Employee rights and duties in the Czech Republic

The duties and rights of the employee in the Czech Republic are governed by Section 106 of Act No. 262/2006 Coll. (Labour Code). The employee is protected by laws which, among other things, are to ensure their safety at work, but also financial security in cases when they can not come to work (visit to doctor, temporary incapacity to work, etc.) for serious reasons.

The basic rights and duties of employees working in the Czech Republic include:

• An employee has the right to safety and protection at work. The employer should also inform them about the risks of work and propose appropriate protective measures.
• An employee may refuse to perform work which, in their opinion, seriously endangers their health or life (or that of third parties).
• An employee has the right and duty to participate in creating a safe work environment by following the employer’s advice.
• Every employee has to take care of their own safety and the health of others; and is also obliged to:
  • take part in health and safety training at work
  • attend medical examinations or vaccinations which provide for specific legislation
  • comply with legislation, employer’s instructions, etc.
  • adhere to established working procedures, use intended machinery or vehicles, protective equipment, etc.
  • not drink alcohol or take drugs in the workplace (at work and outside the workplace), not be under their influence on the workplace
  • not smoking where the effects of such are exposed to non-smokers
  • report to the supervisor defects and workplace failures that may endanger the safety of employees
  • participate according to their abilities to remedy the identified shortcomings
  • report work injuries to their manager without delay
  • be tested for the presence of alcohol or addictive substances

Other duties of the employee are:

• Be at the beginning of a shift at their workplace and leave it only after the shift has ended.
• To deepen their qualification to perform an agreed job (participation in training, study).
• To ensure that there is no property or non-property damage or unjust enrichment. If such a threat exists, the employee must alert their
• Reimburse the employer in relation to damage caused by a breach of obligations.
• To compensate for losses caused by the loss of equipment, protective equipment, etc., with which the employer has entrusted them with a written confirmation.
• Do the work personally according to the work contract at the scheduled working time.
• When an employee discovers that they do not have the necessary working conditions, they are required to report this fact to the manager.

 Other employee rights are:

• No to work if prevented by temporary incapacity, quarantine, maternity and parental leave, nursing a family member or child, etc.
• Obtain a pay offset with wage compensation for the necessary time if the employee visited a medical facility for examination.
• Two-day work leave for their own wedding.
• In certain cases, an employee is entitled to severance pay (termination of the employer or part thereof, relocation, redundancy, etc.).

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Author: Míša Benešovská

I’m a freelance journalist and copywriter, mainly covering IT industry. I’ve been fascinated by it for nearly a quarter of a century (or since I dismantled my first computer). I worked for Seznam.cz, Unicorn Systems or Mafra publisher. In my spare time, I love game consoles and keep perfecting a recipe for the best pumpkin risotto in the world.