Life satisfaction
Data source: 2016 EQLS survey
Ability to choose or change
methods of work
Data source: 2015 EWCS survey
Possibility to accumulate overtime
for days off
Data source: 2013 ECS survey
Living and working in Slovenia
20 May 2020
- Population: 2.1 million (2019)
- Real GDP growth: 4.1% (2018)
- Unemployment rate: 5.1% (2018)
Data source: Eurostat
Eurofound provides research, data and analysis on a wide range of social and work-related topics. This information is largely comparative, but also offers country-specific information for each of the 28 EU Member States, which included the UK prior to its withdrawal from the European Union on 31 January 2020. Most information is available in English but some has been translated to facilitate access at national level.
Eurofound strives to strengthen the ongoing link between its own work and national policy debates and priorities related to quality of life and work. Increasingly important in this context is the Europe 2020 growth and jobs strategy launched in 2010, which has five headline targets, covering employment through to social inclusion and poverty reduction. The strategy is implemented in the context of the European Semester process – the EU's annual cycle of economic policy guidance and surveillance – which ensures that Member States keep their budgetary and economic policies in line with their EU commitments through, in part, National Reform Programmes. These programmes form the basis for the European Commission's proposals for country-specific recommendations (CSRs) for each Member State.
European Commission: The European Semester
European Commission: The European Semester - EU country-specific recommendations
European Commission: European Semester documents for Slovenia
2015 Eurofound EWCS survey results in Slovenia: 97% of people consider themselves good at their work
Living and working in Slovenia and COVID-19
COVID-19 continues to have a profound impact on people’s lives across the globe, with major implications for quality of life and work. Eurofound has taken a multipronged response to the pandemic, adapting its research focus in a variety of ways. A new database of national-level policy responses, COVID-19 EU PolicyWatch, collates information on measures taken by government and social partners, as well as company practices, aiming to cushion the effects of the crisis. Eurofound launched an e-survey in early April, Living, working and COVID-19, to capture the immediate economic and social effects of the crisis across the European Union and beyond. The survey investigates the impact on well-being, work and telework and on the financial situation of people living in Europe. The first findings for each country, as well as a range of data pages are now available.
Explore our data pages by country to find out more on the situation in Slovenia.
The country page gives access to Eurofound's most recent survey data and news, directly related to Slovenia:
- Living in Slovenia - country-level data from the European Quality of Life Survey (EQLS)
- Working life in Slovenia - key characteristic of working life across a range of parameters.
Research carried out prior to 31 January 2020, and published subsequently, may include data relating to the 28 EU Member States. Following this date, research only takes into account the 27 EU Member States (EU28 minus the UK), unless specified otherwise.
Survey results
Recent developments
Eurofound contacts in Slovenia
Correspondents in Slovenia
Correspondents report on topics related to developments in the country's working life and inform Eurofound’s pan-European comparative analysis. Read more
University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Social Sciences (FDV)
Eurofound Management Board members from Slovenia
Eurofound's Management Board is made up of representatives of the social partners and national governments of all Member States, European Commission representatives and an independent expert appointed by the European Parliament. Read more
Vladka Komel Ministry of Labour, Family, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities
Jože Smole Association of Employers of Slovenia (ZDS)
Maja Konjar Association of Free Trade Unions of Slovenia (ZSSS)
Living in Slovenia
Quality of life
Quality of life
Findings from Eurofound’s European Quality of Life Survey (EQLS) show that all the selected indicators about quality of life in Slovenia are very close to their respective EU28 averages. Furthermore, the majority of them have remained stable in recent years. For instance, life satisfaction in Slovenia was 6.9 in 2016, similar to the 2011 value of 7.0 and close to the EU28 average of 7.1 in 2016.
However, the share of respondents reporting difficulties in making ends meet has changed to some extent in recent years. In 2007, 38% of respondents in Slovenia had difficulties making ends meet, increasing to 50% in 2011, and decreasing again to 42% in 2016 and being only slightly above the corresponding EU28 average of 39%.
| 2003 | 2007 | 2011 | 2016 | ||
| Life satisfaction | Mean (1-10) | 7.0 | 7.2 | 7.0 | 6.9 |
| Taking all things together on a scale of 1 to 10, how happy would you say you are? | Mean (1-10) | 7.4 | 7.7 | 7.1 | 7.2 |
| Optimism about own future | Agree & strongly agree | - | - | - | 66% |
| Optimism about children’s or grandchildren’s future | Agree & strongly agree | - | - | - | 56% |
| Take part in sports or physical exercise | At least once a week | - | - | 38% | 45% |
| In general, how is your health? | Very good | - | 20% | 22% | 22% |
| WHO-5 mental wellbeing index | Mean (1-100) | - | 60 | 58 | 62 |
| Making ends meet | With some difficulty, difficulty, and great difficulty | 41% | 38% | 50% | 42% |
| I feel I am free to decide how to live my life | Strongly agree | - | - | 29% | 23% |
| I find it difficult to deal with important problems that come up in my life | Agree & strongly agree | - | - | - | 27% |
| When things go wrong in my life, it generally takes me a long time to get back to normal | Agree & strongly agree | - | - | - | 24% |
Work-life balance
Work-life balance
Work–life balance related problems are relatively less common in Slovenia than on average in the EU. For instance, in 2016, 51% of respondents in Slovenia were too tired from work to do household jobs at least several times a month, compared with the higher EU28 average of 59%. In 2016, 40% of respondents in Slovenia experienced difficulties to fulfil family responsibilities because of work at least several times a month, which was very close to the EU average of 38%. The least common work–life balance problem was having difficulties to concentrate at work because of family responsibilities, reported by 10% of respondents in Slovenia in 2016, which was significantly below the EU28 average of 19%.
| 2003 | 2007 | 2011 | 2016 | ||
| (At least several times a month) | |||||
| I have come home from work too tired to do some of the household jobs which need to be done | Total | 52% | 54% | 48% | 51% |
| Men | 47% | 50% | 48% | 42% | |
| Women | 60% | 60% | 48% | 61% | |
| It has been difficult for me to fulfil my family responsibilities because of the amount of time I spend on the job | Total | 40% | 43% | 35% | 40% |
| Men | 38% | 41% | 36% | 34% | |
| Women | 42% | 45% | 35% | 49% | |
| I have found it difficult to concentrate at work because of my family responsibilities | Total | 6% | 11% | 15% | 10% |
| Men | 5% | 11% | 18% | 8% | |
| Women | 8% | 12% | 12% | 12% | |
Quality of society
Quality of society
Perceived tensions between poor and rich people have fluctuated in Slovenia. In 2003, 43% of respondents reported a lot of tension between poor and rich people, decreasing to 35% in 2007, increasing again to 42% in 2011, before decreasing to 33% in 2016. Apart from these changes, the majority of the selected indicators on the quality of society in Slovenia have remained fairly stable in recent years.
| 2003 | 2007 | 2011 | 2016 | ||
| Social exclusion index | Mean (1-5) | - | 2.1 | 2.1 | 2.1 |
| Trust in people | Mean (1-10) | 5.5 | 5.2 | 5.2 | 4.8 |
| Involvement in unpaid voluntary work | % 'at least once a month' | - | - | 9% | 12% |
| Tension between poor and rich people | % reporting 'a lot of tension' | 43% | 35% | 42% | 33% |
| Tension between different racial and ethnic groups | % reporting 'a lot of tension' | 42% | 30% | 32% | 31% |
| I feel safe when I walk alone after dark | Strongly agree | - | - | - | 46% |
Quality of public services
Quality of public services
Quality ratings for seven public services
Note: scale of 1-10, Source: EQLS 2016.
