Belarus PEO & Employer of Record

WeHG provides an International PEO and global Employer of Record service in Belarus to companies willing to enter the Belarusian market or recruit local/expat employees in this country.

Traditional approach requires establishing a branch in Belarus.  However our solution allows you to start the operations in Belarus within days hence save time and money.  WeHG would hire candidates on your behalf while you maintain full operational control of their work. So legally they would be our employees, on our local payroll, 100% compliant but will work on your behalf.

Belarus fast facts

Population, million: 9,449,323
Land area: 207,600 km²
Capital: Minsk
Local currency: Belarusian ruble (BYR)

GDP per capita:$ 6500.00
GDP in currency:$ 51.10 billion

Belarus is a landlocked country located in Eastern Europe bordered by Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Russia, and the Ukraine.

Legislative acts and other regulations that govern the relations between employer and employee:

• the Constitution of the Republic of Belarus 
• the Labour Code
• law on trade unions
• the law on external labour migration

Hiring, Negotiating and Doing Business in Belarus

Necessity of written employment contract

Necessity of written employment contract – compulsory.

Different forms of engagement: employment, contracting, work with private entrepreneur

The employment of foreign citizens in Belarus is regulated by the laws on the legal status of foreign citizens and stateless persons in the Republic of Belarus, on external labor migration, and by international agreements.

Russian Federation citizens enjoy employment rights equal to those of Belarusians in accordance with the bilateral agreement signed by Belarus and Russia.

Apart from that, the Eurasian Economic Union Treaty regulates the employment of citizens of Russia, Kazakhstan, Armenia and Kyrgyzstan in Belarus and the other four countries.

Belarus Employment Contract

Types of employment agreements

Employment contracts can be drawn up for:

• an indefinite term
• a fixed term (not more than 5 years)
• a fixed term for a specific piece of work
• for the duration of seasonal work
• a temporary period to cover the absence of the worker, whose job position remains open

Belarus working hours

The full norm of working hours can not exceed 40 hours per week. If employee is 14-16 yo he is allowed to work not more than 23 hours per week, 16-18 yo – 35 hours per week.

Overtime

Total number of overtime hours should not exceed 180 hours per year / 10 hours per week / 12 hours per day.

Work during the night time (10 pm – 6 am) – +20% on top of hourly rate per each hour of work during the night.

Vacation leave in Belarus

Employees in Belarus are entitled to a minimum of 24 business days off per year.

Unpaid vacation entitlement

The employer is obliged at the request of the employee to grant leave without pay for up to 14 calendar days to the following categories of employees:

1) women who have two or more children under the age of fourteen or a disabled child under the age of eighteen;
2) Heroes of Belarus, Heroes of the Soviet Union, Heroes of Socialist Labor, full cavaliers of the orders of the Fatherland, Glory, Labor Glory;
3) veterans of the Great Patriotic War and veterans of military operations in the territory of other states;
4) caring for a sick family member in accordance with a medical certificate on the state of health;
5) persons with disabilities who work in factories, in workshops and in sections specially designated for the work of these persons;
6) other employees in cases stipulated by law, collective agreement, agreement.

Belarus Maternity Leave

For working women, regardless length of their service, the employer is required to child care leave after the end of the maternity leave until the age of three.
Leave to take care of a child until the age of three is at the discretion of the family to the working father or other relative, the family member of the child in the case of the mother’s exit from the child to work (service), study (when obtaining vocational, secondary, higher or postgraduate education in the day-time form of education), training in clinical internship in full-time, and also if she is an individual entrepreneur, notary, lawyer, creative worker, person, carrying out handicraft activities, activities in the field of agroecotourism (with the exception of persons who suspended their activities in accordance with the procedure established by law).

Belarusian Severance Laws

In Belarus, an employment contract can be terminated in the following circumstances:

• if both parties agree
• if the contract’s term expires except when neither of the parties wants the employment relations terminated
• if initiated by any party – the employer or the employee
• if the employee agrees to being transferred to another employer or gets transferred to an elective position
• if the employee disagrees with moving to another location to follow the employer, if the employee disagrees with new labor conditions, a new owner or re-organization of the company
• in circumstances independent of the will of the parties
• if the contract is terminated after a probationary period

Notice periods

If EA has indefinite character and employee has a will to terminate the contract notice period is 1 month. There are no specific requirements of notice periods if EA has fixed-term nature.

If there is a liquidation company process then notice period is 2 months.

In cases envisaged by the labour legislation when the worker is dismissed at the initiative of the employer he/she is entitled to a severance payment. In most cases, when labour relashionships are terminated at the initiative of the employer (and termination of the employment contract for circumstances beyond the control of the parties), the severance payment amounts to a two-week salary.
If the termination of employment is due to redundancy, liquidation or discontinuance of entrepreneurial activities, the worker is entitled to a redundancy payment which amounts to at least three-month average salary.

Employment law protects employees in Belarus by restricting the grounds on which an employer can dismiss staff.
Further details on the dismissal regulations of Belarus are outlined in Article 42 of the Labour Code.

Belarus Tax

The social security system in Belarus covers payment of sickness and maternity benefits which consist of a 6% contribution from the employer.

Health Insurance Benefits in Belarus

Belarusian nationals are entitled to receive public healthcare, however, most employers do provide additional health insurance coverage.

Additional Benefits in Belarus

Workers in the rapidly growing IT sector pay lower income tax rates, and receive high salaries and Western-style benefits and perks.

General market practice benefits/additional allowances

The 13th-month bonus in Belarus is considered a gratuity and is not required by local law.

Belarus Holidays

Belarus celebrates 9 public holidays for which employees are given the day off.

Public holidays:

• 1 January — New Year; 
• 7 January — Orthodox Christmas;
• 8 March — International women’s day;
• 28 April  (changable) — Radonitsa; 
• 1 May — Solidarity day;
• 9 May — Victory day; 
• 3 July — Independence day; 
• 7 November — October Revolution day;
• 25 December— Catholic Christmas.

Why Choose WeHireGlobally

WeHG takes care of all the onboarding hurdles, payroll, compensation and benefits, tax filing, and termination of employment. Our Employer of Record solution allows you to manage your overseas teams efficiently while minimizing cost and risk.