Years of service soon obligatory in temporary employment too – Law on seasonal jobs in preparation

To the unemployed, seasonal work is a good opportunity to earn something, and their work status will soon be regulated by law.

The law on seasonal jobs is currently being prepared. It should regulate this type of work and entail the implementation of vouchers with the aim of protecting workers' rights and honor regulations.

Assistant to the minister of labor Zoran Lazic said that a draft law was expected before the end of the year, which would then go into public hearing. As he said, the law aims to protect seasonal workers.

– The law pertains to all those whose employers had no interest to sign employment contracts, but who worked illegally instead or had to find some other way to not break the law. This way, we will make the procedure easier to employers – Lazic said.

Vouchers or stamps that employers will be buying will be a proof that all the taxes and contributions have been paid, no matter the length of the worker's employment.

– The employer will buy as many as they need for that day or a number of days for which the worker is hired. As well, each hired worker will have their own employment record which is effectively a contract between the employer and the employee – Lazic explained.

Vouchers will be attached to the employment record by the employer, who will also write down all the data and everything pertaining to the amount or compensation received by the worker as a daily wage in order for their service to be recorded at the Pension and Disability Insurance Fund.

Lazic says the the ministry doesn't have precise data about the average number of seasonal workers being hired annually, but that it is estimated that in the agricultural sector there are 60,000 to 100,000 of them.

Lazic points out that the operations of agencies for temporary employment will be regulated by a special law which will prescribe that the agencies shall sign permanent or temporary employment contracts with employees and direct them to another employer. They won't be able to use the voucher system, since they will have to hire workers through temporary service contracts.

The passing of this regulation is also expected by the end of the year and is being worked on intensively.

Ministarstvo za rad, zapošljavanje, boračka i socijalna pitanja Republike Srbije

Vlada Republike Srbije

Republički Fond za penzijsko i invalidsko osiguranje

law on seasonal jobs

seasonal work

Zoran Lazic

seasonal jobs

employment contract

illegal work

vouchers