The perceived quality of many public services has increased in recent years in Slovenia. For example, the perceived quality of public transport increased from 5.8 in 2007 to 6.4 in 2016, getting closer to the EU28 average of 6.6 (on a scale of 1–10). Similarly, the average quality rating for long-term care services increased from 6.1 in 2011 to 6.6 in 2016, rising above the EU28 average of 6.2. The state pension system received the lowest quality rating in Slovenia, falling from 5.2 in 2003 to 3.8 in 2016.
| 2003 | 2007 | 2011 | 2016 | ||
| Health services | Mean (1-10) | 5.7 | 5.8 | 6.4 | 6.0 |
| Education system | Mean (1-10) | 6.4 | 6.8 | 6.8 | 6.6 |
| Public transport | Mean (1-10) | 5.8 | 5.8 | 6.2 | 6.4 |
| Childcare services | Mean (1-10) | - | 7.1 | 6.6 | 7.2 |
| Long-term care services | Mean (1-10) | - | - | 6.1 | 6.6 |
| Social housing | Mean (1-10) | - | - | 5.1 | 5.4 |
| State pension system | Mean (1-10) | 5.2 | 4.9 | 4.0 | 3.8 |
Working life in Slovenia
About
- Author: Aleksandra Kanjuo Mrčela and Barbara Luzar
- Institution: University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Social Sciences (FDV)
- Published on: Monday, November 18, 2019
This profile describes the key characteristics of working life in Slovenia. It aims to complement other EurWORK research by providing the relevant background information on the structures, institutions and relevant regulations regarding working life. This includes indicators, data and regulatory systems on the following aspects: actors and institutions, collective and individual employment relations, health and well-being, pay, working time, skills and training, and equality and non-discrimination at work. The profiles are updated annually.
Highlights – Working life in 2019
Highlights – Working life in 2019
Highlights updated on: 3 March 2020
For more information, see working paper:
Slovenia: Developments in working life 2018
In 2019, working life in Slovenia was marked by political instability and the deterioration of social dialogue, with social partners having high expectations that it will be possible to reform the pay system and negotiate a new general collective agreement for the economy, as well as tackling labour shortages and structural reforms.
Social partners were dissatisfied with the level of existing social dialogue during the year, especially with the way the opposition political party Levica (Left) filed legislative changes beyond the discussion at the Economic and Social Council (ESS) of Slovenia. By the end of September, employer organisations and trade unions announced a withdrawal from the sessions of ESS and it was reported that social dialogue had reached the lowest point in the history of Slovenia. Prime Minister Marjan Šarec met with the representative employers and trade unions soon after they suspended social dialogue and promised to establish new rules and procedures for the ESS, which would give social partners more power in tackling important legislation changes and prevent the legislation from bypassing the ESS.
The year also ushered in a pay system reform related to the amendments of the Minimum Wage Act, which was endorsed in 2019 without the support of employer organisations. Based on the reform, beginning in 2020 bonuses will no longer be part of the minimum wage, which will increase the amount of minimum wage to €940 gross. The difference between the minimum wage and wages just above it will thus hardly be noticeable – and this is expected to intensify pressure to raise other wages. Employers believe this calls for the renewal of the pay system, since the current pay system is deemed to be outdated, complicated and non-transparent. The government, on the other hand, prepared a package of tax bills aimed at slightly reducing the taxation of labour in favour of higher taxes on capital. This was again implemented without the support of the ESS, but the European Commission had been warning for some time that the tax burden on labour is too high in Slovenia.
After 13 years of preparation, representative trade union confederations in the first half of the year presented the draft of a new general collective agreement for the economy to employer organisations. The coverage with private sector collective agreements fell during this time from 100% to 70%, leaving employees in certain sectors in a less favourable position with only minimum rights under the Employment Relationships Act. Employers also faced major difficulties in finding qualified workers, especially in the catering and tourism industry, construction, social services and healthcare, and manufacturing. Social partners expect the government will adopt the necessary changes as soon as possible to promote economic migration and ease the procedures for hiring foreign employees.
Social partners have high expectations for 2020. The most important topics of social dialogue remain the conclusion of a new social agreement, negotiations on the general collective agreement, sustainable pensions and pay system reform.
Key figures
Key figures
Comparative figures on working life in Slovenia
|
2012 |
2018 |
% (point) change 2012-2018 |
||||
|
Slovenia |
EU28 |
Slovenia |
EU28 |
Slovenia |
EU28 |
|
|
GDP per capita |
17,300 |
25,700 |
20,200 |
28,200 |
16.76% |
9.73% |
|
Unemployment rate – total |
8.9 |
10.5 |
5.1 |
6.8 |
-3.80 |
-3.70 |
|
Unemployment rate – women |
9.4 |
10.6 |
5.7 |
7.1 |
-3.70 |
-3.50 |
|
Unemployment rate – men |
8.4 |
10.4 |
4.6 |
6.6 |
-3.80 |
-3.80 |
|
Unemployment rate – youth |
20.6 |
23.3 |
8.8 |
15.2 |
-11.80 |
-8.10 |
|
Employment rate – total |
70.4 |
71.7 |
75.0 |
73.7 |
4.60 |
2.00 |
|
Employment rate – women |
66.9 |
65.5 |
71.7 |
68.3 |
4.80 |
2.80 |
|
Employment rate – men |
73.7 |
77.8 |
78.2 |
79.2 |
4.50 |
1.40 |
|
Employment rate – youth |
34.4 |
42.4 |
38.6 |
41.7 |
4.20 |
-0.70 |
Source: Eurostat - Real GDP per capita (chain linked volumes [2010], in EUR) and percentage change 2012-2018 (both based on tsdec100). Unemployment rate by sex and age - annual average, % [une_rt_a]; Employment rate by sex and age - annual average, % [lfsi_emp_a].
Background
Background
Economic and labour market context
Between 2012 and 2018, the Slovenian GDP increased substantially by 16.76%, greater than the EU average growth of 9.73% for the same period. Unemployment rates for all categories decreased slightly, with the biggest decrease in youth unemployment rate, which fell 11.8 percentage points in the six years to 8.8% in 2018. Rates for all categories were below the EU average, while total unemployment in Slovenia was 5.1% in 2018 and 6.8% for the EU average. There was some increase in the female employment rate between 2012 and 2018 (+4.8 percentage points), reaching 71.7% in 2018. Youth employment increased by 4.2 percentage points in the same period and stood at 38.6% in 2018.
More information on:
- European Commission: EURES - Living and working in Slovenia
- European Industrial Relations Dictionary: Undeclared work
- Data: Tackling undeclared work in Europe
Legal context
Labour relationships in Slovenia are regulated by the Employment Relationships Act (Zakon o delovnih razmerjih, The Official Gazette of RS, no. 21/2013). There were no major changes to the Labour Act in 2018.
In June 2017, the government adopted changes to the Labour Market Regulation Act (ZUTD) and the Labour Inspection Act (ZID-1) after finally reaching a deal with the social partners. Amendments to the labour market legislation cover different measures intended to activate labour market policies for unemployed people, while amendments to the labour inspection legislation include new powers for labour inspectors to prevent work on the basis of civil law contracts and to protect workers if the employer does not pay workers on time.
In May 2014, the Prevention of Undeclared Work and Employment Act (Zakon o preprečevanju dela in zaposlovanja na črno, The Official Gazette of RS, no. 32/2014) came into force.
