What are employers' obligations in a state of emergency?

The Government of Serbia has adopted the Decree on the measures during the state of emergency, deviating from the human and minority rights guaranteed by the Constitution.

The Decree on organizing employers' work during the state of emergency, which defines work outside the company's premises and from home, implements a ban on business trips and defines the obligations regarding employees' health protection, adopted by the Government of Serbia on March 15 and published in the Official Gazette.

This covers remote work and work from home. The decree also says that, if this form of work is not envisaged in the general act and the employment contract, the employer can enable the employee to do work outside the company's premises by decision, “if the organizational conditions allow for it”.

The decision must define the working hours and the manner of supervision of the employee's work, and the employer must run a register of employees who work outside the company's premises.

The employers whose activity is such that it cannot be organized in this manner is obliged to adjust the operations to the conditions of the state of emergency and, if possible, to organize work in shifts, if it doesn't require additional funds, so as to reduce the number of people in a single room at the same time. These employers oblige to enable business meetings through electronic means, or by video link, video call or other similar means.

The decree obliges the employer to postpone business trips in the country and abroad in line with the decision of the competent organ on the ban or temporary restriction of entrance and movement.

Employers are obliged by this decree to secure all the general, special and extraordinary measures pertaining to the hygienic safety of the facility and people in line with the Law on Protection of Populace from Infectious Diseases, to the end of protecting the health of the employees, hired persons and clients.

Vlada Republike Srbije

Government of Serbia

Decree on measures during the state of emergency

state of emergency

remote work

work from home

ban on business trips

work in shifts