Personal Obstacles to Work

As an employee, you are entitled to be released during working hours for certain events. These include, for example, medical appointment (if impossible to visit the doctor outside working hours), temporary incapacity for work, nursing or accompanying a close person, blood donation, acts related to public functions, birth of a child, maternity/paternity leave, etc. Those situations are called obstacles to work on the employee's side or other important personal obstacles. See the overview tables below, which you can click through to see detailed information about the obstacle. To see relevant legal regulations, scroll down to the end of the page.

For all the situations applies that you are obliged to arrange the event outside your working hours, if possible, and that you are obliged to inform your employer (phone call, mail, in person) about the time and reason of your absence in advance (best as you learn it), or as soon as possible (in urgent/unplanned matters, e.g. when undergoing an urgent treatment). You also need to submit some sort of confirmation of the event to your employer. For detailed information and what to submit, see our Onboarding manual (download here or ask your secretariat) or contact the HR department.

IMPORTANT PERSONAL OBSTACLES TO WORK

For employees with flexible working hours: "Obstacles to work on the employee’s side in the case of flexible working hours are considered as work performance only to the extent that they affected the basic working hours." Meaning, the compensation is paid only if the obstacle occurs in your basic working hours (e.g. from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.).

Type of obstacle	Scope	Compensation	Note
1. Examination or treatment at a medical facility nearest to the employee's home or workplace	Necessary period	Paid	Unless it could not be carried out outside working hours
2. Examination or treatment at a medical facility other than the nearest medical facility	Necessary time that would have been spent at a facility under point 1	Paid	Unless it could not be carried out outside working hours
3. Occupational medical examination or vaccination	Necessary period	Paid	Must be related to the performance of work
4. Interruption of traffic or delay of public transport	Necessary period	Unpaid	If the employee can get to the workplace by other means, he/she should arrive
5. Preventing a severely disabled employee from travelling to work due to weather conditions	Neccessary time, 1 day maximum	Paid	Non-public transport vehicle (car)
6. Own wedding	2 days, of which 1 day to attend the wedding	1 day is paid
7. Child's wedding	1 day to attend the wedding	Paid	If the wedding is on a day the employee is not supposed to work, the absence is not paid
8. Parent's wedding	1 day to attend the wedding	Unpaid
9. Birth of a child – transfer to the hospital	Neccessary period	Paid	Transport to the medical facility and back
10. Birth of a child – attending the birth	Neccessary period	Unpaid	Wife or partner
11. Decease of spouse, partner or child	2 days + 1 day to attend the funeral	Paid
12. Decease of the employee's parent and sibling, parent and sibling of the employee's spouse, and spouse of a child or sibling of the employee	1 day to attend the funeral + 1 day to arrange the funeral	Paid	If the funeral falls on a day the employee is not scheduled to work, absence is not paid
13. Decease of a grandparent, grandchild of the employee, or grandparent of the employee's spouse, or other person who, although not next of kin, was living in the employee's household at the time of death	Necessary time, not more than 1 day to attend the funeral + 1 day to arrange the funeral	Paid	Condition of shared household required only for "other person", not for grandchild or grandparent
14. Accompanying a family member to a medical facility – spouse, partner or child, parent and grandparent of the employee and spouse	Neccessary period	Paid
15. Accompanying a family member to a medical facility – other persons referred to in points 12 and 13	Neccessary period	Unpaid
16. Accompanying a disabled child to a social services facility or boarding school	Neccessary period, but no more than 6 working days per calendar year	Paid	For one family member only
17. Attendance at the funeral of a coworker	Neccessary time	Paid	The attending employee shall be determined by the employer in consultation with the union
18. Relocation	Neccessary period, maximum of 2 days	Unpaid	When moving in the interests of the employer, absence is paid
19. Looking for a new job before the end of the employment relationship	Necessary period, maximum of 1 half-day per week for a period equivalent to 2 months	Unpaid	If the notice is given under section 52(a) to (e) or an agreement for the same reasons, the leave is paid; Leave may be combined, but only with the employer's consent
20. Temporary incapacity for work / ordered quarantine (so called sick leave)	Neccessary period	Paid	Sick leave is issued by a doctor who finds you unable to work
21. Need for attendance (caring for a sick/quarantined household member)	Neccessary period	Paid	Compensated for 9 calendar days maximum
22. Long-term need for attendance (long-term caring for sick household member)	Neccessary period	Paid	Compensated for 90 calendar days maximum
23. Maternity leave	28 weeks	Paid	Start 6 to 8 weeks before the child's expected DOB
24. Paternity leave	2 weeks	Paid	Must be taken up within a period of 6 weeks after the child's birth

