Labour contract in Bulgaria : what you need to know about the Bulgarian labour contract
If you want to recruit in Bulgaria or to work in Bulgaria, it is useful to know all the essential rules applicable to the Bulgarian labour contract.
Form of the labour contract in Bulgaria
Once the phase of recruitment is completed, the employer must prepare a labour contract which is always in writing and must be signed before the first working day of the employee.
Within three days after signing the labour contract by both parties, the employer or a person authorized by the employer has to send to the National Revenue Agency a letter specifying that the labour contract was concluded.
On the date of signature of the labour contract, the employee must also sign the job description that is part of the labour contract.
The duration of the labour contract in Bulgaria
The employment contract may be concluded for an indefinite or fixed period of time. The duration of the fixed-term contract is defined and agreed between the employer and the employee.
It is considered that the employee has an indefinite period labour contract, if no provision clearly states that it is a fixed term contract.
Before entry into service of the Bulgarian employee
Before the employee starts work, the employer must provide a copy of the labour contract signed by both parties and a copy of the notification sent to the National Revenue Agency, certified by it.
The employer has no right to ask the employee to come to work until they have provided a copy of the documents mentioned above.
The employee, in turn, is obliged to make his first day of work within one week from receipt of the signed labour contract and the certified notification of the National Revenue Agency unless a different time has been agreed by both parties and mentioned in writing in the labour contract. In cases where the employee does not take office within the deadline, the labour contract would be considered void and the terms of the labour contract could not then be applied.
The content of the Bulgarian labour contract
The labour contract must include a certain amount of information to be valid and has to specify in particular the workplace, the name and nature of the work, the date of signing the contract and the beginning of its execution, duration of the labour contract, the granted paid leave, the notice for the termination of contract, the gross salary, as well as the fixed and additional salary, the payment frequency and the time of the working day.
The transformation of a fixed-term labour contract into a labour contract with indefinite period
A fixed-term labour contract can be converted into labour contract with an indefinite period if the employee continues to work for a period of 5 days or more after the expiration of fixed-term contract without the written objection of the employer. For the fixed-term contract to become a labour contract with n indefinite period, it is necessary that the position is vacant.
The employee and the employer have to sign the a labour contract with an indefinite period and the employer has to inform the National Revenue Agency by mail.
Before you prepare a Bulgarian labour contract, it is useful to know the Bulgarian labor law as well as key figures of the Bulgarian labor law.
