What are the employee categories in Italy?
Article 2095 of the Italian Civil Code divides employees into four legal categories: dirigenti (executives), quadri (middle managers), impiegati (white-collar employees) and operai (blue-collar workers). Within each category, the national collective agreement (CCNL) that applies sets levels and pay scales, so category and level together decide much of an employee’s terms.
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Schedule a strategy callThe four categories
- Dirigenti run the business or a significant part of it with wide autonomy, and usually have their own collective agreement.
- Quadri, added by Law 190 of 1985, are employees who are not executives but carry out, on a continuing basis, functions of significant importance for developing and achieving the company’s objectives. The rules for impiegati apply to them unless stated otherwise.
- Impiegati do mainly intellectual or administrative work.
- Operai do mainly manual or production work.
The detailed requirements for each category are set by collective bargaining for each sector.
Why the category matters
- Dismissal: the protections of Legislative Decree 23 of 2015, part of the Jobs Act, apply to operai, impiegati and quadri hired on open-ended contracts since 7 March 2015, but not to dirigenti, whose dismissal is governed mainly by their collective agreement.
- Changes to duties: under article 2103 of the Civil Code, an employee can be given tasks at the same level and legal category. A move to a lower level within the same category is allowed after an organisational change that affects their position, or where a collective agreement permits it, in writing and keeping their pay. Higher duties become permanent after the period set by the collective agreement or, failing that, six continuous months, unless the employee was covering for an absent colleague.
- Insurance for quadri: the employer must insure quadri against civil liability to third parties arising from negligence in their duties.
Employee categories when you hire through an EOR
When you hire through TopSource as your Employer of Record in Italy, we classify each role under the right category and CCNL level before the contract is issued, because that choice fixes the minimum pay and other terms the collective agreement sets for the role.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between impiegati and operai?
Impiegati do mainly intellectual or administrative work, and operai mainly manual or production work. The applicable CCNL places both on its level scale, which sets pay and other terms.
Are dirigenti covered by the Jobs Act?
No. Legislative Decree 23 of 2015 covers operai, impiegati and quadri hired on open-ended contracts since 7 March 2015. The dismissal of executives is governed mainly by their collective agreement.
Who decides an employee’s category in Italy?
The employer classifies the role based on the work actually done, using the criteria in the applicable CCNL. An employee who performs duties of a higher category or level is entitled to the treatment that goes with them.
Related terms in Italy
- Comunicazione Obbligatoria (Italy)
- Libro Unico del Lavoro (Italy)
- Smart Working Agreement (Italy)
- ROL and Ex-Festività Permits (Italy)
- Patto di Non Concorrenza (Italy)
- Mandatory Disability Hiring Quota (Italy)
- Cassa Integrazione (Italy)
- Decreto Flussi and Nulla Osta (Italy)
- Welfare Aziendale (Italy)
- F24 Payment Form (Italy)
- UniEmens (Italy)