PERFORMANCE OF CIVIC DUTIES AND OTHER ACTS OF GENERAL INTEREST

Purpose of absence	Scope	Compensation	Note
25. Exercise as a member of a trade union body	Not restricted (but should be outside working hours)	Paid	Also applies to the employer's council
26. Performance of other trade union activities	Not restricted	Unpaid	Participation in meetings, conferences, etc.
27. Attendance at training organised by the trade union	5 working days per calendar year	Paid	Release only if not prevented by serious operational reasons of the employer
28. Blood donation (collection/apheresis)	Documented necessary time if interfering with working hours	Paid	Time off for travel to collection, collection, return travel and recovery from collection if interfering with working hours within 24 hours of travel; If no collection is carried out, time off only for necessary time
29. Collection of other biological materials	Neccessary period, the doctor may extend it to a maximum of 96 hours from the start of the travel	Paid	Time off work for travel to collection, collection, return travel and recovery after collection, if they interfere with working hours within 48 hours of the start of travel
30. Lecturing and teaching, including examination activities	Maximum of 12 working days per calendar year	Unpaid	Release only if not prevented by serious operational reasons of the employer
31. A member of the Mountain Rescue and a citizen who, at its call and according to its instructions, helps in a rescue operation in the field	Neccessary period	Unpaid	The reward is provided by the organisation for which the employee was released
32. Performance of mediation and arbitration in collective bargaining	Neccessary period	Paid	Release only if not prevented by serious operational reasons of the employer
33. Activities of camp leaders, deputy camp leaders, team leaders, tutors, instructors, or paramedical staff in camps for children and youth	Neccessary period, maximum of 3 weeks per calendar year	Unpaid	Condition is working with children for at least 1 year without pay; The remuneration is provided by the organisation for which the employee was released, unless agreed otherwise
34. Activities of voluntary census bodies in the census of population, houses and dwellings, including supplementary population sample surveys	Neccessary period, maximum of 10 working days in calendar year	Unpaid	Release only if not prevented by serious operational reasons of the employer
35. Activities of a paramedic volunteer of the Czech Red Cross in the performance of medical services during a sporting or social event	Neccessary period	Unpaid	Release only if not prevented by serious operational reasons of the employer
36. Activity in organising and preparing for a leisure, sporting or cultural event	Neccessary period	Unpaid	Release only if not prevented by serious operational reasons of the employer
37. Witness and interpreter, expert witness, or other person called to court hearings, fire protection assistance, etc. (if called by the court or other governmental body)	Neccessary period	Paid	Confirmation of attendance must be directly from the body at whose initiative the leave was granted; Reimbursement directly from the body
38. Duty-related leave (participation in a military exercise or service in an operational deployment)	Neccessary period	Paid	Leave also for travel to the exercise and to the military authority; Paid by the military authority
39. Exercise of a public function by a non-elected employee	20 working days per calendar year	Paid	E.g. non-elected position in the municipal council; Paid by the municipality

Personal obstacles dealt with by the employer

Medical examination or treatment in a medical facility

If your doctor sets your appointment to time within your working hours and there is no option to change it to time outside your working hours, you are entitled to leave the workplace for a period necessary to get the examination/treatment. This applies also for urgent treatment (injury).

Absence for medical check-up/treatment is salary compensated. You should seek treatment primarily at doctors closest to your address or your workplace. But if you choose treatment somewhere else, even though there is nearer adequate option of treatment, you get only paid for time needed for undergoing treatment in the nearest facility.

