What forms of employment relationships are there?
An employment relationship is a relationship between a worker and an employer whereby the worker integrates voluntarily into the employer’s organised working process and in which, in return for remuneration, they continuously carry out work in person according to the instructions and under the supervision of the employer. Each of the contracting parties in an employment relationship is obliged to exercise the agreed and prescribed rights and obligations. The basis for conclusion is the employment contract.
Employment contracts are concluded for an indefinite duration unless otherwise provided by law (Employment Relationships Act, ZDR-1).
An employment contract for an indefinite period is the rule in Slovenian labour law. Only in exceptional circumstances and in cases provided for by law may a fixed-term contract be concluded.
A fixed-term employment contract may exceptionally be concluded for:
- work that by its nature is of limited duration,
- replacing a temporarily absent worker,
- temporarily increased scope of work,
- employment of a foreigner or a stateless person holding a single permit as defined by the act governing the entry and residence of foreigners and a seasonal worker permit as defined by the act governing the employment, self-employment and work of foreigners, unless the single permit is issued on the basis of consent for employment, self-employment or work,
- a manager or company secretary,
- an executive referred to in paragraph one of Article 74 of the ZDR-1,
- performance of seasonal work,
- a worker who concludes a fixed-term employment contract for reasons of preparation for work, training or further training related to work and/or education,
- fixed-term employment due to work during an adjustment period on the basis of a final decision and a certificate issued by a competent body in the procedure for the recognition of professional qualifications pursuant to a special act,
- performance of public works and/or participation in the measures of active employment policy in accordance with an act,
- preparation or implementation of project-organised work,
- work required during the period of introducing new programmes, new technology and other technical and technological improvements of the working process or for the training of workers,
- handing over work,
- elected and appointed officials and/or other workers bound by the term of office of a body or official in local communities, political parties, trade unions, chambers, associations and their federations,
- other cases laid down by an act and/or branch collective agreement.
An employment contract (permanent or fixed-term) can be concluded for full working time, which in Slovenia is 40 hours per week, or a law or collective agreement can set the full working time at less than 40 hours per week, but not less than 36 hours per week.
An employment contract may also be concluded for working time that is shorter than full working time, e.g. 20 hours a week, 30 hours a week, etc. A worker who has concluded a part-time employment contract has the same contractual and other rights and obligations arising from the employment relationship as a worker who works full-time, and may exercise these rights and obligations proportionally to the time for which the employment relationship was concluded, with the exception of such rights and obligations as are otherwise provided by an act.