Collective bargaining is regulated by the Collective Agreements Act (Zakon o kolektivnih pogodbah, Official Gazette of RS, no. 43/2006). This act regulates the parties, content and procedure for the signing of a collective agreement, its form, validity and termination, the peaceful settlement of collective labour disputes and the register and publication of collective agreements. Trade union representation is regulated by the Law on Representativeness of Trade Unions (Zakon o reprezentativnosti sindikatov, The Official Gazette of RS, no. 13/1993).
Industrial relations context
Industrial relations in Slovenia took root in the 1870s, when trade unions became legal. At the turn of the century there were 17 industrial unions. Trade unions were centralised after World War Two, with mandatory membership. Employers’ organisations did not exist.
After the change to the socio-economic system and the first free elections, a democratic industrial relations system gradually emerged with free collective bargaining. A recent study (Stanojević and Kanjuo Mrčela, 2014) has found that the nature of industrial relations in Slovenia is undergoing a change. Although social partners describe collective bargaining in Slovenia as more cooperative than conflictual, they also reported that there are sectors where there is practically no social dialogue any more. This study confirms the findings of an earlier analysis (Eurofound, 2013), which showed a deterioration in social dialogue since the onset of the crisis (for example, increasing breaches of collective agreements by employers, increasing workers’ unrest and number of strikes, and a rise in unilateral and hasty government interventions in public sector working conditions). However, the social partners did sign the social agreement for 2015–2016 in February 2015, after many years of negotiations.
A 2016 study (Stanojević, Kanjuo Mrčela and Breznik, 2016) claimed that the formal structure of industrial relations in Slovenia did not undergo any major changes during the economic crisis. At the same time, the authors emphasise that within this formal structure there are clear signs of major changes in power relations as well as in the logic and quality of the industrial relations system.
Actors and institutions
Actors and institutions
Trade unions, employers’ organisations and public institutions play a key role in the governance of the employment relationship, working conditions and industrial relations structures. They are interlocking parts in a multilevel system of governance that includes the European, national, sectoral, regional (provincial or local) and company levels. This section looks into the main actors and institutions and their role Slovenia.
Public authorities involved in regulating working life
The Ministry of Labour, Family, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities (Ministrstvo za delo, družino, socialne zadeve in enake možnosti ) mainly deals with social dialogue and working conditions, including health and safety at work. Its objectives are to provide the necessary legislative framework and information, advisory and dispute settlement services and the minimum levels of worker protection through legislation. The area of activity of the Health and Safety at Work Section covers the drafting of acts and other regulations concerning health and safety at work and the co-operation with other line Ministries in drafting individual regulations. The state also participates in national tripartite consultation or negotiation on economic and social questions and is a partner in sectoral tripartite bodies. The state has been heavily involved in public sector industrial relations as employer. This includes the civil service (state administration at central, regional and local levels), public social services (such as health and safety at work, education and childcare) and industrial or commercial enterprises (such as postal services and railways).
The Labour Inspectorate of the Republic of Slovenia supervises the implementation of laws, other regulations, collective contracts and general acts that govern employment relations, pay and other receipts from employment, the employment of workers at home and abroad, worker participation in management, strikes and the safety of workers at work, unless otherwise specified by regulations. A worker may request judicial protection before a competent labour court. The worker and the employer may also agree on dispute settlement through mediation. Representative trade union and employer associations propose mediation experts for mediation in individual cases and arbiters for settling the labour disputes. The data on experts and arbiters are deposited with the Ministry of Labour, Family and Social Affairs.
The Health and Safety at Work Section at the Ministry of Labour, Family and Social Affairs monitors and assesses the situation in the field of health and safety at work.
Representativeness
Representativeness of trade unions is regulated by the Law on Representativeness of Trade Unions (1993). Article 6 of this law stipulates the criteria for representativeness, according to which a representative trade union must be democratic, enable voluntary membership, has been active for the past six months, is independent of governmental bodies and employers, is mostly financed through membership fees and other own sources and has a certain number of members (at least 10% of employees in a particular branch, activity or occupation).
Representativeness of employers’ organisations is not regulated by a separate law. It is nevertheless indirectly regulated by the Law on Collective Bargaining (Zakon o kolektivnih pogodbah, Uradni list of the Republic of Slovenia, No. 43/2006), which stipulates in Article 12 that when a collective agreement has been concluded between one or more representative trade unions and one or more representative employers’ organisation, one of the parties may ask the labour minister to extend the collective agreement to all employers in the activity to which the agreement refers. The employers’ organisation in this case have to employ more than half of all the workers at companies covered by the extension.
More information on representativeness of the main social partner organisations can be found in Eurofound’s sectoral representativeness studies.
- Topic: Representativeness
Trade unions
About trade union representation
Trade union representation is guaranteed by the Constitution of the Republic of Slovenia, which stipulates in Article 76 that the organisation and work of trade unions as well as trade union membership are free. Consequently, there are no legislative restrictions regarding the right to join trade unions.
According to data from the OECD, trade union membership had been declining before the crisis (from 43.7% of the workforce in 2003 to 21.2%% in 2013) and it continued to decline during the crisis.
Trade union membership and trade union density
|
2010 |
2011 |
2012 |
2013 |
2014 |
2015 |
2016 |
Source |
|
|
Trade union density in terms of active employees |
25% |
23% |
22% |
21.2% |
n.a. |
n.a. |
n.a. |
OECD.Stat/Visser (2014) |
|
Trade union membership in 1,000s |
200 |
180 |
170 |
160 |
n.a. |
n.a. |
n.a. |
OECD.Stat/Visser (2014) |
Main trade union confederations and federations
The most important trade union confederations and federations in Slovenia are:
- Association of Free Trade Unions of Slovenia (ZSSS) is the largest union organisation;
- Confederation of Public Sector Trade Unions (KSJS);
- Confederation of Trade Unions of Slovenia Pergam (Pergam);
- Confederation of Trade Unions 90 of Slovenia (Konfederacija 90);
- Independent Confederation of New Trade Unions of Slovenia (KNSS);
- Union of Workers’ Trade Unions of Slovenia – Solidarity (Solidarnost);
- Slovene Union of Trade Unions Alternativa (Alternativa).
Main trade union confederations and federations
|
Long name |
Abbreviation |
Members (2015) |
Involved in collective bargaining |
|
Association of Free Trade Unions of Slovenia (Zveza Svobodnih Sindikatov Slovenije) |
ZSSS |
150,000 |
Yes |
|
Confederation of Public Sector Trade Unions (Konfederacija Sindikatov Javnega Sektorja Slovenije) |
KSJS |
73,400 |
Yes |
|
Confederation of Trade Unions of Slovenia Pergam (Konfederacija Sindikatov Slovenije Pergam) |
Pergam |
72,000 |
Yes |
|
Confederation of Trade Unions 90 of Slovenia (Konfederacija Sindikatov 90 Slovenije) |
Konfederacija 90 |
36,000 |
Yes |
|
Union of Workers’ Trade Unions of Slovenia – Solidarity (Zveza delavskih sindikatov Slovenije – Solidarnost) |
Solidarnost |
3,100 |
Yes |
|
Slovene Union of Trade Unions Alternativa (Slovenska zveza sindikatov Alternativa) |
Alternativa |
3,100 |
Yes |
|
Independent Confederation of New Trade Unions of Slovenia (KNSS - NEODVISNOST, Konfederacija novih sindikatov Slovenije |
KNSS |
19,000 |
Yes |
Source: Eurofound (2014a), ZSSS (internal data)
Membership in employers’ organisations suffered its biggest decrease when the obligatory membership in the Chamber of Commerce and Industry was abolished in 2006. Two years afterwards, it was at 55% (Glassner, 2013). There have been no trade union mergers.
