An Overview of Employing in Belarus
Belarusian Ruble (BYN)
Employees are typically paid in arrears on the 10th of each month.
The minimum pay for full time workers should not be lower than BYN 400 per month.
There is no statutory bonus in Belarus; however, it is standard practice to include a clause in the contract of employment allowing for bonuses to be paid at the discretion of the employer.
Contractual Provisions
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Contracts of employment must be executed in line with the terms outlined in the Labour Code of Belarus. The Labour Code provides for both fixed term and indefinite contracts. The maximum length of a fixed-term contract is five years.
It is a legal requirement that contracts are written in Russian; dual language contracts are accepted.
Employers must ensure any new employees are included in the PU-2 form which is sent to the Social Security 10 days after the close of every quarter.
There is no legal requirement for a medical to be carried out prior to employment.
Employers may choose to include a probationary period of up to a maximum of three months. This cannot be extended under any circumstances.
Should the employee not pass the probationary period, the employer is required to give three days’ written notice.
A regular working week consists of:
8 hours per day and 40 hours per week. Any work carried out over this time is considered as overtime; however, a working day must not exceed 12 hours.
Employees are legally entitled to a one-hour break for every eight hours worked. It is a legal requirement to record hours worked.
Any work carried out over the agreed contracted hours is considered as overtime. This is restricted to a limit of 10 additional hours per week and 180 hours annually. Overtime hours should be compensated at two times the normal rate of pay.
Employees are entitled to up to two days’ paid leave following the death of a family member.
A contract of employment can be terminated for the following reasons:
- Mutual agreement
- End of fixed-term contract or probationary period
- Breach of contract from either party
- Liquidation or downsizing of the company
Contracts may only be terminated with just cause in accordance with Article 42 of the Labour Code.
It is advised that all terminations are discussed with TopSource Worldwide.
An employment contract may be terminated at any times upon mutual agreement of both the employer and employee.
An employee is required to serve one month’s written notice upon resignation.
Notice required by the employer is dependent on the grounds for termination.
For breach of contract, an employee can be dismissed immediately if the cause is considered valid.
Severance pay will vary dependent on the cause of termination, in accordance with Article 42 of the Labour Code.