Are you searching for an English-speaking doctor or medical facility? Visit our Database of English-speaking contacts.

Occupational medical examination or vaccination connected to your work activity

Your employer usually knows about your occupational medical check-up or vaccination related to your work, so you only need to inform them about the agreed time of the appointment (unless the employer sets the time for you). Absence for occupational medical check-up is salary compensated.

Interruption of traffic or delay of public transport

This applies when you are late for work because of a traffic jam caused by an accident, public transport delay due to bad weather conditions etc. You need to make sure that the situation was unforeseeable and there was no other adequate way to get to the workplace in time. This absence is only excused (for a necessary period), not salary compensated.

Impossibility to travel to work

Severely disabled employee is excused from work and salary is compensated (for up to 1 day) if he/she is unable to get to work by non-public transport vehicle (car) used by that employee because of weather conditions.

Wedding

If you are the bride/groom, you get 2 days off, of which one is for the ceremony itself. Whether you take one or two days off, you get paid only one day.

If you attend your child’s wedding, you can be absent for one day and you get paid.

If you attend your parent’s wedding, you can be absent for one day without salary compensation.

Birth of a child

You can be excused from work to transport your spouse to the medical facility and back (with salary compensation) and to be present in the childbirth (without salary compensation).

For maternity/paternity/parental leave and relevant benefits scroll down.

Decease

Your employer provides you with three days off (of which 1 is for the funeral) and a salary compensation in case your spouse or child has deceased.

If the deceased person is your or your spouse’s parent or sibling or your child’s or your sibling’s spouse, you get 1 day off (2 if you arrange the funeral) and a salary compensation.

For attending funeral of other family member or other close person (if you’ve shared a household with them) you are excused from work for a necessary period (up to 1 day) and for additional one day on condition that you arrange the funeral (with salary compensation).

Accompanying a family member to a facility

Same things apply for accompanying a family member to a medical facility as for medical examination/treatment of yourself (see above). This option comes handy particularly when you child, spouse or parent needs you to help them get to the doctor’s office. Time off will be provided for a necessary period, maximum of 1 day. Your salary will be compensated for that period if you accompanied your child, spouse, parent or grandparent. You may accompany other family members as well, but without compensation.

If your child is disabled and you accompany him/her in social service facility or special school facility with boarding operation, you get time off to the extent neccessary, but maximum of 6 working days in calendar year.

If you need to accompany your child to school advisory facility in order to identify special education needs, you may leave for neccessary period without pay compensation.

Funeral of a coworker

Employer may want you to attend a coworker’s funeral. In this case you get paid leave of absence for a period necessary to be present at this event.

Moving

Employer provides you with time off without a salary compensation for a necessary period (2 days maximum) for your private moving. If you move in the employer’s interest, you get leave of absence with salary compensation.

Search for a new employment

You are entitled to take a leave of absence for seeking a new job until your current employment ends. You can take maximum of 1 half-day a week of unpaid time off within the 2-moths notice period. If your contract is terminated under the section 52 a) to e) of the Labour Code (i.e. because your employer is dissolving or moving or you are found redundant or no longer medically fit to work due to work injury), you get a salary compensation.

Personal obstacles dealt with by the state

If employed in the Czech Republic, you are obliged to pay health insurance (Act no. 592/1992 Coll.), social security (Act no. 589/1992 Coll.) and personal income tax (Act no. 586/1992 Coll.) and your employer monthly deducts the sums automatically from your wage (you have no direct obligation to make the payments yourself). Health insurance ensures that you get free health care (to certain extend) when you need it. From social security the benefits of state social support and pensions are paid.