Employers’ organisations
About employers’ representation
Membership in employers’ organisations suffered its biggest decrease when the obligatory membership in the Chamber of Commerce and Industry was abolished in 2006. Two years afterwards, it was at 55% (Glassner, 2013).
The Association of Employers of Slovenia (ZDS) was the first voluntary economic association in Slovenia representing and protecting the interests of employers. They claim that in the private sector, half of all employees are employed by more than 1,000 members, representing over half of the total capital in Slovenia.
Employers’ organisations – membership and density
|
2012 |
2013 |
2014 |
Source |
|
|
Employers’ organisation density in terms of active employees |
n.a. |
n.a. |
n.a. |
Visser (2014) |
|
Employers’ organisation density in private sector establishments* |
n.a. |
44% |
n.a. |
European Company Survey 2013 |
* Percentage of employees working in an establishment that is a member of any employers’ organisation that is involved in collective bargaining.
Main employers’ organisations
The most important intersectoral employer organisations in Slovenia are:
- Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Slovenia (GZS);
- Association of Employers of Slovenia (ZDS); Slovenian Chamber of Commerce (TZS);
- Chamber of Craft and Small Businesses of Slovenia (OZS);
- Association of Employers in Craft and Small Business of Slovenia (ZDOPS).
Main employers’ organisations and confederations
|
Long name |
Abbreviation |
Members |
Year |
Involved in collective bargaining |
|
Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Slovenia (Gospodarska zbornica Slovenije) |
GZS |
7,500 |
2015 |
Yes |
|
Association of Employers of Slovenia (Združenje delodajalcev Slovenije) |
ZDS |
1,400 |
2015 |
Yes |
|
Slovenian Chamber of Commerce (Trgovinska zbornica Slovenije) |
TZS |
5,900 |
2015 |
Yes |
|
Chamber of Craft and Small Businesses of Slovenia (Obrtno-Podjetniška zbornica Slovenije) |
OZS |
30,000 |
2015 |
Yes |
|
Association of Employers in Craft and Small Business of Slovenia (Združenje delodajalcev obrti in podjetnikov Slovenije) |
ZDOPS |
20,000 |
2015 |
Yes |
Source: Eurofound (2014a), ZDS, TZS ( register of members ), OZS, GZS ( register of members )
Tripartite and bipartite bodies and concertation
The Economic and Social Council of Slovenia (ESSS) was established by a tripartite agreement on pay policy in the private sector in April 1994. Through this accord, the government, employers’ organisations and trade unions established a central body for tripartite cooperation in Slovenia. ESSS has substantially contributed to the successful implementation of basic economic and social reforms and the process of transition, as well as rapprochement with the European Union and integration into the international economy. Moreover, it has helped with the enforcement of social justice and social peace, which are seen as crucial for successful economic development. The ESSS’s field of activity mainly concerns industrial relations, conditions of work, labour legislation, social rights and employment policy; other, broader economic and social issues that concern the interests of workers and their families; and employers’ interests and government policy.
The primary function of the ESSS is consultative, which means it takes an active part in the preparation of legislation and other documents. It can also issue its own standpoint on different matters, such as working documents and draft documents (such as the state budget and budget memorandum).
Secondly, the ESSS has a quasi-bargaining function (though not collective bargaining in its proper sense), which means that ‘social agreements’, pay policy agreements and other tripartite accords are negotiated within its framework.
The amended Rules of Procedure of the ESSS were adopted in January 2017. Each partner is now represented by eight members, which is a welcome change as it reflects the larger number of trade unions.
Main tripartite and bipartite bodies
|
Name |
Type |
Level |
Issues covered |
|
Economic and Social Council of Slovenia (Ekonomsko Socialni Svet Slovenije, ESSS ) |
Tripartite |
National |
Industrial relations, conditions of work, labour legislation, social rights and employment policy |
Workplace-level employee representation
At company level there is a dual channel of representation: company trade unions and works councils/workers’ trustees. Eurofound’s 2009 European Company Survey reports that trade union shop stewards play a prominent role within Slovenia’s dual channel system. The results also indicate that where dual forms of representation exist, trade unions tend to focus more on collective bargaining, while works councils are mostly involved in information and consultation. In Slovenia there is a demarcation of competences between works councils and trade unions. The legislation says that the right of workers to participate in management may not encroach upon the rights and duties of trade unions and employers’ organisations to protect the interests of their members.
The 2009 Eurofound report also says that Slovenia has a medium to high coverage of employee representation structures compared with Europe as a whole, with 42% of the establishments involved in the survey and 66% of workers being covered by some form of body, and a further 15% of establishments using representation when necessary. Trade unions have the highest incidence of single-channel representation (23% of establishments covering 25% of employees). In terms of employee coverage, dual-channel representation is most widespread (15% of establishments with 39% of employees). Works councils as single-channel representative bodies are very rare and occur predominantly in smaller establishments (4% of establishments, covering only 2% of employees).
The regulation of these bodies is codified both by law and in collective agreements.
Regulation, composition and competences of the bodies
|
Regulation |
Composition |
Competences of the body Involved in company-level collective bargaining? |
Thresholds/rules when they need to be/can be set up |
|
|
Trade union (Sindikat) |
Yes |
Yes |
No threshold |
|
|
Works council (Svet delavcev) |
Yes |
A works council member can be any employee who has been employed by the company for at least 12 months |
No |
Can be set up in a company with more than 20 employees |
Industrial action and disputes
Industrial action and disputes
Legal aspects
There are no national data (official nor unofficial) on strikes in Slovenia. The main reasons for collective action have been wage cuts and wage arrears. Mechanisms to resolve collective disputes are included in the collective agreements. However, there are no data on their use.
The right to strike is regulated by the Strike Act (Official Gazette of the Republic of Slovenia 23/91). This Act defines a strike as an organised stoppage of work by workers with the purpose of exercising economic and social rights and interests arising from work. Workers may freely decide on their participation in a strike. The Act specifies that a strike can be organised in a company or other organisation, in a part of an organisation, in a branch of the economy or as a general strike.
The right to strike for workers in organisations that perform activities of special public importance for military defence can only be exercised under the following conditions: provision of a minimum level of work which ensures security of people and property or is an irreplaceable condition for the life and work of citizens or for the functioning of other organisations; or for the performance of Slovenia’s international duties.
Workers participating in a strike maintain their basic rights from the employment relationship except the right to pay. They retain rights to pension and disability insurance in accordance with the regulations on these matters. Financial compensation during a strike may apply if this is foreseen under a collective agreement or general legal document.
Industrial action developments, 2012–2014
|
2012 |
2013 |
2014 |
Source |
|
|
Working days lost per 1,000 employees |
14.9 |
n.a. |
n.a. |
LFS 2012 |
|
Number of strikes |
n.a. |
16% of establishments in the private sector |
n.a. |
ECS 2013 |
Dispute resolution mechanisms
Collective dispute resolution mechanisms
Article 18 (general, chapter VII: Settlement of Collective Labour Disputes of the Law on Collective Agreements (LCA)) stipulates that:
1. Collective labour disputes are settled peacefully by negotiation, mediation and arbitration, and in accordance with the Law on Labour and Social Courts (Official Gazette of RS, no. 2/04 and 61/04) before the competent labour court.
