Labor law in Macedonia

The core statute is the Law on Labour Relations, Закон за работните односи, commonly abbreviated as ZRO. Its consolidated text from 2023 was amended in 2025, so the current wording and applicable collective agreement should be checked for a specific case. The law works together with the Minimum Wage Law, the Labour Inspection Law, the Occupational Safety and Health Law, collective agreements and rules on peaceful labour-dispute resolution. A worker performs personal and continuous work under an employer's instructions and supervision in return for wages. The employer must provide a written employment contract before the start date and complete mandatory social-insurance registration. The worker receives the contract and a copy of the registration. The employer must deregister the worker within eight days after employment ends; if this does not happen, the worker may ask the State Labour Inspectorate, Државен инспекторат за труд (DIT), to record the termination. Unregistered work is unlawful and creates problems with pay, insurance, leave and proof of the employment relationship. An indefinite contract is generally the default when the contract does not state a fixed duration. Fixed-term contracts are permitted under defined conditions and follow the equal-treatment principle, but the maximum duration requires checking the current statutory text because the 2025 amendments changed the relevant framework. Probation, agency work and apprenticeships have separate rules. An apprentice's wage may not be below 70% of the base wage under the ZRO. Full-time work is normally limited to 40 hours per week over five working days. A law or collective agreement may set a shorter full-time week of 36 to 40 hours, and hazardous work may have a limit below 36 hours. Overtime requires a statutory or collective-agreement basis and is generally limited to eight hours per week and 190 hours per year, with a three-month average not exceeding eight hours per week. Strategic national projects may use an exception only with the worker's written consent. Employers must keep working-time records and give prior written notice to the regional DIT for overtime. Employers with more than 25 workers must keep electronic attendance and overtime records; smaller employers may use an attendance sheet. Night, Sunday, holiday and shift work can trigger additional pay under the law or the applicable collective agreement. A worker who exceeds 150 overtime hours in a year and has no more than 21 days of absence may qualify for a bonus equal to one national average wage. Annual leave is at least 20 working days. Paid personal and family leave and longer periods under a collective agreement may apply. Pregnancy and parental protection generally includes nine months of leave, or 15 months for multiple births. Leave may begin up to 45 days before birth, with 28 days mandatory, and the employer normally receives 30 days' notice. A father or adopter may use the leave when the mother does not. After protected leave, the worker should return to the same or an equivalent job. Unpaid parental-leave options depend on the ZRO and current amendments. Equal pay applies to men and women performing equal work. The wage period may not exceed one month, and the employer normally pays within 15 days after that period ends. The worker must receive a written payslip showing the wage, contributions and deductions. Unlawful withholding or set-off is restricted. The research record states a net minimum wage of MKD 26,046 from April 2026; the amount should be checked against the latest official wage notice because older ministry tables are incomplete. The statutory calculation uses 50% of the previous year's average net-wage growth and 50% of consumer-price growth, subject to a floor of 57% of the previous year's average net wage. The annual holiday allowance commonly called K-15 depends on the applicable collective agreement. In the private sector, the general rule recorded for this framework is at least 40% of the base wage after at least six months with the same employer. In the public sector, the collective agreement provides a minimum of 30% of the base wage after at least six months. Overtime and night-work supplements are generally 35%, while Sunday and public-holiday rates depend on the law and collective agreement. Discrimination is prohibited on grounds including sex, age, health or disability, religion, political belief and union membership. Harassment and sexual harassment can constitute discrimination. Employers must assess workplace risks, prevent hazards, inform and train workers, provide personal protective equipment, keep safety records and report accidents. The occupational-safety rules cover public and private workplaces and all participants in the work process. Minors, pregnant workers, nursing or parental workers, disabled workers and older workers receive additional protection. Workers may form or join unions freely. Collective bargaining can take place nationally, in the private or public sector, by branch or sector, and at employer level. Representative-union thresholds generally begin at 10% at national level and 20% at public, private, branch or employer level, together with other structural requirements. The competent ministry and commission decide representative status; an appeal is generally available within 15 days, followed by possible administrative-court review. The Economic and Social Council has a tripartite structure with government, employer and union representatives. North Macedonia has no separate German-style Betriebsrat system identified in the reviewed material; representation mainly operates through unions, collective bargaining and information and consultation duties, which generally apply at employers with more than 50 workers and institutions with more than 20. A worker may complain to the DIT about labour-law or occupational-safety breaches. A complaint can be known or anonymous and costs nothing on the evidence reviewed. An inspection can establish violations and order enforcement, but it does not replace a court claim for unpaid wages or dismissal. Individual disputes can also use a licensed conciliator or arbitrator under the Law on Peaceful Resolution of Labour Disputes. The Ministry maintains the relevant register and licences, and the procedure's justified costs are covered by the Ministry under the official explanation. An arbitration decision is final and binding when the parties have agreed to arbitration. Termination requires a written, reasoned decision with legal instructions. The worker's ordinary notice period is one month, although a contract or collective agreement may extend it up to three months. The employer's notice period is one month for an individual dismissal or small number of workers, two months when more than 150 workers or at least 5% of the workforce are affected, and seven working days for seasonal work. The notice period begins on the day after delivery. Pay in lieu may be possible, and the worker receives four paid or compensated hours per week during the notice period to look for work. A disciplinary fine may not exceed 15% of the last net monthly wage for one to six months. Objections to dismissal generally have an eight-day deadline, and the employer normally decides the objection within eight days. A court claim after an unresolved objection generally has a 15-day deadline in the immediate-dismissal pathway; monetary labour claims generally have a three-year limitation period. Useful evidence includes the contract, M1 and M2 registration records, payslips, wage calculations, attendance and overtime records, leave or medical records, the dismissal decision, collective agreements and DIT correspondence. After termination, registration with the Employment Service Agency of the Republic of North Macedonia, AVРСМ, takes place through the employment centre at the worker's permanent residence. Active jobseekers and people receiving monetary benefits generally report every 30 days, while other jobseekers generally report every six months. Unemployment benefits follow separate unemployment-insurance rules and should not be confused with a labour-law claim.