Part of the social security is sickness insurance, which is designed to help people who are temporarily without income because of certain social events. Thus, since you contribute to the sickness insurance (at least for a certain period) thanks to your employment, you are entitled to apply for benefits in case you become unable to work due to:

your temporary illness or ordered quarantine -> Sickness benefit
caring for a sick member of the household -> Attendance allowance, Long-term attendance allowance
pregnancy and a childbirth -> Maternity benefit, Paternity benefit, Compensatory benefit in pregnancy and maternity

All sickness insurance benefits are paid by the District Social Security Administration (DSSA) and are paid from the state budget (from the insurance contributions income), as mentioned above. Exception is the first 14 days of sickness (quarantine), which are paid by the employer in the salary. The sickness insurance benefits paid by the DSSA are disbursed for calendar days. For the salary compensation and benefits, the reduction limits are used (for more scroll down).

Comprehensive information about Czech sickness insurance

CSSA's description of all sickness insurance benefits (incl. details, calculations, details about payment etc.)

Contact on the authority (DSSA) and integration centre in Important contacts

What documents to submit to your employer and in which life situations? See our Onboarding manual (download here or ask your secretariat).

Temporary illness / ordered quarantine

Benefit: Nemocenské = Sickness Benefit
Official title: Dočasná Pracovní Neschopnost (DPN) = Temporary incapacity for work / Sick leave

If you become sick, your GMP (general medical practitioner) may issue you with a sick leave, so you can stay at home to recover. The form is called Decision on temporary incapacity for work = Rozhodnutí o dočasné pracovní neschopnosti. Sick leave can also be issued by another doctor, such as a specialist after surgery or an emergency room doctor after an urgent treatment.

The sick leave is issued electronically and is sent directly to the District Social Security Administration by the attending doctor. However, it is your responsibility to inform your employer immediately of the doctor's decision on sick leave so that you are excused from work. Same goes for termination of the sick leave. A salary compensation is paid by your employer for the first 14 calendar days, from the 15th calendar day the DSSA takes over the payment.

Amout of the salary compensation (for the first 14 days of sick leave) is 60 % of your reduced average hourly earnings (see example calculation below) and is paid by your employer with the salary. From the 15th day of sickness, you get the sickness benefit, which is paid by the DSSA, and is from 60 to 72 % of your reduced daily assessment basis (depends on the length of the sickness; see below).

If your medical condition allows it and after a consultation with your direct supervisor, you are entitled to refuse sick leave.

Are you searching for an English-speaking doctor or medical facility? Visit our Database of English-speaking contacts.

Caring for a sick/quarantined household member

Benefit: (Dlouhodobé) Ošetřovné = (Long-term) Attendance Allowance
Official title: Ošetřování Člena Rodiny (OČR) = Need for attendance (care)

In case you need to look after your sick child or a sick spouse who can't take care of themselves at the moment, you may use the need for attendance which is always issued by the doctor of the person requiring care (paediatrician or GMP of the spouse).

You will receive the doctor’s decision electronically and, again, you must inform your employer immediately. However, in this case, you must also give your employer identifier of the decision sent to you by the doctor. Again, it is also important to inform your employer when the need for care is terminated.

You may apply for long-term attendance allowance in case your close person needs long-term care in home environment (condition is the close person's preceding hospitalization). More in the CSSA's description of all sickness insurance benefits.

Your salary replacement will be paid from the first day of treatment, but no longer than 9 calendar days (or 16 days in the case you are a single parent). The maximum length of long-term attendance benefit is 90 calendar days. You can provide the care even longer but without compensation.

Amount of the (long-term) attendance allowance is 60 % of your reduced daily assessment basis (see example calculation below).

Pregnancy and birth of a child (mother’s point of view)

Benefit: Peněžitá Pomoc v Mateřství (PPM) = Maternity benefit
Official title: Mateřská Dovolená (MD) = Maternity leave

If you're expecting a baby and you have fulfilled the minimal period of contributing to sickness insurance of 270 days (about 9 months) during recent 2 years, you're entitled to take maternity leave from your employer and apply for maternity benefit. You can start maternity leave 6 to 8 weeks before your child’s expected date of birth (depending on your decision). The application for the benefit will be issued by your gynaecologist and must be completed and submitted to your employer. Do not forget to provide your employer with your newborn’s birth certificate as soon as possible. In case you do not meet the minimum sickness insurance period requirement, don't worry, there still is certain financial support available, but it will be proceeded individually.

