Archive:Public employment - Slovakia
- Data from Month Year. Most recent data: Further Eurostat information, Main tables and Database.
<Introduction: simple language, not too long, kind of executive summary>
Regional and administrative organisation
Introduction
Slovakia has been an independent parliamentary democracy since 1994, and has been a member of the European Union since 2004. It has a population of over 5 million inhabitants and a surface area of 49,000 square kilometres.
System of government
The President of Republic is elected directly by means of popular vote, with representative powers.
The Parliament is a single chamber (National Council of the Slovak Republic) made up of 150 members with a mandate of 4 years. True Executive Power lies with the Prime Minister, appointed by the President. The Government comprises the Prime Minister, the Vice-President and Ministers who may be subject to an individual vote of confidence by the Parliament, to which the Government is accountable. Main functions of the Government include: preparation of the state budget, government regulations, drafting and implementation of foreign policy, draft bills, etc.
Regional Organization
Slovakia is divided into 4 administrative divisions, 8 Regions, 79 Districts and 2,865 Municipalities. The regions and municipalities are self-government units. They have political and administrative autonomy. They are competent e. g. in matters of highways, education, hospitals and cultural facilities. They are organised by means of an Assembly and a President directly elected by popular vote. The municipalities are made up of a directly elected Assembly and Mayor, and deal with matters such as the environment, housing or water supply, etc.
However, there are two levels of the government administration at the local level:
First level is the regional level – this is e. g. the case of safety at work and labour inspection, environmental protection, road transportation, etc.
Second level is divided into two sublevels – district offices (e. g. environment, land) and county offices (an area of a county office usually covers several districts)
Public Employment structure
Regulation: The 2009 Civil Service Act contains a specific regulation for civil servants. It affects around 36,000 civil servants (0.74% of the total population) of the State Administration (including both central and local level) The Police Force, Customs Officers, Armed Forces, freely appointed positions, politicians and members of the Parliament and Government fall under the scope of different legal regulations.
The second basic group of the employees carrying out the duties of the public services covers the 2003 Act on work performed in public interest. It affects over 400,000 employees (19% of the active population) including local and regional self- government.
The 2001 Labour Code applies on the two abovementioned categories of public employees differently. Due to more specific regulation in the Civil Service Act, its scope is narrower in the case of civil servants.
According to the Civil Service Act, there are two types of civil service employment – permanent or temporary.
The work of public employees is regulated in the aforementioned Labour Code and, more specifically in the 2003 Act on work performed in public interest, which stipulates that public employees shall be those working in institutions linked to the state budget, municipalities, state foundations, state educational and health institutions, etc. and other public institutions.
Rights, Obligations, Principles And Values
The rights and obligations of civil servants are laid down by the Civil Service Act. Their rights include: working conditions that enable them to duly fulfil their duties, abilities and qualities. Their obligations include: the obligation to perform their tasks responsibly and on time, act properly and refrain from abusing their position, declare their assets and any incompatibility with another activity that provides them with economic benefits.
Performance is subject to permanent control and of a superior.
Working hours are a maximum of 40 hours a week (38.75 hours in a split shift and 37.5 hours in a continuous working day). There are special regulations for overtime and public holidays. Paid holidays are normally 4 weeks a year and, after 15 years of employment status (recognizing an employment different from the status of a civil servant) the holiday is 5 weeks a year. They are also entitled to a 65% food allowance for each working day. During pregnancy and the 9 months following the birth of a child, mothers are entitled to protection and special working conditions.
Civil servants, like all other employees, are covered by pension, unemployment and healthcare schemes.
To enter the civil service, a candidate must have a clean criminal record, full legal capacity and fulfil the necessary qualification. The civil service employment is based on a service contract which means that the system of an assignment based on an administrative decision has been abolished.
Civil servants are obliged to act impartially in their decisions; maintain confidentiality of all facts discovered in the course of civil service performance, refrain from accepting gifts or other types of personal benefits in relation to job performance; abstain from action that could lead to conflict of public and personal interests. They may not run a business or any other profitable activity similar to those performed as their civil service duties (the civil service act has enacted certain exceptions regarding the other profitable activities).
Career-Based System - Training
On-going training is both a right and an obligation for civil service employees. They must dedicate at least 5 days a year to their training, the organization of which is decentralized in each administrative unit. Each civil servant, including managers, has the obligation to enhance his/her skills and qualifications in accordance with requirements specified at the beginning of each year (a yearly plan of educational activities) in conjunction with the Human Resources Office and after consultation with the direct superior.
Recent Reforms and Prospects
Romania has recently reformed the pay system for civil servants and all personnel paid from budgetary funds by adopting the Law of uniform payroll of personnel paid from public funds (operating since the 1st of January 2010).
Publications
Main tables
- Title(s) of second level folder (if any)
- Title(s) of third level folder (if any)
Database
- Title(s) of second level folder (if any)
- Title(s) of third level folder (if any)
Dedicated section
Methodology / Metadata
<link to ESMS file, methodological publications, survey manuals, etc.>
- Name of the destination ESMS metadata file (ESMS metadata file - ESMS code, e.g. bop_fats_esms)
- Title of the publication
Source data for tables, figures and maps (MS Excel)
Other information
<Regulations and other legal texts, communications from the Commission, administrative notes, Policy documents, …>
- Regulation 1737/2005 of DD Month YYYY on ...
- Directive 86/2003 of DD Month YYYY on ...
- Commission Decision 86/2003 of DD Month YYYY on ...
<For other documents such as Commission Proposals or Reports, see EUR-Lex search by natural number>
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