2. Collective labour disputes are settled in accordance with this law if a procedure for dispute settlement has not been determined in the collective agreement.
The LCA distinguishes between an interest dispute through mediation or arbitration and procedures for a peaceful settlement of disputes on rights.
Article 87 (resolution of collective disputes) of the Collective Agreement for the Retail Sector (CARS) stipulates that the parties to the agreement agree that the collective disputes shall be resolved in a way and according to the procedure determined by the law on collective agreements.
The predominantly used form of dispute resolution mechanisms since 2010 is mediation, before it was arbitration. All mechanisms for collective disputes resolution are introduced voluntarily. In a recent qualitative study (Stanojević and Kanjuo Mrčela, 2014), a representative of employers in craft and entrepreneurship reported on the introduction of mediation as an instrument of conflict resolution in their collective agreement.
Individual dispute resolution mechanisms
The Act on work and social courts (Zakon o delovnih in socialnih sodiščih) stipulates in Article 5 that the labour court is competent to rule on individual (as well as collective) industrial dispute issues. The aspects covered include employment contracts; rights, obligations and responsibilities ensuing from the employment relationship between the worker and employer or their legal successors; rights and obligations ensuing from the relations between the worker and the user undertaking; the employment procedure; industrial property rights and obligations ensuing from the employment relationship; work of children younger than 15; work of apprentices, pupils and students; scholarships; voluntary apprenticeship; and other issues determined by law.
Use of alternative dispute resolution mechanisms
There are no data related to the alternative dispute resolution mechanisms (arbitration and mediation).
Individual employment relations
Individual employment relations
Individual employment relations are the relationship between the individual worker and their employer. This relationship is shaped by legal regulation and by the outcomes of social partner negotiations over the terms and conditions governing the employment relationship. This section looks into the start and termination of the employment relationship and entitlements and obligations in Slovenia.
Start and termination of the employment relationship
Requirements regarding an employment contract
According to Article 21 of the Employment Relationships Act, an employment contract may be concluded with people who have reached the age of 15. Article 22 of this Act stipulates that a worker who concludes an employment contract must meet the requirements for the performance of work prescribed and laid down in a collective agreement or the employer’s general acts or as required by the employer and published in accordance with a public notice of a vacancy, which must contain the job requirements.
Workers under the age of 18 are not allowed to carry out work that may be harmful or dangerous. An employment contract has to be issued before work begins.
Dismissal and termination procedures
The 2013 Employment Relationships Act covers dismissal and termination procedures, including an employer’s obligations in terminating an employment contract. In the event of the cancellation of the employment contract due to incompetence, the employer must give notice of dismissal no later than six months following the occurrence of the justified reason. In the event of misconduct, the employer must give notice of cancellation no later than 60 days after identifying the justified reason and no later than six months from the occurrence of the justified reason. If the reason of misconduct on the part of the worker has all the characteristics of a criminal offence, the employer may give notice of cancellation of the employment contract within 60 days of the date the employer identifies the justified reason of misconduct for ordinary cancellation; this applies to the entire period in which the offender may be subject to criminal prosecution.
In the event of cancellation for a reason of misconduct on the part of the worker that has all the characteristics of a criminal offence, the employer may prohibit the worker from carrying out work for the duration of the proceedings. During the period of being prohibited from carrying out work, the worker shall be entitled to wage compensation amounting to half of his or her average salary received in the last three months before the institution of the cancellation proceedings.
Entitlements and obligations
Parental, maternity and paternity leave
A mother has the right to maternity leave. Under certain conditions, this right may also be exercised by the father or another person. The mother normally starts maternity leave 28 days before the anticipated date of birth, as specified by a gynaecologist. If the mother does not start maternity leave at that time, the unused part of the maternity leave may not be used after the child’s birth, unless the birth was premature. If, on the day of giving birth, the mother has not begun maternity leave, it shall begin on that day. Maternity leave lasts 105 days and must be used in a single block in the form of complete absence from work.
The father has the right to maternity leave if the mother dies, abandons the child, is deemed by a competent physician to be permanently or temporarily incapable of independent life and work, or is younger than 18 years and has the status of apprentice, pupil or student. In the last example, the mother must give her consent for the father to use the remaining maternity leave. The father has the right to the same amount of maternity leave as the mother, minus the number of days that the mother has already used, and by at least 28 days.
A father has the right to paternity leave up to 30 days. This right is not transferable. The father must take paternity leave lasting at least 15 days in the form of full or part-time absence from work until one month after the parental leave for the child is finished and maximum 15 days in the form of full or part absence from work until the child finishes the first grade of elementary school. The wage compensation is 100%. One of the parents has a right to leave in order to look after or care for a child for a period of 260 days immediately upon expiry of maternity leave. The level of childcare allowance is determined on the basis of the average pay which the beneficiary received in the preceding 12 months. However, the allowance may not exceed two-and-a-half times the gross average pay.
Every parent has the right to 130 days of parental leave. The mother can transfer 100 days of parental leave to the father, while 30 days are non-transferable. The father may transfer all of his 130 days of parental leave to the mother.
Statutory leave arrangements
|
Maternity leave |
|
|
Maximum duration |
105 working days, of which 28 days must be taken before the birth of a child. The father has the right to maternity leave in special circumstances. In the case of premature birth, leave is extended by the number of days that the pregnancy was shorter than 260 days. |
|
Reimbursement |
100% wage compensation |
|
Who pays? |
Pension and Disability Insurance Institute of Slovenia (Zavod za pokojninsko in invalidsko zavarovanje Slovenije) |
|
Legal basis |
Law on Parental Protection and Family Benefits |
|
Parental leave |
|
|
Maximum duration |
130 days for each parent. There are no mandatory periods for fathers. Additional 90 days for the birth of twins and a further 90 days for each additional child born alive. |
|
Reimbursement |
The level of childcare allowance is determined on the basis of the average pay which the beneficiary received in the preceding 12 months. The allowance may not exceed two-and-a-half times the gross average pay |
|
Who pays? |
Pension and Disability Insurance Institute of Slovenia (Zavod za pokojninsko in invalidsko zavarovanje Slovenije) |
|
Legal basis |
Law on Parental Protection and Family Benefits |
|
Paternity leave |
|
|
Maximum duration |
30 days |
|
Reimbursement |
100% wage compensation |
|
Who pays? |
Pension and Disability Insurance Institute of Slovenia (Zavod za pokojninsko in invalidsko zavarovanje Slovenije) |
|
Legal basis |
Law on Parental Protection and Family Benefits |
Sick leave
According to the Employment Relationships Act, the employer must pay wage compensation from their own resources in cases of the worker’s inability to work due to illness or injury not related to work for a period up to 30 working days for individual absence from work, but no more than 120 working days in a calendar year. In cases of the worker’s inability to work due to an occupational illness or injury at work, the employer must pay the worker wage compensation from their own resources for a period of up to 30 working days for each individual absence from work. In the event of a longer absence from work, the employer must pay wage compensation, which will be covered by health insurance. Unless otherwise stipulated by law, the worker shall be entitled to wage compensation in the amount of his or her average monthly wage for full-time work during the past three months or during the period he or she worked in the three months prior to the start of absence. If during the period of employment in the past three months the worker did not work and received wage compensation for the entire period, the basis for this compensation shall be equal to the basis for wage compensation in the past three months prior to the start of absence. If during the whole period of the past three months the worker did not receive at least one monthly salary, he or she shall be entitled to wage compensation in the amount of the basic salary laid down in the employment contract. The amount of wage compensation may not exceed the amount of pay that the worker would have received if he or she had worked during that period.
