Moving to Cyprus / The Health System / Education / Living in Cyprus / Infrastructure / Social Security / Labour
Amendments of employment contracts
Terms of employment are set out in the collective agreements between trade unions and employers or in the individual employment contracts concluded by an employer and its employees. The collective agreements usually have force for two years.
The employer is obliged to give the employee written notice within one month of any alteration of the terms of employment.
It should be emphasised that an employer who wishes to amend an employee's terms of employment must consult with and obtain the agreement of the employee before making any change. If an employer changes the terms of employment of an employee without the employee's agreement, such that the terms are worsened, the employee may, on the basis of case law, invoke enforced resignation on account of the deterioration of his terms of employment and take the matter to the Labour Disputes Court citing unlawful dismissal.
In cases such as the transfer or merger of an enterprise, the employer must provide the employees with the following information in a timely way before the transfer or merger is effected: the date of the transfer or merger, the reasons for the transfer or merger, the legal, economic and social repercussions of the transfer or merger and the actions which are open to the employees.
The rights and obligations of the employer which flow from collective agreements or employment contracts at the date of the transfer are transferred to the new employer. Following the transfer, the new employer retains for at least one year the terms of employment that were agreed via the collective agreement in the degree to which they were implemented in respect of the former employer.
Further Information
- Department of Labour Relations
Tel: 22401695/6.
Text last edited on: 11/2005
Payment is usually made weekly or monthly. The employer pays the salary after deducting the compulsory payments of the employee (social security contributions, income tax and any other deductions provided for by a collective agreement or a law or a regulation, such as contributions to welfare funds and for health care et al)
In Cyprus, salaries are normally fixed through collective agreements.
The collective agreements are usually made for two years and are negotiated between employers and the labour organisations. The procedures to be followed for the submission of claims and negotiation and/or mediation are regulated by the Industrial Relations Code.
The Ministry of Labour fixes minimum wage levels each year for office workers, sales people, nurses in baby nurseries, infant school assistants and school assistants every year.
The Council of Ministers recently fixed the minimum gross wage at £362 per month, rising to £385 per month after six months' employment.
Payment for additional hours worked (overtime) is fixed by collective agreement on the basis of time and a half, and, in most cases, on the basis of double time for work done on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays. A number of organisations provide for payment in the form of bonuses or other sums based on results, chiefly in the cases of management staff and salespeople.
Most enterprises and organisations pay a 13th and even, more rarely, a 14th salary at Christmas and Easter respectively. These payments are governed by the collective agreements or by agreement between the employer and the employee.
Payment by commission is made chiefly to employees working in sales.
Equal remuneration is provided for by the Equal Pay between Men and Women for the Same Work or for Work to which Equal Value is Attributed Law of 2002 (L. 177(I)/2002). Under that law, every employer must provide equal pay to men and women for the same work or for work to which equal value is attributed, irrespective of the sex of the employee.
Remuneration is protected in case of sickness through the social insurance system or through a collective agreement or through both.
Further Information
- Department of Labour Relations
Tel: 22401695/6
Text last edited on: 11/2005
Working time varies according to sector and profession. Most offices and enterprises work from 08:00 to 17:30, with a break from 13:00 to 14:30. The law lays down maximum hours of working; variations in different branches are fixed through the collective agreements. Usually, however, employees work from 38 to 40 hours a week, and overtime is paid for any additional hours, as has been said above.
Specifically:
- every worker must have a minimum of 11 continuous hours of rest in a 24-hour period and one unbroken rest period of at least 35 hours week. The legislation fixes the maximum working week at 48 hours, including overtime, averaged over a period of four months
- night work is considered to be work done between 23.00 and 18.00 and must not exceed eight hours in 24 hours
- when the daily working time exceeds six hours, the employee is entitled to a break of at least 15 minutes during which he is entitled to leave his work post; the setting of the break at the very beginning or immediately after the work is prohibited
- digressions from the provisions on daily rest time, weekly rest time, break time, night working and the reference period for the 48-hour week are permitted on up to four occasions in 12 months. The digressions must be in compliance with the collective agreements or with agreements between the employer and representatives of the employees
Weekly working time, overtime and weekly rest time are regulated by special legislation for shop assistants, office workers, drivers and hotel and entertainment centre workers.