It is possible to take turns with the other parent in caring of the child and receiving maternity benefit (not earlier than from 7th week from the childbirth). For details see the CSSA's description of all sickness insurance benefits.

Maternity benefit is paid for 28 weeks (about 7 months) and you may apply for parental allowance when your maternity leave ends. Parental allowance is fixed amount and is the same for everyone, i.e. your income has no influence on it. It is drawn monthly (the monthly amount is optional to a certain extent and can be changed), up to a maximum of three years of age of the child/children. This allowance is administrated by the Labour Office (not the employer), more at https://www.mpsv.cz/web/en/state-social-support and in section Important contacts (contact the integration center if you need help).

Amount of maternity benefit is 70 % of your reduced daily assessment basis (see example calculation below).

You don't need to get back to work right after your maternity leave ends. If you decide to be home with your child longer, you must apply for parental leave from your employer to follow your maternity leave (the parental leave is not granted automatically). Write the application in free form and include your name and date of birth, the name and date of birth of the child you will be caring for and his/her age to which you want to stay at home (up to a maximum of three years of age of the child). We recommend that you also take the balance of your annual leave between the maternity and parental leave (if taken after the end of the parental leave, it will be reduced), please request this in your parental leave application.

Your employer is obliged to provide you with parental leave (if you apply for it) and hold your job for you. (This does not apply if the employment contract was for a fixed term with an end date that interferes with your parental leave. If the contract is not renewed, the relationship ends on that date, even though you are taking parental leave.) If, during your parental leave, you ask to return to work earlier than the date you indicated in your application for parental leave, your employer may or may not grant it.

BC runs its own children’s group Motýl (Butterfly) which is located in the BC compound and accepts BC employees’ children from 1 up to 3 years of age. If you are interested in putting your small one here, apply for the admission as soon as possible (best after your child is born). For more information and tips for other nurseries visit section Education system and Database of English-speaking contacts.

For women who have been transferred to another job due to pregnancy or maternity (within the 9th month after childbirth) and had a decrease in their eligible income in connection with this transfer a Compensatory benefit in pregnancy and maternity is provided. For more info, see the CSSA's description of all sickness insurance benefits.

Birth of a child (father’s point of view)

Benefit: Otcovská (otcovská poporodní péče) = Paternity benefit

If you’ve become a recent father, you may apply for a father’s parental leave from your employer and be home with your spouse and your newborn for 14 days with paternity benefit as salary compensation. Those 14 days must be taken up within a period of 6 weeks after the child is born. To be entitled to this benefit, you have to be registered as a father in the child’s birth certificate (mother and father have not to be married).

To apply for the leave and benefit, inform your employer about your intention and they print and help you to fill in an application for DSSA. Bring the child’s birth certificate with you.

Amount of paternity benefit is 70 % of your reduced daily assessment basis (see example calculation below).

Calculation of salary compensation / sickness insurance benefits

Calculators for the compensation and benefits (in Czech)

Salary compensation for the first 14 days of sick leave

Amount of the salary compensation for the first two weeks of sick leave, which is paid by your employer, is calculated from your reduced average hourly earnings ("redukovaný průměrný hodinový výdělek"). Average hourly earnings can be found out at your payroll accountant. To get the reduced figure, average hourly earnings must go through the reduction limits, which are:

First reduction limit = 271.60 CZK
Second reduction limit = 407.40 CZK
Third reduction limit = 814.80 CZK
If the earnings is even higher, amount above 814.80 CZK is not taken into account

This reduced earnings is the figure, from which the daily amount of compensation is calculated (60 %).

Example: Let's say that you've been on sick leave from Monday to Sunday. Your working days are from Monday to Thursday 5 hours per day and your average hourly earnings is 500 CZK. What will be your salary compensation?

