Up to and including Good Wednesday, April 8, 2026, private sector employees must be paid an Easter bonus.

This year’s gift will be paid without including the recent minimum wage increase, which was announced on 26 March. Although the new minimum came into force on 1 April, the gift calculation is based on the regular pay in place just before Easter, which effectively leaves out that increase. Therefore, employees will see the benefits of the increase in subsequent pay and benefits, but not in this year’s Easter gift.

Thus, this year’s gift for those paid the minimum wage will be €458.33, while those who have served one three-year period will receive €504.17, two three-year periods €550.00, and three three-year periods €595.83.

The Labour Inspectorate informs that the payment of the Bonus within a certain period of time results from the applicable legislation and is in no way at the discretion of each employer!

All employees who are paid a salary or a daily wage and work either full-time or part-time and have an employment contract of either fixed or indefinite duration are entitled to an Easter gift from their employers, equal to half a monthly salary for those paid a salary and 15 daily wages for those paid a daily wage. In all cases, the duration of the employment relationship is important in order to calculate the final amount.

Employers are required to pay employees’ wages exclusively into the bank payment accounts of the eligible employees, indicating for each payment the reason and the period of time involved. Payment of remuneration into the accounts of eligible employees shall be made by any means, including the use of electronic means of payment or payment service providers.

The Easter gift may not be paid in kind, but only in cash. The condition for its payment is the existence of employment (employment relationship) of the private sector employee within the period from 01-01-2025 to 30-04-2025. The basis for calculating the bonus is the regular salary paid on the 15th day before Easter. For employees whose employment relationship was terminated before that day, either due to dismissal or voluntary departure, but within the period for calculating the Gift, the remuneration of the day of termination of the relationship shall be taken into account. This means that a dismissed employee in the private sector who is paid a salary (daily or hourly wage) can calculate the Easter bonus to be paid to him/her as follows:

– 1/15 of half of the monthly salary for each 8 calendar days of the duration of the employment relationship, if the employee is a salaried employee.

– One day’s salary for every 8 calendar days of the duration of the employment relationship, if the employee is paid on a daily wage.

Employees who worked for a period of less than 8 days and were subsequently dismissed are entitled to a proportional fraction of the Easter bonus.

If the Easter bonus is not paid in time, employees and/or unions can and should appeal to the relevant labour inspectorate to file a complaint. The complaint is forwarded to the public prosecutor for individual prosecution against the employer. At the same time, it is also forwarded to the relevant police station for the initiation of the auto-procedure. Employees and/or their trade unions have the right to file a complaint directly with the relevant police station and request the application of the automatic procedure.

In addition, employees and unions can file relevant complaints, anonymously or non-anonymously, via the 1555 complaint hotline or online via the Complaint – Labour Inspectorate.