We bring you the second part of a series on minimum wages and workers’ rights around the world. In part two, we look at our neighbour Austria, which is attracting thousands of Czech workers. But we also look at the United States and its virtually non-existent workers’ rights. Finally, we’ll give you advice on what to look out for when looking for work abroad.
Read also parts 1 and 3 of this series:
In Part 1, we look at what the purpose of the minimum wage actually is, and what employee rights you may encounter. Then we’ll look at specific areas – Europe, the European Union and Germany.
In the third part we will focus on two European countries – Slovakia and Switzerland. Finally, we will look at which countries offer the highest and lowest wages in the world.
Austria has a minimum wage. However, this wage is not set by the state itself, but by collective agreements between employee unions and employers’ associations. The amount of the minimum wage depends on various factors, such as the type of work, the age of the employee and his/her experience and the place of work.
This is why you will find higher minimum wages in some sectors (e.g. banking) and lower minimum wages in others (e.g. textiles). The lowest wage you can expect to encounter in Austria is €1,500 per month, with most employers offering a 13th and 14th salary (one in June and one in December).
Tip: We have unions here too, but they don’t have as important a function as in Austria. Read what unions are and what they do.
Collective agreements also play a major role in other aspects and different sectors therefore offer different rights to employees. Nevertheless, there are some uniform rules. These relate to working time, which is normally 40 hours per week with a maximum of 60 hours per week (but many companies have reduced working time to 38 hours per week). Employees are entitled to a 30-minute break after working six hours and a 45-minute break if they have worked eight hours.
Tip: Few of us can work for eight hours without a break. Even for the sake of work performance itself, it is good to take a break and rest for a while. Last but not least, the law requires it. Find out what the minimum requirements for taking breaks at work are.
As for the probationary period, it is limited to one month, with even shorter periods in some sectors. During this period, the employee can be given immediate notice without any notice period. However, the same applies to the other party.
Holidays in Austria are set at 25 days per year for those working 5 days per week and 30 days for those working 6 days per week. However, entitlement to holiday entit lement does not arise until 6 months’ service has been completed. Until then, the employee is entitled to 2 days of holiday per month. Maternity leave usually starts 8 weeks before the due date of childbirth and for 8 weeks after the birth, female employees are prohibited from working. Subsequent parental leave then lasts until the child reaches the age of two at the most.
Are you about to sign an employment contract?
Have it checked by an attorney. This is the only way to make sure you really know what you’re signing and won’t be fooled.
As a resident of an EU country, you don’t need a visa or residence permit to work in Austria. It’s also easier for you to have your Czech diplomas and courses recognised. However, you should take into account that the approval process can be quite lengthy, especially for some professions.
The minimum wage in the US will vary considerably. It is a federation and therefore each state has slightly different labour laws. Nevertheless, there are also federal laws that apply to all states indiscriminately. The federal minimum wage here is set at $7.25 per hour, or $2.13 for tipped employees (waiters, etc.)
In terms of individual states, Washington offers the highest minimum wage. It is $16.28 per hour. The lowest wage can be found in Wyoming or Georgia, for example, where the federal minimum wage is $7.25 per hour.
The U.S. is not exactly a state known for a robust system of employee rights. For this reason, you may find this system quite surprising. First and foremost, there is no set maximum length of working hours. Thus, workers can easily work 80 hours per week. Work in excess of 40 hours per week is considered overtime. However, overtime may or may not be paid – it must be paid to employees who are paid by the hour, at a minimum of 1.5 times the standard hourly wage. However, employees who are paid a set monthly wage do not have to be paid overtime.
Tip: Have you been leaving work at 8pm for six months and it hasn’t affected your paycheck yet? Learn what you deserve for working overtime.
There is no such thing as mandatory paid leave in the United States. So it is a bonus that only some companies offer to attract more employees. Most often, it is 11 days of paid time off per year. In most cases, however, employees must take unpaid leave. It’s no better in the case of maternity leave. Although working mothers are entitled to 12 weeks of maternity leave, it is unpaid. Therefore, it is not uncommon for women to return to work a few days after giving birth for financial reasons. The same applies to parental leave, which is synonymous with maternity leave.
Working in the US is not so easy. As a citizen of the Czech Republic, you can obtain a Visa Waiver, which allows you to stay in the USA for up to 90 days. However, you will need a special work visa to work. The best visa is the employment-based visa. It will be approved based on what you can do, your education and work experience. You may therefore be refused.
Tip: Working abroad can also involve the need for housing. Read how to rent a house abroad.
When looking for a job abroad, you may encounter a number of pitfalls and scammers. Let’s take a look at what to look out for:
Tip: Want to work abroad as a freelancer? Then read on to find out what it’s like to be able to use your trade in Germany or Slovakia and what you need to do to do so.
Tip: Have you experienced discrimination in the workplace and efforts to find a normal solution are not working? Do you want to file a lawsuit but are not sure if you will win? We will assess your chances of success in court and suggest a solution that will lead to the desired outcome.
Read also parts 1 and 3 of this series:
In Part 1, we look at what the purpose of the minimum wage actually is, and what employee rights you may encounter. Then we’ll look at specific areas – Europe, the European Union and Germany.
In the third part we will focus on two European countries – Slovakia and Switzerland. Finally, we will look at which countries offer the highest and lowest wages in the world.
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