In the event of the worker’s absence from work due to illness or injury that is not related to work, the wage compensation to be covered by the employer shall amount to 80% of the worker’s salary in the preceding month for full-time work.
The Health Insurance Institute pays an allowance from the first day of a worker’s absence from work if he or she:
- donates live tissue or organs for the benefit of another person;
- suffers from the effects of donating blood;
- has to care for a close family member;
- has a medical condition requiring isolation;
- is ordered by a doctor to accompany a patient;
- has injuries that were sustained in certain circumstances.
The base for calculating the allowance is the average monthly pay for full-time work in the preceding year.
The employment relationship of a worker whose employment contract has been cancelled for a business reason or for a reason of incompetence and who is, upon the expiry of the period of notice, absent from work due to temporary incapacity for work because of illness or injury shall be terminated on the day the worker returns to work or should return to work, but no later than six months after the expiry of the period of notice.
Retirement age
The retirement age for both men and women is set at 65 years, or at 60 years of age on the basis of 40 years of service. The equalisation of the retirement age for men and women was introduced with a pension reform that has been in force since 1 January 2013. The equalisation of the retirement age is to be reached gradually in six years.
Pay
Pay
Pay: For workers, the reward for work and main source of income; for employers, a cost of production and focus of bargaining and legislation. This section looks into minimum wage setting in Slovenia and guides the reader to further material on collective wage bargaining.
Average monthly gross wages and salaries per worker, annual average
|
2012 |
2017 |
|||
|
NACE |
Men |
Women |
Men |
Women |
|
A–B |
||||
|
C |
€1,639 |
€1,555 |
€1,769 |
€1,664 |
Source: SORS
Minimum wages
The minimum wage is calculated in accordance with the Minimum Wage Act adopted on 11 February 2010 on the basis of published data on inflation. The Act stipulates that the minimum wage be adjusted annually in line with the rise in consumer prices. The official data from the Statistical Office of the Republic of Slovenia (SORS) on the annual rise in consumer prices for the previous December-to-December period is used to calculate minimum wage adjustments.
In November 2015, the parliament approved amendments to the law on the minimum wage, changing the definition of minimum wage. From January 2016, the allowances for unfavourable working hours are exempt from the minimum wage and are henceforth paid separately.
The minimum wage is not adjusted for different groups of workers.
Statutory minimum wage, 2013–2018
|
2013 |
2014 |
2015 |
2016 |
2017 |
2018 |
|
|
Adult rate |
€783.66 |
€789.15 |
€790.73 |
€790.73 |
€804.96 |
€842.79 |
|
Youth rate |
na |
na |
na |
na |
na |
na |
Source: Ministry of Labour, Family, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities.
For more information regarding the level and development of minimum wages, please see:
- Publication: Minimum wages in 2019 - Annual review
- Eurostat: Minimum wage statistics
Collectively agreed pay outcomes
For more detailed information on the most recent outcomes in terms of collectively agreed pay, please see:
- Topic: Collective bargaining
- Publication: Developments in collectively agreed pay 2000–2017
Working time
Working time
Working time: ‘Any period during which the worker is working, at the employer’s disposal and carrying out his activities or duties, in accordance with national laws and/or practice’ (Directive 2003/88/EC). This section briefly summarises regulation and issues regarding working time, overtime, part-time work as well as working time flexibility in Slovenia.
Working time regulation
The statutory weekly working time is 40 hours. It can be less than 40 hours but not less than 36 hours, unless the job entails great risk of injury or ill-health. Full working time may not be spread over fewer than four days a week. Full working time is regulated by the Employment Relationships Act (ERA).
Overview of average weekly working time, 1 January 2015
|
2012 |
2013 |
2014 |
2015 |
2016 |
Source |
|
|
Statutory weekly working time |
40 |
40 |
40 |
40 |
40 |
ERA |
|
Collectively agreed weekly working time |
||||||
|
Actual weekly working hours |
40 |
40 |
40 |
Eurofound |
||
|
Statutory maximum daily working time |
10 |
10 |
10 |
10 |
10 |
ERA |
Source: ERA and Eurofound (2015)
Overtime regulation
The Employment Relationships Act defines overtime work as work exceeding full working time. The worker is obliged to perform it at the employer’s request in some exceptional circumstances. Overtime work may not exceed 8 hours a week, 20 hours a month or 170 hours a year. A working day may not exceed 10 hours. With the worker’s consent, overtime work may exceed the annual time limitation (170 hours) but may not exceed 230 hours a year. In each case of required overtime work exceeding 170 hours a year, the employer must obtain written consent from the worker. Should the worker refuse to provide the written consent, he or she must not be exposed to unfavourable consequences in respect of the employment relationship.
Part-time work
The Employment Relationships Act defines part-time work as working time that is shorter than the full working time in force with the employer. A worker who has concluded a part-time employment contract has the same contractual and other rights and obligations arising from the employment relationship as a worker who works full time and exercises these rights and obligations proportionally to the time for which the employment relationship was concluded, with the exception of such rights and obligations as are otherwise stipulated by lay. According to the Eurostat Labour Force Survey (LFS), part-time work constituted 8.5% of total employment in 2012 and 9.1% in 2018.
While the rate of part-time work is lower in Slovenia than in the EU28 for both sexes, the difference is much more pronounced for women than for men. While almost one-third of women in the EU28 worked part time, only 13.6% of women in Slovenia did so in 2018. That percentage has been relatively stable in the last six years. Full-time employment of both men and especially women is enabled by well-developed policies regarding balancing work and family life and motivated by financial reasons.
Persons employed part-time in Slovenia and EU28 (% of total employment)
|
2012 |
2013 |
2014 |
2015 |
2016 |
2017 |
2018 |
|
|
Total (EU28) |
18.6 |
19 |
19 |
19 |
18.9 |
18.7 |
18.5 |
|
Total (Slovenia) |
8.5 |
8.5 |
9.2 |
9.3 |
8.9 |
9.6 |
9.1 |
|
Women (EU28) |
31.4 |
31.8 |
31.7 |
31.5 |
31.4 |
31.1 |
30.8 |
|
Women (Slovenia) |
11.8 |
12 |
13 |
12.9 |
12.7 |
13.7 |
13.6 |
|
Men (EU28) |
7.7 |
8.1 |
8.2 |
8.2 |
8.2 |
8.1 |
8 |
|
Men (Slovenia) |
5.8 |
5.7 |
6.1 |
6.3 |
5.5 |
6 |
5.3 |
Source: Eurostat Labour Force Survey [lfsi_pt_a] – Persons employed part-time (20 to 64 years of age) – total and by sex.
Involuntary part-time
Involuntary part-time workers can be defined as those working part time because they could not find a full-time job.
Persons employed in involuntary part-time in Slovenia and EU28 (% of total part-time employment)
|
2012 |
2013 |
2014 |
2015 |
2016 |
2017 |
2018 |
|
|
Total (EU28) |
27.7 |
29.3 |
29.6 |
29.1 |
27.7 |
26.4 |
24.8 |
|
Total (Slovenia) |
8.6 |
10.6 |
9.6 |
13 |
14.1 |
10.6 |
6.5 |
|
Women (EU28) |
24.5 |
26 |
26.3 |
25.7 |
24.6 |
23.2 |
22.1 |
|
Women (Slovenia) |
9.2 |
11.8 |
9.9 |
14.6 |
16.1 |
11.8 |
8 |
|
Men (EU28) |
38.5 |
39.9 |
40.2 |
39.9 |
37.6 |
36.2 |
33.4 |
|
Men (Slovenia) |
7.5 |
8.8 |
9.2 |
10.3 |
10.4 |
8.3 |
3.4 |
Source: Eurostat Labour Force Survey [lfsa_eppgai]- involuntary part-time employment as a percentage of the total part-time employment, by sex and age (20 to 64 years of age)
The table shows that involuntary part-time employment is considerably higher in the EU28 than in Slovenia. Interestingly, while the percentage of involuntary part-time employment decreased between 2014 and 2016 in the EU28, it increased in Slovenia in the same period. This increase particularly affected women, where it was 6.2 percentage points while for men in was only 1.2 percentage points.
