Working in Slovenia

Slovenia is one of the 13 Slavic countries that have a dynamic and rich economy. Although this nation suffered from the major European economic crises in 2008, especially in terms of foreign investment, Slovenia is still constantly taking up preventive and restorative measures to improve the state of the country.

Slovenia is considered to have a high-income economy that makes it a well-developed, stable and progressive European nation. Aside from having an impressive Gross Domestic Product of USD 68.770 (PPP), this nation also boasts a highly competitive and educated workforce as well as modernised and well-developed infrastructures. Though the level of direct foreign investments in Slovenia is one of the lowest in the region, this country remains economically strong because of its heavy reliance on foreign trade with other European Union members such as France, Italy, Germany and Austria.

The Job Market

Slovenia has an approximated workforce of 926,000. About two-thirds or 62.8% of the Slovene working population is employed in the Services sector particularly in finance, while 35% are in the industry sector. The remaining 2.2% can be found in the agricultural sector. Meanwhile, for expats who want to take their chances in Slovenia, sectors that offer opportunities for employment include trade and industry, particularly car production, commerce, manufacturing, construction, and business services.

Among the companies that employ the highest number of people in Slovenia are Telekom Slovenijed.d. Ljubljana, PoštaSlovenijed.o.o. Maribor, Gorenjed.d. Velenje, Mercator d.d. Ljubljana, Krka d.d. Novo Mesto, Boxmark Leather d.o.o., Uniord.d. Zreče, Lekd.d. Ljubljana,SŽ – Vleka in tehnika, Ljubljana, Revozd.d. Novo Mesto, Kidričevo and Merkurd.d. Naklo.

Average Salary and Working Conditions

At present, the minimum wage in Slovenia stands at EUR 4.57 per hour, EUR 36.79 per day, EUR 183.95 per week or EUR 804.96 per month. The Article 2 of the Slovene Minimum Wage Act indicates that the minimum wage in this country is set for full-time employees or those who work eight hours per day. Those who work part-time are entitled to a proportionate share of the minimum salary. The average monthly salary, on the other hand, is at EUR 1,684 which can still vary depending on the expatriate’s job category, industry, location and qualifications.

Slovenia has a standard work week of forty hours per week, or eight hours a day, Mondays to Fridays. Major businesses and establishments usually operate from 8 AM to 5 PM, or 9 AM to 6 PM. Slovene employees who are working full time are entitled to have a 30-minute break during daily work, and 12 hours of uninterrupted rest within a 24-hour period. Furthermore, all employees are entitled to have a paid annual leave of four weeks every year and paid absence for not more than seven working days.

Income Tax

Income tax in Slovenia is levied on all workers at a progressive scale, starting from 16% up to 50%. Slovenia has double taxation conventions with some countries, so foreign nationals working in Slovenia might want to check if their home country has a tax treaty with Slovenia to avoid double taxation on their income.

Work Culture in Slovenia

Generally speaking, Slovenia has a polycentric culture which means that its people have the tendency to change their behaviour to mirror that of the person they are dealing with. For example, Slovenians are mostly indirect communicators but when they can adjust to being more straightforward when talking to someone who has a direct communicating culture. Because of them being polycentric, expats will find it easy to fit in and adapt to their new work environment since their local colleagues are more than willing to go out of their way just to meet their cultural differences halfway.

The handshake is the most common greeting among colleagues in Slovenia, but close friends and relatives often greet each other by kissing twice on the cheek. Expats should remember that first names are only used among friends and its best for them to address Slovenians using honorific titles such as ‘Gospa’ (Madam), ‘Gospod’ (Sir) or ‘Gospodièna’ (Miss). Slovenians are also egalitarian, and they base their business decisions on personal sentiments so expats must first build a relationship to ensure a smooth sailing professional relationship among the locals.