Choose your role below
Employer
Job Seeker
Hiring in Belarus? Read on to find out the employment norms (like taxes, payroll and benefits) and EOR (Employer on Record) norms in Belarus.
Employment norms in Belarus
Belarus, located in Eastern Europe, has undergone significant changes in its labor laws and regulations since gaining independence in 1991. With a population of over 9 million people, the country has developed a diverse and highly educated workforce that is supported by a robust employment framework. Understanding the employment norms in Belarus is critical for businesses and individuals alike, as it governs the rules and regulations surrounding various aspects of employment, including contracts, working hours, wages, and benefits.
General Information:
- The Belarusian currency is the Belarusian ruble (BYN).
- Minsk is the capital of Belarus.
- The official languages of Belarus are Belarusian and Russian. Legal documents in Belarus can be drafted in either Belarusian or Russian to be considered legally valid.
- The Gross Domestic Product of Belarus was reported to be USD 235.75 billion.
Labor laws in Belarus govern employment conditions, employee rights, and employer obligations, including minimum wage, working hours, and health and safety standards.
Table of Contents
- Agreements
- Onboarding Process
- Visa
- Minimum Wage
- Payroll Cycle
- Annual Bonus
- Health Benefits
- Working Hours and Overtime
- Leaves
- Social Security
- Taxes for Employers
- Taxes for Employees
- Probation
- Termination
- Severance Pay
- Employees or Contractors
- Final Words
AgreementsOnboarding ProcessVisaMinimum WagePayroll CycleAnnual BonusHealth BenefitsWorking Hours and OvertimeLeavesSocial SecurityTaxes for EmployersTaxes for EmployeesProbationTerminationSeverance PayEmployees or ContractorsFinal Words
Agreements
- The Labor Code of Belarus governs labor and employment-related agreements in the country.
- Employment contracts are the most common form of agreement between employers and employees in Belarus. The contract must be in writing and should specify the duration of employment, working hours, salary, and other terms and conditions of employment.
- Contracts in Belarus can be drafted in either Belarusian or Russian language to be considered legally valid.
- Collective bargaining agreements are also common in Belarus. These agreements are negotiated between employers and employee representatives, usually labor unions. They may cover a range of issues, including wages, working conditions, and benefits.
- In case of labor disputes, employees have the right to file a complaint with the labor inspectorate or take legal action. Belarus also has a system of labor arbitration to resolve disputes between employers and employees.
- Discrimination based on race, gender, age, disability, religion, or other factors is prohibited by law. Employers who violate these provisions can be subject to fines and other penalties.
Onboarding Process
- The employee onboarding process in Belarus involves integrating new employees into the organization and ensuring they have the necessary tools and information to be successful in their roles.
- The process typically includes orientation sessions, training, and introductions to key personnel.
- Mandatory documents that must be submitted during onboarding include an employment contract, tax identification number, and social security registration.
- It is important to ensure that all legal and compliance requirements are met during the onboarding process, such as ensuring that new employees are authorized to work in Belarus and have the necessary permits and licenses.
Visa
Belarus has several types of visas for foreign workers, including:
- Work visa: Visa issued to foreign nationals who will be employed by a Belarusian company.
- Business visa: issued to foreign nationals who will be conducting business activities in Belarus but are not employed by a Belarusian company.
- Temporary residence visa: issued to foreign nationals who will be living in Belarus for an extended period, usually for more than 90 days.
- Transit visa: issued to foreign nationals who will be passing through Belarus on their way to another destination.
Tarmack helps you easily hire international talent as your full time employees without opening international subsidiaries. Find out more about our Employer of Record services
Learn More
Minimum Wage
The Republic of Belarus' Council of Ministers, in cooperation with the nation's employers and trade unions' associations, sets the amount of the monthly minimum wage as proposed by the National Council on Labor and Social Issues. The minimum wage in Belarus is BYN 554.00 per month, effective January 1, 2023.
Payroll Cycle
In Belarus, the payroll cycle is monthly or bi-monthly.
Annual Bonus
There is no legislation mandating an annual bonus for employees in Belarus. However, many companies choose to provide a bonus to their workers as a reward for their hard work and dedication. Best practices suggest that bonuses should be allocated proportionally to an employee's performance and contribution to the organization.
Health Benefits
- In Belarus, employers are not mandated by law to provide health benefits to their employees.
- Common health benefits that are usually included:
- Health insurance: to cover medical expenses and protect employees from high costs associated with medical treatments
- Mental health support: to provide access to mental health care, counseling, and therapy
- Wellness programs: to promote healthy lifestyle habits and provide employees with access to exercise and nutrition classes and support
- Offering such benefits can be an effective way for employers to support the health and well-being of their workforce and improve employee satisfaction and retention.
Working Hours and Overtime
- Work hours: In Belarus, the standard working week is 40 hours, typically spread over 5 days, starting from Monday to Friday.
- Break: One-hour lunch break every day is given to employees.
- Overtime: Overtime is 200% of the normal salary of the employee. The duration of overtime should not exceed 10 hours per week and 180 hours annually.
Leaves
Sick Leaves
- Employees can take 120 days of sick leaves. The leave is paid by the employer and deducted from the monthly payments made by the employer to State Social Welfare Fund.
Parental/Maternity/Paternity leaves
- Employees can take parental leaves of 3 years, till their child turns 3.
- Female employees who have spent more than 6 months in the same organization can avail of maternity leave of 126 days, which can be extended to 140 days, in case of any complications.
- Parental leave and maternity leave are paid by social security if the employees in an organization are less than 15. If there are more employees, i.e above 15 then the employer pays for the parental leaves.
- There isn't any provision for paternity leave in Belarus for now. Though the employee can avail of 14 days of unpaid leave.
