for some countries (e.g., Poland), where Ukrainians were attracted to work through preferential treatment and simplified procedures before the war.

But in most European countries, to open a working visa for an employee, the employer has to confirm that he can not find a candidate for the position among citizens of his country.

If you are opening a visa to work for a specific company, however, you have two options:

Work card (zaměstnanecká karta) and blue card (modrá karta)

The difference between these types of visas is that to receive the Blue Card, the foreigner's position must be on the list of professions in demand, and only highly qualified professionals may apply for these positions. Highly qualified means a completed higher education or higher vocational qualification with a minimum of three years of studies, recognised in the Czech Republic.

Both work and blue cards entitle the holder to live, work, and, after a certain period, to apply for permanent residence.

How does it work?

A Czech employer posts a vacancy on the labor exchange (MPSV), and if there is no suitable local candidate for it within 30 days, the employer has the right to take on a foreigner. If you have already agreed with your employer, they will post the position on the job exchange but will keep this space specifically for you.

How do I look for a job in the Czech Republic?

If you are highly qualified and have a good command of foreign languages, the best sources of job search in the Czech Republic are:

Be sure to use Linkedin, the best resource for finding jobs and expanding your professional networking. We recommend that you set a "looking for new opportunities" status and sign up for notifications for positions you are interested in.

Don't forget about services and recruitment companies like Talentgrator, which can find jobs that suit you, even if they're not listed on official company websites or other job search sources.

P.S. We collect available jobs from our agency in our Telegram channel and all the jobs available on the European job market, with relocation or remotely!

For manual professions:

And also resources that regularly post vacancies for newly arrived Ukrainians:

Do not neglect the Facebook groups, where you can also find current job offers in Prague and other cities, e.g.:

1. https://www.facebook.com/santador.cz

2. https://www.facebook.com/groups/PrahaJobs

3. https://www.facebook.com/groups/431701117287150

4. https://www.facebook.com/groups/477702685631556

5. https://www.facebook.com/groups/jobcz

Little advice for you if you don't speak Czech and have to look for temporary manual labor:

If you have experience in the beauty industry (car repair shop, pastry shop, barista, cook, etc.) contact such companies directly (volunteers can help you compose and print out a competent CV) or send them a private message on one of the social networks (Instagram, Facebook, etc.).
Look out for notice boards in nearby supermarkets (Billa, Albert, Tesco) and leave information about yourself and the type of work you could offer.
Write a personal advertisement and circulate it among your neighbors and acquaintances. For example, you could help out as a nanny or do minor repairs, dog walking, landscaping or offer to do gardening work. Of course, don't forget to make similar announcements on social media, especially in groups for ex-pats on Facebook.
If you have been involved in decorating and organising parties, write about yourself in thematic groups where your language is spoken. Include a portfolio, photos, and references.

We hope this information has been helpful to you and would be pleased if you could share this material with your family or friends who are also looking for work in the Czech Republic. We will be adding to this list of tips as new information about the Czech Republic's labor market becomes available. We would be grateful for our readers' additional comments and job hunting tips.