Detailed calculation (results, including some partial results, are rounded up to whole crowns):

1) Amount of hours of incapacity for work for salary compensation (4 working days, 5 hrs a day) = 4 * 5 = 20 hrs
2) Average hourly earnings = 500 CZK
3) Reduction of average hourly earnings:
a. 90 % of amount up to 271.60 = 271.60 * 0.90 = 244.44 CZK
b. 60 % of amount above 271.60 and up to 407.40 = (407.40 - 271.60) * 0.60 = 81.48 CZK
c. 30 % of amount above 407.40 and up to 814.80 = (500 - 407.40) * 0.30 = 27.78 CZK
4) Reduced average hourly earnings = 244.44 + 81.48 + 27.78 = 353.70 CZK
5) Salary compensation (for 20 hours that would have been worked) = 60 % of the reduced average earnings = (353.70 * 0.60) * 20 = 4,245 CZK

Sickness benefit from the 15th day of sick leave, (long-term) attendance allowance, maternity & paternity benefit

Exact amounts of these benefits are calculated from your reduced daily assessment basis ("redukovaný denní vyměřovací základ"). The reduced daily assessment basis is, in simple terms, the average daily income (usually calculated from the 12 months preceding the month in which the benefit is claimed) and you can check it with your payroll accountant. Then, the basis is reduced by reduction limits as follows:

First reduction limit: 90% of the first 1,552 CZK is counted
Second reduction limit: 60% of the money above 1,552 to 2,328 CZK is counted
Third reduction limit: 30% of the money above 2,328 to 4,656 CZK is counted
If your income is even higher, nothing is counted of the money above 4,656 CZK

This reduced basis is the figure, from which the daily amount of benefit is calculated (60 % of the amount for attendance allowance and long-term attendance allowance, 70 % of the amount for maternity benefit, paternity benefit and compensatory benefit in pregnancy and maternity and 60 to 72 % of the amount for sickness benefit, depending on the length of sickness).

As for the sickness benefit from the 15th day of sick leave, it is paid for calendar days, not working days as in case of salary compensation from the employer for the first 14 days of sick leave. Also, the benefit increases as the sick leave lasts longer (maximum is 380 calendar days) as following:

from 15th to 30th day: 60 % of the reduced daily assessment basis per day
from 31st to 60th day: 66 % of the reduced daily assessment basis per day
from 61st day: 72 % of the reduced daily assessment basis per day

Example: You've stayed home with your child for 10 days (Mon to Wed), you are not a single parent. Your daily assessment basis is 1,600 CZK. What will be your attendance allowance? (Since the benefit is calculated for calendar days, your working days and hours schedule does not matter, contrary to salary compensation for the first 14 days of sickness.)

Detailed calculation (results, including some partial results, are rounded up to whole crowns):

1) Amout of days of care for attendance allowance = 9 days
2) Daily assessment basis = 1,600 CZK
3) Reduction of daily assessment basis:
a. 90 % of amount up to 1,552 = 1,552 * 0.90 = 1,396.80 CZK
b. 60 % of amount above 1,552 and up to 2,328 = (1,600 - 1,552) * 0.60 = 28.80 CZK
4) Reduced daily assessment basis = 1,396.80 + 28.80 = 1,425.60 = 1,426 CZK
5) Attendance allowance (for 9 calendar days) = 60 % of the reduced daily assessment basis = (1,426 * 0.60) * 9 = 7,704 CZK

Relevant legal regulations

Act No. 262/2006 Coll., the Labour Code (Part 8: Obstacles to work on the employee's side – sections 191 to 206)
Government Decree No. 590/2006 Coll., establishing the scope and extent of other important personal obstacles to work
Act No. 187/2006 Coll., Act on Sickness Insurance
Act No. 258/2000 Coll., Act on the Protection of Public Health and on Amendments to Certain Related Acts

Note: All the information on this site is valid by January 2025 and we do our best to keep it updated despite many quick changes in the Czech legal regulations recently. Please always check the information at authorities' official sources and/or with the imigration centre. And if you find any error, we will be glad if you notice us via the contact form below. Thank you!

Do you have any useful tip, recommendation or experience, which you'd like to share to help others? Or any comment on information on this page? Let us know.

Personal Obstacles to Work

IMPORTANT PERSONAL OBSTACLES TO WORK

Type of obstacle

Scope

Compensation

Note