Do employees in Slovakia have to answer work calls outside of working hours

25.10.2025

In recent years, the topic of work-life balance has become one of the most discussed across Europe — and Slovakia is no exception. One of the key questions in this context is whether employees are obliged to answer work-related calls beyond their official working hours.

The Labour Code of the Slovak Republic guarantees every employee the right to rest and personal time. The employer must respect the worker’s private time unless otherwise stated in the employment contract or a specific agreement.

Exceptions include:

when the employee is officially on duty and must be available (this must be stated in the employment contract or a separate agreement);
in emergency situations that could threaten the safety of the company or its employees;
when individual or collective agreements establish specific conditions (for example, for managerial staff).

Requiring an employee to perform work duties during their free time without legal grounds may be considered a violation of labour law, which can lead to fines and other sanctions for the employer.

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