Temping is a great way to earn money, become independent and slowly get used to how the work process works. Would you like to earn some extra money while you study, but you’re not sure how a part-time job works? In this article you will find out what conditions you need to meet, what contract to sign and where to look for a temporary job.
There are 2 basic requirements to start a temporary job. You must be over 15 years old and have completed compulsory schooling. Compulsory schooling is set at 9 years, or at most until the end of the school year in which you reach the age of 17. You can therefore start a part-time job during the summer holidays immediately after leaving school (but only if you are already 15 years old). Your new employer may ask you for your school leaving certificate to check that you have actually completed your compulsory schooling.
The only exceptions to this are artistic, cultural, advertising or sporting activities. However, you must obtain permission from the employment office for these activities. In addition, it is limited to 20 hours per week and must not interfere with school lessons.
Are you going to sign the contract?
It is a good idea to have employment contracts and other types of contracts reviewed by a lawyer. An affordable lawyer will check your contracts quickly, reliably and completely online.
When a person turns 15 and completes school, he or she is able to sign a work contract, but is still protected by a law that takes into account his or her mental and physical immaturity. Young temporary workers, i.e. people under the age of 18, are therefore more restricted in their work than adult workers. These restrictions include:
Young workers can only be given work that is not unreasonable, dangerous or harmful to them. Therefore, they must not perform work where they or anyone else would be at increased risk of injury or work where there is a risk of occupational disease. In addition, they must not carry heavy loads. Some work is expressly prohibited. These include, for example, mining work, work with explosives, work on live electrical equipment, work at heights above 1.5 m, etc. The exception is where minors are preparing for their future profession. They may therefore carry out this type of work if it is part of their practice at secondary school or apprenticeship level and if they are supervised at all times.
Tip: Are you an employer planning to hire new employees? We can help you navigate employment law and set up your employment documents in accordance with the law.
For minors, the length and nature of working time is also limited. Juvenile workers may not work night shifts or overtime. Again, the only exception is training for future employment. In this case, it is allowed to work 1 hour at night.
In addition, minors are entitled to a break of at least 30 minutes after 4.5 hours of work. Juveniles are also entitled to a minimum of 48 hours of uninterrupted rest each week.
Tip: Few of us can work for eight hours without a break. And it shouldn’t be the goal. It’s a good idea to take some time off for the sake of work performance. Last but not least, the law requires it. Find out what the minimum requirements for taking breaks are.
Minors are not allowed to work with alcohol, including, for example, manning a booth in a swimming pool where beer is sold. Minors can work with money, but the employer cannot ask them to sign a material responsibility. Therefore, they are not responsible for paying the shortfall.
If you are going on a temporary job, you are likely to come across one of the following contracts. So let’s take a look at how they differ and what the advantages and disadvantages are.
If you have a limited summer job, you’re more likely to come across a DPP. It is limited to 300 hours, which is probably plenty of time for the summer. It is also more advantageous in terms of compulsory social security and health insurance contributions. These are only payable if your monthly earnings exceed CZK 10,500. Otherwise, insurance premiums are payable – pension premiums are 4.5 per cent of total earnings and social security premiums are 6.5 per cent.
As far as the taxation of the work arrangement is concerned, you as a student do not pay taxes. However, this is only the case if you have signed the so-called pink tax declaration and only if your earnings do not exceed CZK 10,500. Otherwise, 15% tax is deducted from your remuneration.
Tip: Learn what to look out for when entering into a performance agreement and what the advantages are.
You are more likely to encounter a work activity agreement in the case of longer-term temporary jobs or if you have exhausted the 300-hour limit for a FTE with one employer. The FTE is only limited to a maximum of 20 hours per week. This is an average, so you can work 40 hours one week and not at all the next.
You do not have to pay taxes if your salary is below CZK 4,000. Otherwise, you must pay health insurance, but only the minimum assessment base.
Even if you are a student, it is worth signing a pink tax declaration. You will have to pay taxes on the FTE, but only the advance tax. You can then file a tax return at the start of the next year, claiming the taxpayer and student tax credits.
Tip: Read more about how the employment contract works.
Both the contract of employment and the contract of employment must always be in writing and contain the following basic information:
Tip: Read the contract thoroughly before you sign it. It’s also a good idea to have it checked by an attorney. With the services of an Affordable Solicitor, we can guarantee you a quick and reliable check, completed from the comfort of your own home.
Always sign only contracts that contain all material information and that do not contain meaningless obligations. At the same time, never accept a part-time job without a contract. You may get money in hand without having to pay taxes or insurance, but the work may not be worthwhile. The contract is there to protect you.
Without a contract, your employer may end up telling you that they won’t pay you anything. And you have no way of defending yourself at that point. There is no evidence that you did the work. Nor will you be entitled to compensation in the event of an accident at work. In addition, you may also be fined. That is why it is not really worthwhile to work without a contract.
Tip: Read more about the pitfalls of working underground in our next article.
Finally, here are some tips on where to look for part-time jobs for students, and not just for the summer. First of all, it is a good idea to look for friends or family members. Often you will find something and you can be more sure that you will be satisfied with the job. You can also search on various internet portals such as Jobs.cz, Fajn-brigady.cz or Prace.cz. You can also search on Facebook groups that offer jobs or you can try to inquire in person at the place of work.
If you speak a foreign language, you can also look abroad. Here, they often look for young people to work as summer help in hotels, hospitality, lifeguards or nannies. This type of work will not only bring you money, but also lots of useful experience and opportunities to improve your language. Many Czech agencies offer similar jobs, such as Czech-us.cz or CoolAgent.cz. You can also search on international portals such as SummerJobs.com or SeasonWorkers.com.
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Ondřej is the attorney who came up with the idea of providing legal services online. He's been earning his living through legal services for more than 10 years. He especially likes to help clients who may have given up hope in solving their legal issues at work, for example with real estate transfers or copyright licenses.
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