Working group HR

On 21 October 2024, an HR Working Group was held, organized by the Association for Foreign Investment - AFI. Its main topics were the "Flexi-Amendment" of the Labour Code, amendments to the Employment Act and other legislative changes in the field of labour law. The meeting was conducted by Gabriela Hrbáčková, Vice-Chairwoman of the Steering Committee of the Association for Foreign Investment - AFI and CEO of Hofmann Personal.

January 1, 2025 was supposed to bring several significant changes in the field of employment, but not all of them will make it through the legislative process and come into force on that date or in the intended form. Specifically, this includes the "Flexi-Amendment" to the Labour Code, which is expected to bring changes to probationary periods, parental leave, notice periods and other areas such as the employment of minors or the payment of wages on account.

It is also expected that the introduction of the so-called "primary FTE", which was also due to apply from the new year, will be abandoned. Only the reporting of agreements should remain in the new scheme and we all hope very much that there will be no further new criteria effective from 1 January 2025.

On the other hand, changes to the Employment Act concerning labour inspection and penalties for illegal or disguised employment should come into force from 1 January 2025.

There will also be changes to the Skilled Worker Programme. The change will concern the condition linked to the guaranteed wage, which will no longer exist as of January. Other changes are being discussed and hopefully will be known in the next fortnight.

As regards Lex Ukraine and the employment of Ukrainian citizens, there is an extension of temporary protection at EU level until March 2026 and the introduction of a new "Czech" long-term residence for up to 5 years, provided the conditions are met.

As of 1 January 2026, the introduction of the "status of a recognised employer" is foreseen, including the inclusion of legal employment agencies in this system. However, whether this will actually happen by this date is a question of the coming months.

The Working Group provided a forum for the transmission of substantial information on upcoming legislative changes in the field of employment and labour law. The meeting concluded with a discussion in which participants shared their experiences and views on the practical implications of these changes. We would like to thank Gabriela Hrbáčková for her expert guidance and we look forward to the next meeting.