With effect from 1 June 2025, Government Regulation No. 590/2006 Coll., which defines the scope and extent of other important personal obstacles to work (hereinafter as the “Regulation”), will be amended. The aim of this amendment is to clarify the existing legal regulation defining situations in which an employee is entitled to time off work, taking into account the current needs of labour law practice and legislative changes in related legal regulations. The amendment to the Regulation therefore responds to changes brought about by the flexiamendment to the Labour Code, as well as those already brought about by the transposition amendment to the Labour Code. In this article, we will take a closer look at the specific changes involved.
General provisions
Important personal obstacles to work are those specified in Sections 191 and 191a of the Labour Code, i.e. temporary incapacity for work, quarantine, maternity leave, paternity leave, parental leave, care for a child under the age of 10, care for another person and care for a child under the age of 10, and provision of long-term care.
Other important personal obstacles to work are therefore those not listed in Sections 191 and 191a of the Labour Code and are discussed in more detail in Section 199 of the Labour Code, which stipulates that the scope of other important personal obstacles to work shall be determined by the government by regulation.
In the regulation, the government also specifies the scope of time off work and the cases in which compensation for wages or salary is payable.
Changes in the regulation
The Regulation on important personal obstacles is, to a certain extent, a phenomenon within the Czech legal system. Since its issuance in 2007, it has not been amended until now, in 2025.
I. Spouses and partners
First and foremost, the Regulation reflects changes introduced by legislation that, to a certain extent, puts spouses and partners on an equal footing. Wherever the Regulation refers to spouses, the term now also includes partners who have entered into a partnership under the Civil Code and partners who have entered into a partnership under the Registered Partnership Act. For the purposes of the Regulation, marriage also means a partnership under the Civil Code and the Registered Partnership Act. In practice, this change means that all rights granted to employees by the Regulation on the basis of their marriage also apply to persons who have entered into a partnership under the Civil Code or the Registered Partnership Act.
When referring to marriage and partnership, the Regulation has been clarified to stipulate that if employees are granted two days to attend their own wedding, they are entitled to compensation for one day, namely the day on which they attended the wedding ceremony. This removes any doubt as to which of the two days wage compensation should be provided.
II. Death of a close relative
- paid leave or payment of wages for two days and one additional day to attend the funeral shall be granted in the event of the death of an employee’s spouse, partner or child;
- paid leave to attend the funeral for one day and an additional day shall be granted in the event of the death of a parent, grandparent, grandchild, sibling of the employee, parents, grandparents, siblings of the employee’s spouse, spouse of the employee’s child, spouse of the employee’s sibling or other person who lived with the employee in the household at the time of death;
unpaid leave of up to 5 days shall be granted in the event of the death of the spouse, partner, child, grandchild, parent, grandparent or sibling of an employee.
III. Searching for new employment
The pro visions on granting leave to search for new employment have also been amended. From 1 June 2025, leave will be granted to the following extent:
a) up to 4 days with compensation for wages or salary if the employment relationship is to end on the basis of notice given by the employer for a reason for which the Labour Code stipulates a notice period of 2 months, or on the basis of an agreement concluded for the same reason;
b) up to 2 days without compensation for wages or salary if the employment relationship is terminated by the employer for a reason for which the Labour Code stipulates a notice period of 1 month, or on the basis of an agreement concluded for the same reason;
c) up to 4 days without compensation if the employment relationship is terminated other than as specified above, e.g. on the basis of the employee’s notice.
After using up the above leave, the employee is entitled to up to 2 days of leave without pay for the purpose of using the counselling services of the Czech Labour Office. This period is reduced to 1 day if the leave under point b) above has been used up. Last but not least, it should be noted that even if an employee only uses 2 hours of leave, this is considered as a full day of leave. It is therefore more advantageous for employees to schedule several job interviews on one day in order to make the most of the leave granted.
IV. Impossibility of travelling to work, accompaniment
Also worth mentioning are changes to the provisions on preventing severely disabled employees from travelling to work. Such employees shall be granted time off work with compensation for wages or salary for a maximum of one day if they are prevented from travelling to work by personal means of transport due to adverse weather conditions, natural disasters or other extraordinary events. In order to remove any doubt, the provision on accompaniment is supplemented to specify that time off work shall also be granted for the return journey from a medical facility or educational counselling facility.
Summary
The amendment to Government Regulation No. 590/2006 Coll. modernises the rules on other important personal obstacles to work, which was sorely needed after years of the regulation being in force. The changes reflect an effort to increase legal certainty for both parties to the employment relationship and to remove ambiguities in practice. This step strengthens the balance between the needs of employees and the possibilities of employers, while promoting flexibility in working conditions.
If you have any questions regarding the regulation on other important obstacles to work, the flexiamendment of the Labour Code or labour law in general, please do not hesitate to contact us.
Mgr. Nikola Tomíčková, junior lawyer – tomickova@plegal.cz
Mgr. Jakub Málek, managing partner – malek@plegal.cz
12. 6. 2025