Employment 2025

BULGARIA Law and Practice Contributed by: Diana Milkova and Victoria Penkova, Penkova & Partners Law Firm

1. Employment Terms 1.1 Employee Status

Other key details are the contract’s start date and duration, entitlement to annual and extended paid leave, notice period requirements (equal for both par - ties), basic and additional regular remuneration, pay - ment frequency, and the duration of the working day or week. Employment Contracts With a Probation Period Both indefinite and fixed-term employment contracts may include a probation period, allowing either party to assess the suitability of the role or the employee’s capabilities. For indefinite contracts, the probation period can last up to six months. For fixed-term con - tracts shorter than one year, the probation period is limited to one month. During this period, the party for whose benefit the probation is agreed can terminate the contract without notice. Any time during which the employee is on statutory leave or has not worked for valid reasons is not counted towards the proba - tion period. 1.3 Working Hours Working Hours The regular working week in Bulgaria is up to 40 hours, typically spread across 8 hours per day over five days. The duration of the working time cannot be extended beyond this limit, except in specific cases outlined in the Labour Code. For employees working at night dur - ing a five-day working week, the maximum allowable working hours per week is 35 hours. Reduced Working Time Reduced working hours apply to employees working in conditions where the risks to their health and safe - ty cannot be mitigated, regardless of the measures taken, as well as to employees under the age of 18. Open-Ended Working Time Given the nature of certain roles, an employer may, after consulting with employee and trade union rep - resentatives, establish open-ended working hours for specific positions. Under this arrangement, employ - ees may be required to perform their duties beyond the regular working time. Excess hours on regular working days are compensated with an additional five days of paid annual leave, while work on weekends and public holidays is remunerated with overtime pay.

In Bulgarian legislation, the terms “workers” and “employees” are used to distinguish types of labour, as opposed to the common “blue-collar” and “white- collar” categories. These terms highlight whether physical or mental labour is primarily used. Legally, both workers and employees are competent individu - als who provide their labour in exchange for remuner - ation from an employer. A worker is generally engaged in physical labour, while an employee performs mainly mental tasks. For the purposes of this employment practice chapter, the terms “worker” and “employee” will be used interchangeably to cover both categories. Employment contracts may be established on a fixed- term or indefinite basis. Fixed-term contracts may apply in several specific cases, including for a defined period (up to three years unless otherwise specified by law or a Council of Ministers’ act), for the completion of particular work, as a temporary replacement for an absent employee, for the period before a competi - tively selected candidate fills a role, or for a specified term of office as required. Written Form of the Employment Contracts 1.2 Employment Contracts Types of Employment Contracts An employment contract must be signed in writing before work begins. The employer is required to reg - ister the employment contract, and any amendments, with the National Revenue Agency within three days of signing or modifying the contract. Employment con - tract terminations must be registered within seven days. Each employment contract must include essen - tial details, such as: • the names, ID numbers, and addresses of the par - ties involved; • the employer’s representative (if a legal entity); • the workplace location, including any remote work address (if applicable); • the job title; and • the code under the National Classification of Pro - fessions and Positions, as issued by the Minister of Labour and Social Policy.

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