Night work
The Employment Relationships Act defines night work as work between 23.00 and 6.00. If a distribution of working time involves a night shift, night work is defined as eight uninterrupted hours between 22.00 and 7.00.
Shift work
The Employment Relationships Act does not mention shift work as work under special working conditions and consequently does not prescribe additional payment for it. Shift work may be defined in branch collective agreements. The collective agreement for the retail sector (2014) defines shift work as work which is alternatively performed in the morning, afternoon or night shift and lasts for 6 to 8 hours a day, depending on the 5 or 6 day working week. In shift work, the worker works one week or day in the morning shift and the next week or day in the afternoon or night shift. The afternoon shift means that a worker works 75% and more of his/her regular working time after 12:00. The night shift means that a worker works 75% or more of his/her regular working time between 22:00 and 7:00 of the following day.
Weekend work
With regard to weekend work, the Employment Relationships Act stipulates that additional payments be laid down for special working conditions related to the distribution of working time including Sunday work. The amount of additional payment for such work may be defined in the collective agreement as a nominal amount or as a percentage of the basic salary for full working time or for an appropriate hourly rate.
Rest and breaks
In accordance with the Employment Relationships Act, a worker who works full time has the right to a 30-minute break during the working day. A worker who works part time, but at least for four hours a day, has the right to a break during the working day in proportion to the time spent at work. In the case of irregular distribution or temporary redistribution of working time, the time of a break is defined in proportion to the length of the daily working time. The time of a break may be set no earlier than after one hour of work and no later than one hour prior to the end of the working time. A break during the working day is included in the working time.
A worker has the right to a rest period of at least 12 uninterrupted hours within a period of 24 hours. A worker whose working time is irregularly distributed or temporarily redistributed has the right to a daily rest period of at least 11 hours within a period of 24 hours. In addition to the right to a daily rest period, a worker has the right to a rest period of at least 24 uninterrupted hours within a period of seven successive days.
Rests and breaks may be set differently for certain categories of workers in the employment contract if the working time cannot be distributed in advance or if the worker can distribute his/her working time independently and if they are ensured health and safety at work.
Working time flexibility
Working time flexibility is not regulated by law. It is regulated by collective agreements or general acts at the company level.
In more than one-third of establishments in Slovenia, a majority of employees have the possibility to adapt the start and end of their working day according to their personal needs. This option is two times greater in small establishments (compared to medium-sized and large establishments). This option exists for a certain number of employees in 43% of large establishments. In almost half (46%) of medium-sized establishments, none or fewer than 20% have this option.
Health and well-being
Health and well-being
Maintaining health and well-being should be a high priority for workers and employers alike. Health is an asset closely associated with a person’s quality of life and longevity, as well as their ability to work. A healthy economy depends on a healthy workforce: organisations can experience loss of productivity through the ill-health of their workers. This section looks into psychosocial risks and health and safety in Slovenia.
Health and safety at work
Health and safety at work is regulated by the Health and safety at work act (Zakon o varnosti in zdravju pri delu, the Official Gazette of RS, no. 43/2011). The Health and safety at work section at the Ministry of Labour, Family, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities covers the drafting of acts and other regulations concerning this field. The Section also prepares expert opinions, analyses, reports, information and other materials concerning health and safety at work. Their work includes issuing work permits for carrying out professional tasks in the field and issuing authorisations for carrying out training for health and safety coordinators at construction sites. It monitors and assesses the situation in the field of health and safety at work and subsequently prepares solutions for uniform health and safety arrangements. It also promotes the field by organising debates and publishing various promotional materials.
Accidents at work, with four days’ absence or more – working days lost
|
2008 |
2009 |
2010 |
2011 |
2012 |
2013 |
2014 |
2015 |
2016 |
|
|
All accidents |
17,314 |
14,361 |
13,637 |
12,449 |
11,505 |
10,136 |
10,016 |
10,204 |
9,943 |
|
Percentage change on previous year |
-17.1 |
-5.0 |
-8.7 |
-7.6 |
-11.9 |
-1.2 |
1.9 |
-2.6 |
|
|
Per 1,000 employees |
20.2 |
17.5 |
17.1 |
16.0 |
14.9 |
13.5 |
13.4 |
13.3 |
12.7 |
Source: Eurostat, [hsw_mi01] and [lfsa_eegaed]
Total work accidents, 2008–2016
|
2008 |
2009 |
2010 |
2011 |
2012 |
2013 |
2014 |
2015 |
2016 |
2017 |
|
|
All accidents |
17,048 |
12,219 |
12,012 |
12,154 |
10,091 |
9,229 |
9,333 |
9,367 |
9,186 |
9,781 |
|
Fatal accidents |
27 |
25 |
22 |
20 |
21 |
22 |
23 |
24 |
15 |
17 |
Source: Labour Inspectorate – Annual Reports
The number of all accidents was relatively constant in the period 2013–2017. The number of fatal accidents dropped significantly in 2016.
Psychosocial risks
The Health and Safety at Work Act regulates the entire area of health and safety at work. Psychosocial risks at work are addressed in Articles 24 and 29 of this Act. The employer must adopt measures to prevent, eliminate and manage cases of violence, mobbing, harassment and other forms of psychosocial risks at the workplace that can pose a threat to workers’ health. It is the safety officer’s task to coordinate measures to prevent psychosocial risks.
Skills, learning and employability
Skills, learning and employability
Skills are the passport to employment; the better skilled an individual, the more employable they are. Good skills also tend to secure better-quality jobs and better earnings. This section briefly summarises the Slovenian system for ensuring skills and employability and looks into the extent of training.
National system for ensuring skills and employability
The National Vocational Information and Counselling Centre at the Employment Service of Slovenia offers the following services: description of vocations, information on (upper) secondary and higher education institutions, information on possibilities for vocational training and study abroad, information on available financial aid for education and training, postings of educational programmes, information on student residences, postings of jobs, directions and tools for more effective job searching, video clips of vocations and computer programmes for independent planning of educational or vocational path.
Social partners have an important role in the development, confirmation and acknowledgement of occupational competences and qualifications at all educational levels. Article 7 of the National Professional Qualifications Act (Zakon o nacionalnih poklicnih kvalifikacijah, Uradni list RS, št. 1/2007, 85/2009) stipulates that in the field of the acquisition of professional qualifications, chambers, employers’ organisations, professional associations, non- governmental organisations, trade unions and competent ministries primarily perform the following tasks as partners:
- introducing initiatives for the adoption of study programmes at higher education institutes that allow for the acquisition of professional qualifications in accordance with the fourth indent of Article 3 of this Act;
- introducing initiatives for new professional standards and catalogues;
- proposing members of sector committees for professional standards;
- performing other tasks determined by Acts and other regulations.
