Starting work in a Czech office: the rules that shape the working day

Ask ten people what a Czech office is like and you will get ten answers, most of them based on one employer. A family manufacturer in a regional town, a ministry, a Prague start-up with an English-speaking team and a branch of a multinational have little in common beyond the law. That is the useful part: the law is the same for all of them, and it settles more of the working day than any description of national character could.

This explainer does not generalise about Czechs. It sets out what the Labour Code fixes, what the contract decides, what is a matter of language and custom that varies by firm, and where to go if something goes wrong.

What the law fixes

The Labour Code (Act No. 262/2006 Coll.) applies to every employee in Czechia, whatever their nationality, and it applies whatever the contract says if the contract offers less. The headline rules are these.

The probation rules are recent. Since 1 June 2025 the limit is four months, or eight for managers, and the period can be lengthened only within those limits and by written agreement. If you signed before that date, your old limits stand. Notice also changed on that date: it now runs from the day it is delivered, not from the first day of the following month. Our pieces on how a Czech employment contract works and notice periods and termination go through both.

Hours, breaks and rest

The standard working week is 40 hours. Overtime has to be ordered or agreed, and the Labour Code caps ordered overtime at 150 hours a year, with a higher ceiling by agreement (as of 2026; check the State Labour Inspection Office). The break of at least 30 minutes is part of the legal minimum, so an office where everyone leaves their desk at midday is following the Code as much as a custom. The Code also requires a rest between shifts, which is 11 hours as a general rule. Details of overtime and pay are in Czech working hours, overtime and holidays.

Public holidays are set by a separate act, and working on one earns compensatory time off or a bonus of at least 100 percent of average earnings. Whether your employer treats the day between a holiday and a weekend as a day off is a matter for the company, not the law; see how Czech holidays and bridging days affect work.

If you are ill, the employer pays wage compensation for the first 14 days of sick leave and the Czech Social Security Administration pays sickness benefit after that; there are no unpaid waiting days. The mechanics are in Czech sick pay and sick leave explained.

Titles, names and the two kinds of "you"

Here language does matter, and the facts are simple. Czech has two forms of address, formal vy and informal ty, and verbs change with them. Whether colleagues use one or the other is a decision for each workplace. Many offices switch to first names and ty quickly, others keep vy with people they do not know well, and in an English-speaking team the question rarely arises. The safe approach is to start formally in Czech with someone you have just met and to follow their lead. If you are unsure, ask. People who answer ty to your vy are usually telling you what they prefer.

Academic and professional titles such as Ing. (engineer), Mgr. (master's graduate) and Ph.D. are recorded on diplomas and appear in many signatures, contracts and formal letters. Whether people use them in conversation depends on the employer. In a formal email to someone you do not know, using their title if it is in their signature is a simple courtesy. In a flat team, nobody will mind if you do not.

For a first greeting, Dobrý den (good day) works in almost any setting, Ahoj between people already on first-name terms, and Na shledanou when leaving. If you want to learn more of the language, see Czech language basics and realistic routes to learning Czech.

Reading your own workplace

Because customs vary by employer, the best evidence is what you see in your first week. A few questions give you most of it.

A hypothetical example shows why the last point matters. A hypothetical engineer joins a mid-sized firm and is told in the interview that remote work two days a week is normal. The contract is silent on it. Three months in, a new manager asks everyone to be in the office five days. Nothing in the paperwork says otherwise. A short email at the start, asking HR to confirm the arrangement or to add it to the contract, would have settled it. Remote work is a matter for agreement between employer and employee under the Labour Code, so the agreement is what counts.

Equal treatment and what you can expect

The Labour Code and the Anti-Discrimination Act (No. 198/2009 Coll.) guarantee equal treatment in employment and ban discrimination on grounds that include sex, race, ethnic origin, nationality, religion, age and disability. Harassment is covered too. If you think you have been treated unfairly, keep records, raise it first in writing with your employer or HR, and then consider outside routes. The Public Defender of Rights (the Ombudsman) is the national equality body and gives guidance on discrimination. Courts decide claims.

Pay transparency rules are changing under an EU directive whose transposition deadline was in June 2026. What this means for job adverts and pay information in Czechia is still developing, so check the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs for the current position before relying on any description.

Where to complain

Unpaid wages, wrongly refused leave, unsafe conditions and similar breaches of labour law go to the State Labour Inspection Office (SÚIP) and its regional inspectorates. They inspect employers and can impose fines. A dispute about whether your dismissal was valid is a matter for the courts, and the deadline for starting a court action is short, two months from the intended end date, so take advice quickly (as of 2026; check the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs). Unions and employee councils exist in some firms, and the Labour Code gives them rights to information and consultation where they are established. Ask HR whether there is one.

Foreign employees: three extra points

If you hold an employee card, changes of employer or position involve notifying the Ministry of the Interior in advance, and the rules on unemployment are tighter than for citizens, so read how to switch employers on an employee card before you hand in notice. Your employer must report your start to the labour office before work begins. And when you apply for jobs, CV and application conventions show what employers expect to see.

Frequently asked questions

Must my employment contract be in writing?

Yes. The employer must put it in writing and give you a copy. Ask for a version you can read, and if you need a translation to understand it, ask before you sign.

How long can a probation period be?

Up to four months, or eight for managers, and no longer than half of a fixed-term contract, for contracts agreed from 1 June 2025 (as of 2026; check the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs).

Do I have to use titles and formal address?

There is no legal rule. Practice differs by employer. Start formally in Czech with people you have just met and follow their lead.

Where do I complain about unpaid wages?

To your employer in writing first, then to the State Labour Inspection Office, or to a court.

In your first week, read your contract against the table above and ask HR about anything that differs.

This is a general explainer, not legal or tax advice.