North Macedonia (MK)
Affordable Balkan EU-candidate country with low flat taxes, mountain and lake lifestyle, growing IT outsourcing, good regional travel, and a bureaucracy that rewards careful paperwork and local-language support.
Employment Rights
Sick leave, dismissal protection and red flags in North Macedonia.
North Macedonia employment law is governed primarily by the Labour Relations Law (Zakon za Rabotni Odnosi), the Law on Safety and Health at Work, and the Law on Prevention of and Protection against Discrimination. The State Labour Inspectorate (Državna inspektorat za trud) enforces labour law compliance. Employment disputes are adjudicated by the Basic Courts with labour jurisdiction. Collective agreements negotiated by the confederation of trade unions (SSM) play an important role in many sectors. Expats must also manage the immigration consequences of job changes, termination, and registration deadlines — changing employer often requires a new work permit.
Sick leave
Rules: Employees are entitled to paid sick leave under the Labour Relations Law and the Health Insurance Law. For the first 30 days of sick leave the employer pays: 70% of regular income for days 1–7; 80% for days 8–15; and 90% for days 16–30. After 30 days, the Health Insurance Fund (HIF) takes over payment for the remainder of the illness period, subject to medical commission assessment. A medical certificate from a doctor is required from Day 1.
Doctor note: Day 1 — a medical certificate from a doctor is required from the first day of sick absence. Employers require documentation before processing sick leave pay.
Employer pay: Employer pays sick leave for the first 30 days at a graduated rate: 70% (days 1–7), 80% (days 8–15), 90% (days 16–30). After 30 days, the Health Insurance Fund pays the benefit.
Long-term: After 30 days of sick leave, the Health Insurance Fund (HIF) takes over and pays sickness benefit for the duration of the illness, subject to medical commission procedures and the employee's contribution record. Prolonged illness beyond 12 months may trigger assessment by a disability commission.
Dismissal protection
Law: The Labour Relations Law sets out grounds for valid dismissal (conduct, performance, redundancy) and requires a written termination decision stating the legal grounds. Dismissal without valid written grounds or proper procedure is unlawful. Employers must give the employee an opportunity to respond to allegations before terminating for conduct or performance reasons. Severance pay is owed on redundancy-based dismissals.
Deadline to sue: 90 days from the date the employee learned of the dismissal (and in any case within 5 years of the date the violation occurred). The 90-day limit applies to filing a claim with the competent Basic Court. Act immediately — gather documentation, written notice, and seek legal advice within the first two weeks of dismissal.
Probation
Probation is permitted if agreed in writing in the employment contract; the maximum probation period is 6 months under the Labour Relations Law. A shortened notice applies during probation. North Macedonia employment contracts may include probation of up to 4 months for most roles (6 months in limited circumstances). Termination during probation has a simplified procedure; however, it still requires written notice. A change of employer typically requires a new work permit, which makes probation termination particularly consequential for expat workers.
Notice periods
Standard statutory notice period is 1 month. For collective redundancies (more than 150 employees or 5% of total staff), the minimum notice is 2 months. The employment contract may specify longer notice; payment in lieu of notice is permitted. Notice must be given in writing.
Working time
Max hours: Standard full-time working hours are 40 hours per week (8 hours per day), under the Labour Relations Law. Reduced working hours may apply for hazardous or physically demanding work. Total weekly hours including overtime must not exceed 48 hours.
Min rest: Minimum daily rest: 11 consecutive hours between working days. Minimum weekly rest: 24 consecutive hours (typically Sunday). A paid rest break of at least 30 minutes is required for shifts exceeding 6 hours. Annual public holidays are in addition to annual leave.
Overtime: Overtime is permitted in urgent situations and is capped at 8 hours per week (190 hours per year). Overtime must be compensated at not less than 135% of the standard hourly rate (as per collective agreement). Overtime must be ordered/recorded in writing.
Vacation
Minimum annual leave is 20 working days per year. Additional days are granted by seniority: +1 day after 5 years, scaling up to a maximum of 26 working days for employees with 30+ years of service. Employees with disabilities, workers in hazardous conditions, and younger workers may receive additional leave. At least 12 days must be taken by year-end; remaining days may be taken up to 30 June of the following year. Holiday pay is at full regular wage.
Anti-discrimination
The Law on Prevention of and Protection against Discrimination and the Labour Relations Law prohibit discrimination in employment on grounds of race, ethnicity, sex, pregnancy, disability, religion, political opinion, age, sexual orientation, social origin, and other protected characteristics. The Commission for Prevention and Protection against Discrimination (CPPD) handles discrimination complaints. Employment discrimination claims may also be brought before the Basic Courts. Workplace harassment is also prohibited. EU accession candidate status has driven alignment of North Macedonia's anti-discrimination framework with the EU Equality Directives.
Contract red flags
- !Starting work before residence/work permission is confirmed in writing — without a valid work permit, employment is illegal and the employee bears immigration risk.
- !Gross/net salary confusion — social contributions and personal income tax must be calculated from the gross; a contract stating only a net figure hides your true cost and tax obligations.
- !No social contributions breakdown shown — employer and employee contributions to the Health Insurance Fund, Pension Fund and Employment Fund must appear on payslips.
- !Cash salary outside payroll — unreported cash pay creates serious tax, permit and termination-benefit disputes.
- !Role in contract differs from permit-specified occupation — a mismatch can invalidate the work permit and trigger visa cancellation.
- !No health insurance registration — employees must be registered with the Health Insurance Fund from Day 1; confirm registration within the first week.
- !No explanation of permit implications on termination — termination or resignation usually ends the work permit and requires prompt re-registration or departure.
- !Non-compete clause with no geographical or time limit — North Macedonia law requires reasonable limits; unlimited non-competes are unenforceable but can still be used as pressure.
Employment Rights
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