The working time of young people and children is regulated by special legislation. Persons of 15 to 18 years of age are not allowed to work more than 38 hours a week and must not work between 23:00 and 07:00.
Further Information
- Department of Labour Relations
Tel: 22401695/6
Text last edited on: 11/2005
Responsibility for vocational training and personnel development issues in Cyprus resides with the Human Resource Development Authority. The Authority endeavours to create conditions for planned and systematic training and development of human resources in Cyprus at all levels and in all sectors in order to meet the needs of the economy in the context of the state's social and economic policy.
As part of its activity, the Authority organises a series of programmes for the technical training of personnel in concert with other competent bodies. These programmes are open to persons who are employed by Cypriot enterprises. They include initial training in technical and hotel occupations, training of tertiary education graduates for managerial posts in enterprises and an apprenticeship scheme aimed at young people of 14 years of age and over who wish to be trained and employed in technical occupations.
New programmes are planned for specific population groups such as the unemployed, women and persons who have received education up to secondary level only.
The Human Resource Development Authority also subsidises seminars organised by enterprises for their personnel and training programmes organised by training institutions.
Details of the open programmes which are subsidised by the Human Resource Development Authority can be found on the website. The programmes encompass subjects such as administration, customer service, information technology and new technologies, etc
Text last edited on: 11/2005
Under the Annual Holidays with Pay Law, minimum annual leave with pay is set at four weeks (20 working days for employees working a five-day week and 24 working days for employees working a six day week). Where employees are entitled to a longer period of leave than that provided for by the annual paid leave legislation, by virtue of another law, a collective agreement, custom or a special agreement, the entitlement to that longer period of leave is protected.
Each enterprise determines the period in which its employees may take their annual leave, according to its requirements.
Government offices are closed on the following public holidays:
- 1 January
- 6 January – Epiphany
- Shrove Monday (variable date)
- 25 March
- 1 April
- Good Friday (variable date)
- Easter Monday (variable date)
- 1 May
- 15 August
- 1 October
- 28 October
- 25 December – Christmas Day
- 26 December
The holidays are not the same at all businesses. The holidays at each business have to be agreed by the employer and the employees or their representatives. The number of holidays (with pay) varies from 14 to 17 at businesses in Cyprus.
Further Information
- Social Insurance Services
Tel: 22401772/685 - Department of Labour Relations
Tel: 22401695/6
Text last edited on: 05/2005
Sick Leave
Sick leave with payment by the employer is fixed by relevant provisions in collective agreements or by agreement between the employer and the employees. A worker who does not receive sick pay from his employer is entitled to sickness benefit from the Social Insurance Fund after the third day of absence from work, provided that he satisfies the requirements on the payment of contributions to the Fund.
Protection of Maternity
Under the Protection of Maternity Law (No 100(I)/1997), Áñ.100(É)/1997, every natural mother is entitled to a total of 16 weeks maternity leave, of which nine weeks must be given in the period commencing in the second week before the expected week of the birth. An adoptive mother is entitled to a total of 14 weeks maternity leave immediately after taking over the care of a child under 12 years of age for adoption purposes.
Parental Leave and Leave on Grounds of Force Majeure
Under the Parental Leave and Leave on Grounds of Force Majeure Law of 2002 (N.69(I)/2002), every employed parent (father and mother) who has worked for one employer for at least six months is entitled to parental leave totalling 13 weeks subsequent to a birth or adoption in order to attend to the care and raising of the child. This leave is unpaid, but during it the employee is credited with insurable earnings. This right is personal and not transferable.
Study Leave
Employees in some professions are given study leave to obtain vocational qualifications. Each enterprise decides by itself how many days to give its employees for that purpose.
Further Information
- Social Insurance Services
Tel: 22401772/685 - Department of Labour Relations
Tel: 22401695/6.
Text last edited on: 06/2006
Recruitment / Applications/ Recognition of qualifications /
Conclusion of employment contracts / Amendment of employment contracts /
Remuneration / Working time / Vocational training / Annual leave / Other leave /
End of employment / Employment of women / Special categories /
Occupational risks / Sexual harassment / Representation / Disputes /
copyright © lintv 2008 contact webmaster lintv
Informing you locally online, lintv brings you the latest round-up of news from Paphos & Cyprus with video news every Friday and print news every week-day
