Seasonal Work as a Specific Legal Institute of the Slovak Labour Code and Its Relevance for the Tourism Sector
Eva TINÁKOVÁ – Hana MAGUROVÁ
https://doi.org/10.18267/pr.2026.vol.2587.31
Abstract: Seasonal work represents a specific institute of Slovak labour law designed to respond to fluctuating labour demand in certain economic sectors, particularly in tourism, hospitality, and related services. The aim of this paper is to analyse seasonal work as an autonomous legal category within the Slovak Labour Code, to examine its legislative purpose and current legal framework, and to evaluate its practical relevance for the tourism industry. The paper employs a combination of doctrinal legal analysis, comparative analysis with relevant EU regulation, and evaluation of the transposition process, complemented by an empirical assessment based on publicly available statistical data. The paper demonstrates that although seasonal work has been formally incorporated into Slovak labour legislation with the aim of increasing labour market flexibility, its practical use remains limited and fragmented, relying predominantly on existing contractual instruments such as fixed-term employment relationships and agreements on seasonal work performance. The analysis further reveals shortcomings in the current legal framework, particularly in relation to the level of employee protection and legal certainty. Based on these findings, the paper concludes that the existing regulation does not fully achieve its intended objectives and proposes several de lege ferenda measures aimed at strengthening legal clarity while ensuring a more balanced relationship between flexibility for employers and adequate social protection for employees.
Keywords: seasonal work, labour law, tourism employment, fixed-term employment, atypical work
JEL Classification codes: J21, J41, K31
Fulltext: PDF
Published by: Prague University of Economics and Business, Oeconomica Publishing House
Year of publication: 2026
Online publication date: 20 May 2026
Copyright: Authors of the papers
ISBN 978-80-245-2587-7
ISSN 2453-6113
Pages 369-378