Training
The Secondary, Higher Vocational and Adult Education Directorate at the Ministry of Education, Science and Sport performs administrative and expert tasks in secondary education, higher vocational education and adult education. The directorate draws up draft regulations; implements regulations; informs the public about professional and legislative issues; carries out tasks relating to financing, international networking and cooperation and plans; develops strategic bases to regulate education policies; and prepares a national programme for adult education. Higher vocational education complements or completes the range of services in tertiary education.
Work organisation
Work organisation
Work organisation underpins economic and business development and has important consequences for productivity, innovation and working conditions. Eurofound research finds that some types of work organisation are associated with a better quality of work and employment. Therefore, developing or introducing different forms of work organisation are of particular interest because of the expected effect on productivity, efficiency and competitiveness of companies, as well as on workers’ working conditions. Ongoing research by Eurofound, based on EurWORK, the European Working Conditions Survey and the European Company Survey, monitors developments in work organisation.
More information on:
Work organisation
For Slovenia, the European Company Survey 2013 shows that between 2010 and 2013, 49.7% of establishments with 10 or more employees reported changes in the use of technology, 34.6% introduced changes in ways to coordinate and allocate the work to workers and another 17.5% saw changes in their working time arrangements.
Results from the 2014 Cranet Survey (an international survey on HR practices coordinated by Cranfield University in the UK) in Slovenia (based on a sample of 218 organisations with more than 100 employees) give information on the frequency of different working arrangements (including job sharing, home-based work and teleworking). The data show that 21.7% of organisations use job sharing, 12.6% use home-based work and 27.9% use teleworking.
Equality and non-discrimination at work
Equality and non-discrimination at work
The legal basis for ensuring equality and non-discrimination at work is the Employment Relationships Act, which prohibits, in Article 6, all forms of direct or indirect discrimination and retaliatory measures.
The Advocate of the Principle of Equality helps discriminated people in legal and other proceedings by giving advice on legal remedies and how to use them at other national authorities. A proceeding before the advocate is free and confidential.
Inspection services supervise the implementation of legislation in certain social areas, with particular emphasis on protection against discrimination:
- for cases of violations concerning employment and labour relations – Labour Inspectorate of the Republic of Slovenia;
- for cases concerning education and training – Inspectorate of the Republic of Slovenia for Education and Sport;
- for cases concerning access to and the provision of goods and services – Market Inspectorate of the Republic of Slovenia.
Inspectors must deal with complaints, messages and other documents within their area of responsibility.
Equal pay and gender pay gap
The Employment Relationships Act stipulates in Article 133 that the employer must provide equal pay for equal work and for work of equal value to workers regardless of their sex. Provisions of an employment contract, a collective agreement or an employer’s general act that are contrary to this stipulation shall be regarded as invalid.
The unadjusted gender pay gap stood at 2.5% in 2012. It is one of the lowest in Europe, which puts Slovenia in 27th place in the EU28 ranking. However, the indicator has been continuously rising since 2010, when it stood at 0.9%, and in 2011 it was 2.3%. However, this value does not fully acknowledge labour market segregation. The indicator for gender segregation in occupations points to 25.2% in 2013 (0.6 pp below the 2012 value), which is still higher than the EU28 average of 24.4%. Gender segregation in economic sectors was at 19.2% in 2013, which had decreased since 2012, when it was 19.9%. It is now higher than the EU28 average of 18.9%.
The Statistical Office of the Republic of Slovenia (SORS) shows that average monthly gross earnings of women in 2014 were 94.7% of that of men (SORS, 2014). SORS points out that these are average values and that the reason for these differences is due to different educational, occupational and age structures. However, the recently published analysis of matched employer–employee data examining gender differences in pay over a 15- year period (1993–2007) in Slovenia found that there was a substantial increase in gender inequality over this period, and that in the period 2003–2007, men on average earned roughly 23% more than women and 18% more than women doing the same work for the same employer. The analysis shows that women doing the same work for the same employer earn significantly less, even in the public sector (Penner et al, 2012).
Quota regulations
There are no legal obligations for specific gender quotas in the economy. While gender quotas for electoral lists within political parties (at least 40% of each sex) were introduced in 2005, discussion on quotas in the economy started at the beginning of 2010. Debate about gender equality in positions of power in the economic sphere was marginalised for decades, but following the initiatives of the European Commission, it has recently gained more public attention.
However, there are quotas for companies to employ workers with disabilities. In 2014, the government issued a Regulation on quotas for the employment of people with disabilities, which stipulates that any employer that employs more than 20 employees is obliged to meet the quota requirements, which range from 2% to 6%, depending on activity. If the employer does not meet the requirements, they must pay a contribution aimed at enhancing the employment of people with disabilities.
Working life links
Working life links
Employers
- Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Slovenia ( GZS)
- Association of Employers of Slovenia ( ZDS)
- Slovenian Chamber of Commerce (TZS)
- Chamber of Craft and Small Businesses of Slovenia ( OZS)
- Slovenian Employers’ Association of Crafts ( ZDOPS).
Trade Unions
- KS90 - Trade Union Confederation 90 of Slovenia (En)
- Association of Free Trade Unions of Slovenia ( ZSSS)
- Confederation of Public Sector Trade Unions ( KSJS)
- Confederation of Trade Unions of Slovenia Pergam ( Pergam)
- Confederation of Trade Unions 90 of Slovenia ( Konfederacija 90)
- · Independent Confederation of New Trade Unions of Slovenia ( KNSS)
- · Union of Workers’ Trade Unions of Slovenia – Solidarity ( Solidarnost)
- Slovene Union of Trade Unions Alternativa ( Alternativa)
- SDE - energy workers' union
- Sindikat delavcev bank in hranilnic Slovenije - bank workers' union
- SKEI - metalworkers' union
- SPS - Seamen's Union of Slovenia
- SVIZ - Education and Science Workers' Union of Slovenia (En)
- ZPU - Association of Shipmasters and Chief Engineers (En)
Government
- Ministry of Labour, Family, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities (MDDSZ)
Bibliography
Bibliography
Glassner, V. (2013), ‘Central and Eastern European industrial relations in the crisis: National divergence and path-dependent change’, Transfer: European Review of Labour and Research, Vol. 19, No. 2, pp. 155–169.
Eurofound (2013), Slovenia: Impact of the crisis on industrial relations , Dublin.
Eurofound (2014a), Slovenia: Representativeness of the European social partner organisations in the cross-industry social dialogue , Dublin.
Eurofound (2014b), Developments in collectively agreed working time 2013 , Dublin.
Eurofound (2015), Developments in collectively agreed working time 2014 , Dublin.
Penner, A. et al. (2012), ‘Neenakosti po spolu v Sloveniji od 1993 do 2007: Razlike v plačah v perspektivi ekonomske sociologije’ (Gender inequality in Slovenia, 1993–2007: An economic sociology perspective on pay differences); Theory and Practice, Vol. 49, No. 6, pp. 854–877.
Poje, A. (2009), Minimum wage and its influence on employment in Slovenia , Faculty of Economics, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana.
Stanojević, M. and Kanjuo Mrčela, A. (2014), Social dialogue during the economic crisis: The impact of industrial relations reforms on collective bargaining in the manufacturing sector: Slovenia (national report), University of Ljubljana.
SORS (2014), STAT’O’BOOK statistical overview of Slovenia 2015 , Ljubljana.
Visser, J. (2014), ‘ ICTWSS: Database on institutional characteristics of trade unions, wage setting, state intervention and social pacts in 34 countries between 1960 and 2014’ , Institute for Advanced Labour Studies, AIAS, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam.
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