The Parliament of the Republic of Lithuania approved amendments to the Labour Code that will be put into force on January 1, 2025. The Labour Code will increase the criteria for setting the minimum wage. It will also strengthen the protection of employees against violence or harassment at work and facilitate the procedure for referral in the event of labour disputes between an employee and an employer. ECOVIS ProventusLaw provides an overview of the main changes.
Regarding notification of recruitment to SODRA
The conclusion of an employment contract and the recruitment of a single-person management body of a legal person will be notified to the territorial division of SODRA one working hour before the scheduled start of work.
Termination of employment during the trial period
The employee can submit a request for termination of employment before the end of the probationary period. Still, this notice may be withdrawn no later than the working day following the submission date.
Regarding overtime work
The employer may only assign overtime work with the employee’s written consent, except in the following exceptional cases.
Overtime work shall be paid at the rate of not less than one and a half times the employee’s salary.
Overtime work on a rest day which is not scheduled or overtime work at night shall be paid at least twice the employee’s salary, and overtime work on a public holiday and/or overtime work on a public holiday at night shall be paid at least two and a half times the employee’s salary.
Regarding work on the day before a public holiday
On the day before a public holiday, the working day shall be shortened by 1 hour, except for employees working on a reduced-hours basis. If, due to the organisation of work’s specificities or the employer’s uninterrupted activity, it is not possible to shorten the working day for the employee, he/she will have to be paid for this hour as overtime work.
Regarding liability for breach of the prohibition of violence or harassment
The definition of violence or harassment has been clarified by stating that unacceptable behaviour is defined as unacceptable behaviour by the employer and other employees.
Regarding temporary employment businesses
Provisions on the removal and listing of temporary employment establishments have been clarified. It has been established that if the State Labour Inspectorate removes an employer from the list of temporary employment undertakings, the employer will be able to reapply no earlier than six months after the date of the decision to remove the undertaking from the list of temporary employment undertakings,
On protection for employees in the event of bankruptcy
In the event of bankruptcy, employees who lose their jobs will receive a long-term employment allowance, as in the event of the liquidation of their employer. At present, this benefit is not available to employees who are unemployed in the event of bankruptcy.
On the re-election of the Labour Council
The deadline for the election of a Labour Council that has not been held is clarified; new elections of the Labour Council must be held 6 months after the Electoral Commission decides to declare the election of the Labour Council as not having been held.
Concerning the terms of the non-interruptible 2-month parental leave
Clarification of the 62 calendar days as part of the non-interruptible 2-month period of parental leave.
Fixing the minimum monthly salary
The formula for determining the minimum monthly salary has been extended. The minimum wage will now take into account purchasing power, the general level of wages, the rate of wage growth, and long-term productivity levels and developments.
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