Employment Guide

Employment Guide - Slasify

Written by Slasify | Jun 21, 2025 2:04:47 PM
Albania Hiring Key Takeaways
Key Takeaways
1. Payroll operates monthly or semi-monthly with a minimum wage of ALL 40,000/month, and payment frequency depends on salary calculation method.
2. Personal income tax is progressive from 13% to 23%, with no local employment taxes applied.
3. Social insurance and health contributions apply to both employees and employers (Employer: 16.7%, Employee: 11.2% combined).
4. Standard working hours are 40 per week, with daily rest breaks, weekly rest days, and regulated overtime compensation.
5. Annual leave is 4 calendar weeks, plus 14 public holidays, sick leave, maternity leave, and other paid/unpaid leaves.
6. Termination requires statutory notice and proper procedure, with severance pay based on tenure and contract type.
7. Probationary period is generally 3 months, with leave and bonus policies varying based on role, seniority, and agreement.

Discover the global hiring and employment landscape in Albania – an emerging market in Southeast Europe, known for its competitive labor costs and rapidly improving business climate. With its strategic location and growing industries, Albania presents exciting opportunities for business expansion.

 


Personal Income Tax

Monthly taxable Income from employment (ALL) Progressive Tax Rate (%)
Up to 2,040,000 13
Over 2,040,000 23


Loca
l Taxes

There are no local taxes on employment income in Albania.


Statutory Contributions

Contributions for social insurance shall be calculated based on the employee's gross monthly salary of up to ALL 176,416, while health insurance contributions are calculated on the gross monthly salary.


Employer Contributions

  Contribution rate
Social Insurance 15%
Health Insurance 1.7%


Employee Contributions

  Contribution rate
Social Insurance 9.5%
Health Insurance 1.7%


Payment of Wages

Employers are obligated to pay their employees' salaries regularly as follows:

Salary calculation Pay frequency
By the hour, day or week Semi-monthly
By the month Monthly


Minimum Wage

The minimum wage in Albania is set at ALL 40,000 per month.


Statutory Bonus

There is no mandatory requirement for employers to give their employees bonuses. However, if annual bonuses are given 3 years in a row without express reservations, the employer must continue such payments in the future.


Termination

An indefinite term contract ends when a party decides, and when the relevant notice period has expired.

Employers must notify their employees in writing of their intention to dismiss them and conduct a hearing within 72 hours. During the hearing, the employer shall present their reasons and give the employee the opportunity to defend themselves.

The outcome of the dismissal hearing must be made in writing within a week. This procedure applies to all cases of dismissal, including immediate dismissal of the employee.


Notice Period

Parties unilaterally terminating their contract are obligated to observe the following notice period:

Length of service Notice period
Up to 1 year 1 month
Over 1 year, up to 5 years 2 months
Over 5 years 3 months

Notice periods can be changed by written agreement, provided that the notice period is not less than the following:

Length of service Notice period
Up to 6 months 2 weeks
More than 6 months 1 month

In any case, either party to the employment relationship can terminate their contract immediately as long as there is a justified reason. All serious circumstances that do not allow the continuation of the employment relationship, in accordance with the principle of good faith, are considered justified reasons.


Severance Pay

Employers who dismiss their employees without following the proper procedure shall pay their employees 2 months' salary.

Furthermore, employees with at least 3 years of service shall be entitled to severance equivalent to 15 days' salary for each full year of work, calculated based on the employee's salary at the end of the employment relationship. The right to this severance will be lost if the employee is dismissed with immediate effect for just cause.


Probationary Period

The first 3 months of work are considered as a probationary period, except when the parties have concluded a contract for the performance of the same work. Probationary period may be reduced or waived by written agreement or collective agreement.

During the probationary period, each of the parties may terminate the contract by notifying the other party of its decision at least 5 days in advance.


Work Time Rules

Standard Working Hours

Normal working hours in Albania are subject to a maximum of 8 hours per day and 40 hours per week.


Overtime

If the circumstances necessitates the performance of additional hours, the employer may require their employees to perform overtime as necessary, taking into account the personal and family conditions of the employee.

The maximum number of overtime hours are defined in the collective agreement or employment contract, though the performance of overtime cannot be requested when the employee has performed 50 hours of work in the week.

Employees working overtime must be paid at 125% of their normal salary for each hour worked that is not compensated with rest. Alternatively, employers may agree with the employee to compensate overtime with leave that is at least 25% greater than the duration of overtime worked, given within 2 months from the day the overtime is performed.


Weekly Rest Days

Employees are entitled to a daily rest of at least 11 consecutive hours and a weekly rest of at least 36 hours, of which 24 hours are continuous. Weekly rest includes Sunday and is not paid.

Work performed on a weekly rest day shall be compensated with an additional pay of at least 25% or with compensatory rest received a week before or after its completion.

Overtime worked on a weekly rest day shall be compensated with time off or paid at 150% of the employee's normal salary.


H
oliday and Leave Entitlements

Public Holidays

As a rule, work is prohibited on public holidays. There are 14 days of public holidays in Albania for 2025.

Holiday Date
New Year’s Holiday January 1–2
Summer Day March 14
Nevruz Day March 22
Eid al-Fitr March 30
Catholic/Orthodox Easter April 20
Labor Day May 1
Eid al-Adha June 6
Saint Teresa Sanctification Day September 5
Alphabet Day November 22
Flag and Independence Day November 28
Liberation Day November 29
National Youth Day December 8
Christmas Day December 25

Public holidays are paid, and those that fall on a weekly rest day shall be postponed to the next working day.

Work performed on public holidays shall be compensated with an additional pay of at least 25% or with compensatory rest received a week before or after its completion.

Overtime worked on public holidays shall be compensated with time off or paid at 150% of the employee's normal salary.


Annual Leave

Employees shall be entitled to at least 4 calendar weeks of paid annual leave. When the employee has not completed a full year of work, the duration of paid annual leave shall be prorated accordingly.

Annual leave must be granted during the working year or until the end of Q1 of the following year but must never be less than a consecutive calendar week.

With considerations of the employee's wishes, the employer determines the starting date of the paid annual leave. The employee must be notified at least 30 days in advance.


Sick Leave

When the employee cannot work due to illness, they shall be entitled to 14 days of sick leave, paid at 80% of their salary. Any remaining period of absence due to illness may be covered by social insurance.

Employees can prove their incapacity for work through medical reports issued by a doctor.


Maternity Leave

Pregnant employees are entitled to 35 days of pre-natal leave and 42 days of post-natal leave. When the pregnant employee carries more than a child, the pre-natal leave becomes 60 days.

The employee's income during maternity leave shall be determined by the law on social security. After the 42-day postpartum period, the employee can decide for themselves whether to work or benefit from social security.


Other Leave

Leave Paid/Unpaid Duration Note
Bereavement Leave Paid 5 days For the death of an employee's spouse, ancestors or direct descendants.
Carer's Leave Unpaid 10 days For employees with direct ancestors or descendants with serious illness.
Childcare Leave Paid 12 days per year

For the necessary care of the employee's dependent children. Those with minor children up to 3 years of age are entitled to 15 days of leave per year when they get sick.

These employees have the right to be absent for  an additional period of up to 30 days per year without pay.

Marriage Leave Paid 5 days For the employee's marriage.


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