In Slovenia, an employment relationship usually ends in one of three ways: the employee resigns, the employer dismisses the employee, or both sides sign a termination agreement. Notice must always be given in writing. An employee does not need to give a reason, but must work a notice period of 15 or 30 days, depending on how long they have been with the employer. How the job ends matters mainly for two things: severance pay and the right to unemployment benefit.
How an employment relationship can end in Slovenia
The Slovenian Employment Relationships Act (Zakon o delovnih razmerjih, ZDR-1) lists every way an employment contract can end in Article 77. The first four matter to most people; the rest are rarer.
- Expiry of a fixed-term contract or completion of the agreed work.
- Ordinary termination by the employee or the employer, with a notice period.
- Extraordinary (summary) termination, without notice, after serious breaches.
- Mutual agreement between employee and employer.
- Death of the employee or of an employer who is a natural person, a court judgment, or termination by operation of law.
A fixed-term contract ends by itself, without notice, when its term expires. Even then the employee is usually entitled to severance pay (Article 79 ZDR-1), with exceptions such as replacing an absent worker or seasonal work lasting less than three months.
Resigning from your job as an employee
An employee may terminate the employment contract with notice without giving any reason (Article 83 ZDR-1). You do not have to explain whether you are moving to a new employer, going self-employed or retiring. The resignation must be in writing (Article 87), otherwise it is not valid, so hand it in personally against a signature or send it by registered mail with a return receipt.
Under Article 94 ZDR-1, the minimum notice period for an employee is 15 days if they have worked for the employer for up to one year, and 30 days if longer. The employment contract or a collective agreement may set a longer period, but not more than 60 days. The notice period starts on the day after the resignation is delivered, and during it you keep working and receive your normal salary. You can agree a shorter period with your employer, but such an arrangement is in effect a termination agreement, with the consequences described below.
Sample resignation letter, including for retirement
A resignation can be short. It should include your details, the employer’s details, a clear statement and the date. Example wording:
“I, the undersigned John Novak, employed as a warehouse worker, hereby give ordinary notice of termination of my employment contract dated 1 March 2015, in accordance with Article 83 ZDR-1. The notice period begins on the day after this notice is delivered. Place, date, signature.”
If you are retiring, you can add a sentence saying that you are terminating the contract because of retirement and state your preferred last working day. An employee who retires is entitled to a retirement severance payment (Article 132 ZDR-1) of at least two average monthly salaries. This payment is also due if the employment ends by mutual agreement.
When and how the employer can dismiss you
Unlike the employee, the employer needs a justified reason. Article 89 ZDR-1 sets out five grounds for ordinary dismissal: a business reason (the work is no longer needed for economic, organisational, technological or structural reasons), incapacity, a culpable reason (breach of work obligations), inability to work due to disability, and an unsuccessful probationary period. The dismissal must be in writing and explained, and it must inform the employee of their legal remedies and their rights under unemployment insurance. Before dismissing someone for a culpable reason, the employer must generally inform them in writing of the alleged breaches and give them a chance to respond.
| Type of termination | Minimum notice period (Article 94 ZDR-1) |
|---|---|
| Resignation by the employee | 15 days up to one year of employment, then 30 days (up to 60 days by agreement) |
| Business reason or incapacity | 15 days up to one year, 30 days from one to two years, then 30 days + 2 days per year, max. 60 days |
| Business reason or incapacity, over 25 years | 80 days, unless a sectoral collective agreement says otherwise (not less than 60 days) |
| Culpable reason | 15 days |
| Unsuccessful probation | 7 days |
Extraordinary termination
Extraordinary termination means the employment ends without any notice period. An employer can use it for the most serious breaches, for example several days of unjustified absence or a breach that has the hallmarks of a criminal offence. An employee can also terminate extraordinarily when the employer seriously breaches its own obligations, for instance by not paying wages or failing to protect the employee from harassment. We have written separately about recognising workplace bullying and building good relationships at work. Before terminating extraordinarily, an employee must generally first warn the employer in writing; if the termination is justified, the employee is entitled to severance pay as in a business-reason dismissal.
Termination by mutual agreement and unemployment benefit
An agreement to terminate the employment contract (Article 81 ZDR-1) is valid only in writing. It is quick and simple: the parties agree on an end date and no notice period is needed. That is exactly why the Slovenian Labour Inspectorate urges caution. Whoever signs such an agreement gives up the statutory notice period and severance pay (except on retirement), and generally also unemployment benefit.
The Employment Service of Slovenia (ZRSZ) only grants benefit to a person who did not become unemployed through their own fault or choice. According to the ZRSZ conditions for unemployment benefit, the person must have been insured for at least 10 months in the last 24 months (at least 6 months for those under 30) and must apply within 30 days after their insurance ends. How the different ways of leaving usually affect the benefit:
- Dismissal for business reasons or incapacity: the right to benefit exists if the insurance conditions are met.
- Expiry of a fixed-term contract: usually not treated as voluntary unemployment.
- Own resignation or mutual agreement: generally no benefit.
- Culpable dismissal or extraordinary termination by the employer: no benefit.
If your employer offers you a termination agreement, you are not obliged to sign it. Before you decide, check with ZRSZ what it would mean in your case, and ask whether the employer is willing to pay a voluntary sum to make up for the severance you would lose.
Severance pay in Slovenia and how much it is
Severance pay under Article 108 ZDR-1 is paid to an employee dismissed by the employer for business reasons or incapacity, provided they were employed for more than one year. The base is the average monthly salary of the last three months before dismissal, and the amount depends on years of service with the employer and its legal predecessors:
- one to ten years: 1/5 of the base for each year,
- ten to twenty years: 1/4 of the base for each year,
- over twenty years: 1/3 of the base for each year.
Severance may not exceed ten times the base unless a collective agreement provides otherwise. Example: an employee with an average gross salary of 1,500 euros and eight years with the employer receives 8 × 300 euros, i.e. 2,400 euros. When you lose a job, it makes sense to prepare your application documents straight away, for example by learning how to write a CV with a practical example or how to fill in a Europass CV for applications abroad.
If you believe your dismissal was unlawful, the deadline is short: a claim before the labour court or a proposal for mediation must be filed within 30 days of the dismissal being delivered. This article is a general overview of Slovenian law and not legal advice; for your specific situation, contact a trade union, the Labour Inspectorate or a lawyer.
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to give a reason when I resign in Slovenia?
No. An employee can terminate the contract with notice without giving reasons, but the resignation must be in writing and respect the notice period.
How long is the notice period if I resign?
At least 15 days if you have worked for the employer for up to one year, and 30 days if longer. A contract or collective agreement can set a longer period, but no more than 60 days.
Will I get unemployment benefit after a mutual termination agreement?
Generally not, because ZRSZ only grants benefit if unemployment did not arise through your own choice or fault. With an agreement you also give up severance pay, except on retirement.
Can I shorten my notice period?
Only by agreement with the employer. Put it in writing, because it is in effect a termination by mutual agreement with all its consequences.
When am I entitled to severance pay?
On ordinary dismissal for business reasons or incapacity after more than one year of employment, on justified extraordinary termination by the employee, on retirement, and usually when a fixed-term contract expires.
