COUNTRY

Employment contracts in Austria are generally in writing but may be verbal or implied. Apprenticeship agreements must be made in writing. Contracts may specify a fixed term or be open-ended. Employment contracts must meet the minimum requirements of any applicable law, collective and work agreements. If there is not a written contract of employment, a statement of terms and conditions is provided on the first day of employment.

The standard work period in Austria is eight hours a day and 40 hours per week, but collective bargaining agreements can shorten the regular workday and week. The maximum amount employees can work is 12 hours a day and 60 hours per week, with an average of 48 hours per week over a 17-week period. Employees returning from long-term sick leave or nearing retirement may be entitled to work fewer hours. Employees are entitled to overtime pay or 1.5 hours of time credit for working overtime. Overtime should not overlap with an employee’s childcare, doctor appointments or other personal matters.

Employees are entitled to between six and 12 weeks of fully paid sick leave in Austria during an illness or following an accident, depending on the employee’s length of service. An additional four weeks of sick leave at 50% pay is provided after that. When paid sick leave from the employer is exhausted, the social security system provides for partial pay for up to 52 weeks. This can be extended to as much as 78 weeks depending on the local insurance fund. Employees are required to notify employers if they cannot work and may be required to provide a medical certificate or sick note from a doctor.

Female employees receive 16 weeks fully paid maternity leave in Austria, which usually begins eight weeks before the due date or scheduled caesarean and ends eight weeks after delivery.

Male employees may take up to one month of unpaid leave after the birth of a child. This is commonly called “Daddy Month.” Employers are not required to pay a salary during this time, but the employee can claim a family time bonus paid from the social security fund. The employee is required to provide notice three months before the due date.

Employees also receive two months of unpaid parental leave for a child up to two years old if the parents live with the child.

There is no statutory minimum wage in Austria. Salaries are governed by laws, collective bargaining agreements and work agreements, which are agreements between employers and the works council. The actual salary paid will also depend on the role, responsibilities, education, qualifications, work hours, age of employee, length of service and other related factors.

The average salary increase in Austria is 5% every 2.5 years. Both the amount and timing of increase varies depending on industry.

Bonuses are common in Austria, with employees frequently receiving a 13th and 14th payment each equal to one month of salary. The bonuses, paid in the summer and at the end of the year, are generally referred to as holiday and Christmas bonuses.

In addition to public holidays, employees receive 25 days of paid annual leave in Austria after six months of continuous service. This increases to 30 days of annual paid leave after 25 years.

In Austria, the public holidays are:

• New Year's Day

• Epiphany

• Easter Monday

• Labor Day / May Day

• Ascension Day

• Whit Monday

• Corpus Christi

• Assumption of Mary

• National Day

• All Saints' Day

• Immaculate Conception

• Christmas Day

• St. Stephen's Day

Austria provides public health care financed through taxes and mandatory social health insurance contributions.

In Austria, termination of employment can occur during the probation period, at the end of the contract term, by mutual consent, by the employer (with or without cause) or by the employee. Employment may be terminated without a reason during the probation period, which is determined by the employment contract but cannot exceed one month. After the probation period, an employer must either have valid reason to terminate an employee or provide notice and pay severance. The notice period depends on the type of worker and years of service. Employers must pay a portion of the employees’ monthly salary towards a fund for severance pay. The employee can choose to either have the amount paid out as severance pay or left in the fund for a subsequent employer to contribute to if they leave their current employer. Employees qualify for this after three years of service.