Temporary and Seasonal Workers: How to Manage Them?

Seasonal jobs and temporary workers are an indispensable part of many industries – from gastronomy, retail, and agriculture to event management. Anyone who has ever had to recruit temporary workers during peak season knows it can feel like jumping onto a moving train. How can you ensure that hiring seasonal workers doesn’t become overwhelming? Let’s go through it step by step in this article.

This article applies only to the Czech Republic.

Seasonal Work Without the Hassle

Hiring seasonal workers is an opportunity to flexibly respond to fluctuating demand. Whether it’s seasonal work in the Czech Republic or jobs abroad, such as in Austria or Spain, having a well-structured recruitment process is crucial in industries where demand for temporary workers spikes during the season.

Where to Find Temporary Workers? Cast a Wide Net

Seasonal jobs are an excellent opportunity primarily for students and travelers. However, they can also be beneficial for those looking to earn extra income. Recruiters should start their search where these potential workers naturally gather. Universities and high schools are great sources. You can use anything from flyers on bulletin boards to Facebook groups. Social media, in general, is an excellent tool for reaching young talent. Not everyone actively searches for temporary jobs, so they may never visit specialized job portals. However, completely ignoring these portals would be a huge mistake. Similarly, avoiding employment agencies may not be the best approach either.

💡 Tip – Internal Recruitment! Don’t forget about your own employees – spread the word about seasonal job openings among them and see how many recommend their children, friends, or acquaintances. It’s also a good idea to maintain a directory of potential contacts you can reach out to when needed. This could include temporary workers from previous seasons or other job applicants.

Effective Recruitment is Key to Success

Want to attract the right temporary workers? The key is a well-written job ad. It should be clear, engaging, and contain specific details – job requirements, wage rates, job scope, and offered benefits. If you provide seasonal jobs with accommodation, you have a significant advantage. This expands your hiring pool and attracts candidates from different regions. This applies not only to seasonal work in the mountains but also to any recreational or agricultural areas. Whether you are looking for summer workers, harvest helpers, or winter season staff, quick response times and flexibility are essential. A simple rule applies to temporary jobs: less bureaucracy, more action.

Legislation on Hiring Temporary Workers: What to Watch Out For

If you have found suitable temporary workers, it’s important to be aware of labor laws and regulations to avoid any surprises. What should you pay attention to?

The Minimum Wage for Temporary Workers is the Same as for Full-Time Employees

Whether temporary workers are employed under a Contract for Work or an Agreement on Work Activities, they must be paid at least the minimum wage. In 2025, the minimum wage for a 40-hour workweek is set at 20,800 CZK per month. Temporary workers under DPP and DPČ are usually paid by the hour, so it’s crucial to ensure their average wage does not fall below the legal minimum, which is 124.40 CZK per hour.

Guaranteed Wage for More Complex Jobs
If the job is more demanding, requires more responsibility, or specific skills, a guaranteed wage applies. This is categorized based on job difficulty and can be significantly higher than the minimum wage.

When Must Temporary Workers File a Tax Return?

From January 2025, significant changes have been introduced regarding taxes and deductions for Contract for Work and Agreement on Work Activities contracts. The rules are becoming stricter, making these contracts less tax-advantageous than before.

Changes to Contract for Work

The limit for social and health insurance contributions under a Contract for Work  has changed. Previously, earnings up to 10,000 CZK were exempt from contributions. The new threshold is now 11,500 CZK. If a worker exceeds this amount, contributions become mandatory. Taxation has also changed. If the employee does not sign a tax declaration, earnings up to 11,500 CZK will be subject to withholding tax. Above this threshold, the income falls under advance tax, which means the worker can claim it in their tax return.

Changes to Agreement on Work Activity

For Agreement on Work Activity contracts, the social and health insurance contribution threshold remains at 3,999 CZK. Once this amount is exceeded, contributions apply to the entire income.

Youth Employment: Mind the Age and Working Hours

Employing minors (under 18) comes with specific rules. Young people can start working at 15 but must have completed compulsory schooling. Exceptions apply to artistic, cultural, advertising, or sports activities, but these require parental and labor office approval.

For employees aged 15 to 18, stricter regulations apply, such as no overtime, restrictions on physically demanding or hazardous work, and a ban on night shifts. Night shifts are allowed only for those over 16 and only if they are part of vocational training – and even then, only for one hour. A work shift cannot exceed 8 hours per day. In total, minors can work a maximum of 40 hours per week, even if they hold multiple jobs. After 4.5 hours, they must take at least a 30-minute break, and they must have at least 12 hours of rest between shifts.

Handling Money? Yes. Handling Alcohol? No.

Can minors work with money? Yes, but keep in mind that they cannot sign a material responsibility agreement. This means that if there is a cash register shortfall, you cannot demand reimbursement from them. On the other hand, working with alcohol is strictly prohibited. Minors cannot work behind a bar, sell beer at a stand, or handle alcohol in any form.

Digital Management: Save Yourself Stress and Paperwork

Managing paperwork for Contract for Work and Agreement on Work Activity contracts can be overwhelming, but thankfully, everything doesn’t have to be done manually anymore. HR technology is advancing, making management significantly easier. In Sloneek, you can use automated contracts generated from templates, which temporary workers can sign directly in the app, eliminating unnecessary paperwork. Online attendance tracking replaces paper timesheets, and mobile access allows workers to log their hours from their phones. Digitalization enables more efficient and stress-free recruitment and management of temporary workers.