Annual leaves
- Employees in Belarus are entitled to at least 24 days of paid annual leave per year.
Public Holidays (for the Calendar year 2023)
- New Year's Day (1st January)
- Second Day of New Year's Day (2nd January)
- Orthodox Christmas (7th January)
- International Women's Day (8th March)
- Commemoration Day (25th April)
- International Labour Day (1st May)
- Victory Day (9th May)
- Independence Day (3rd July)
- October Revolution Day (7th November)
- Christmas Day (25th December)
If you structure your global talent acquisition strategy well, you will definitely enhance your talent quality and availability through a distributed workforce. Tarmack offers end to end recruiting services to help you achieve this.
Schedule Consultation
Taxes for Employers
In Belarus, employers are required to pay a variety of taxes on their employees' wages and profits.
- 6% contribution to Social Welfare Fund (Social Security)
- 0.6% to Injury Insurance
- 28% contribution to Social Welfare Fund (Pension)
- 0.5% contribution to the commission paid to the bank for transferring to the employee's card
Did you know that as a part of the Employer of Record service, Tarmack offers global payroll across 100+ countries? Not just that, we even offer this global payroll service on a standalone basis. So if you're looking for a payroll provider for one or more countries, you're at the right place.
Learn More
Taxes for Employees
Employees in Belarus must pay several taxes, which are withheld from their paychecks. The four main taxes include:
- 1% is contributed towards the pension fund.
- Employee income tax contribution is 13%.
Probation
In Belarus, the maximum Probationary period is three months for most employees. It generally ranges between one to three months.
Ready to convert your contractor to a full time employee?
Every now and then, that contractor you hired does such a good job that you want to hire them as a full time employee. Convert such contractors into your full time employees by using Tarmack's Employer of Record service. Doesn't matter where the contractor is. Our service covers 150+ countries around the globe!
Talk To Us
Termination
The termination process in Belarus is governed by labor laws, and employers must follow due process and provide notice and compensation where required. Employers cannot terminate employees at their will outside the Probation period. They need to give a justified cause before terminating an employee. Employees who feel that they have been unfairly terminated can seek redress through the courts or other legal channels.
Reasons for termination include:
- Voluntarily taken by the employee.
- Done based on mutual agreement.
- Unilaterally by the employee based on staff reduction, - period, and employee's inconsistency for the job. If an employee has inadequate qualifications to perform the duties. Violation of labor duties by the employee is some of the reasons for termination.
- The termination is also done if the employee's contract gets expired.
Severance Pay
In Belarus, employees who are terminated without cause are entitled to receive severance pay. Upon dismissal, employees are entitled to a severance payment of three months of salary.
Employees or Contractors
- In Belarus, the distinction between employees and contractors is based on legal definitions that determine their rights, obligations, and responsibilities.
- An employee is defined as an individual who performs work under an employment contract and is subject to the employer's management and control.
- the contractor is an individual who performs work under a contract for services and is not subject to the employer's management and control.
Misclassifying an employee as a contractor or vice versa can lead to legal and financial penalties for both the employer and the worker. If an employer misclassifies an employee as a contractor, they may be held liable for unpaid taxes, social security contributions, and other benefits. On the other hand, if a worker is misclassified as a contractor, they may be denied access to employment benefits and protections, such as sick leave, annual leave, and social security benefits.
Final Words
In conclusion, Belarus has a comprehensive set of employment laws and regulations that govern the rights and obligations of employers and employees. The country offers a range of benefits and provisions. It provides a stable and supportive environment for businesses and employees.
Explore Hiring & Payroll In Other Countries
Hiring & Payroll in United StatesHiring & Payroll in SingaporeHiring & Payroll in IsraelHiring & Payroll in PortugalHiring & Payroll in LatviaHiring & Payroll in CanadaHiring & Payroll in FinlandHiring & Payroll in United Arab EmiratesHiring & Payroll in MaltaHiring & Payroll in ChileHiring & Payroll in AustraliaHiring & Payroll in New ZealandHiring & Payroll in QatarHiring & Payroll in GreeceHiring & Payroll in MalaysiaHiring & Payroll in GermanyHiring & Payroll in IrelandHiring & Payroll in Saudi ArabiaHiring & Payroll in EstoniaHiring & Payroll in South AfricaHiring & Payroll in United KingdomHiring & Payroll in LuxembourgHiring & Payroll in Hong KongHiring & Payroll in Czech RepublicHiring & Payroll in BrazilHiring & Payroll in SwitzerlandHiring & Payroll in FranceHiring & Payroll in TaiwanHiring & Payroll in PolandHiring & Payroll in MexicoHiring & Payroll in SwedenHiring & Payroll in BelgiumHiring & Payroll in PhilippinesHiring & Payroll in ArgentinaHiring & Payroll in NorwayHiring & Payroll in AustriaHiring & Payroll in CyprusHiring & Payroll in HungaryHiring & Payroll in ThailandHiring & Payroll in DenmarkHiring & Payroll in JapanHiring & Payroll in SpainHiring & Payroll in SlovakiaHiring & Payroll in ChinaHiring & Payroll in NetherlandsHiring & Payroll in South KoreaHiring & Payroll in ItalyHiring & Payroll in Lithuania
+ 38 moreA truly global HR platform with everything you need to build, grow & manage a global team.
- Identifying & recruiting the best talent
- Payroll with full compliance across 100+ countries
- Employment agreements as per local laws
- Contractor invoices & time management
- Smooth remote onboarding of employees
- Immigration & mobility services around the world
Hold up! Please tell us how to contact you and we'll get in touch with you, most likely within an hour.
Copyright © 2024 Tarmack Inc. All rights reserved.
Social Security