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Written Agreements

Employment contracts must be concluded in writing in Uzbekistan. They are made in 2 copies and signed by each party. The form of the employment contract is developed taking into account the model contract approved by the government. They must contain the following information:

• Workplace
• Employee's work duties - specialty, qualification, position
• Starting day of work
• Validity period, if made for a fixed term
• Amount of wages and other conditions of work
• Guarantees and compensation for work under conditions differing from normal

The level of labor rights and guarantees of the employees established by laws and other regulatory documents cannot be reduced.

Oral Agreements

There are no provisions regarding oral contracts in Uzbekistan as it is mandatory to conclude employment contracts in writing. The form of the employment contract is developed taking into account the model contract approved by the government.

Implied Agreements

The laws of Uzbekistan enforce implied contracts. Where there is no express agreement, the intent of the parties can be determined by conduct. Despite being required in written form, an employment agreement can be found to exist despite the absence of such a form. An employer should be prudent by following all legal requirements throughout the employment relationship. In Uzbekistan, written employment contracts are mandatory and must be developed taking into account the model contract approved by the government. Concluding a written contract will ensure that there will be no unforeseen duties or obligations arising out of the employment relationship.

The normal working time for employees must not exceed 40 hours per week. In a 6-day working week, the duration of daily work must not exceed 7 hours, and in a 5-day working week, it must not exceed 8 hours. Reduced working hours of 36 hours per week are set for employees under the age of 18, employees in jobs with unfavorable working conditions, and employees in jobs with high levels of mental stress. Employees under the age of 16 may only work 24 hours per week. Employees must be given a break of at least 12 hours between 2 working days.

The type of work week and working time regime are determined by the rules of the internal labor procedure in the enterprise, with other local normative documents, and in the absence of these documents, according to the agreement between the employee and the employer. On the eve of holidays, the daily work duration is reduced by at least 1 hour for all employees.

Uzbekistan public holidays:

• New Year’s Day - January 1
• Day of Defenders of the Native Land - January 14
• International Women’s Day - March 8
• Navruz - March 21
• Eid al-Fitr - April 10 (date subject to change)
• Day of Memory and Honour - May 9
• Eid al-Adha - June 16 (date subject to change)
• Independence Day - September 1
• Teacher’s Day - October 1
• Constitution Day - December 8

In Uzbekistan, an employer may require a probationary period. If the existence of a probationary period is not explicitly stated in the employment contract, the employee is considered accepted immediately. A probationary period may not be included in the employment contract for certain kinds of employees.

The probationary period may not exceed 3 months for regular employees. Heads of organizations, deputies, and chiefs can have a probationary period lasting up to 6 months. Either the employer or the employee may terminate the employment contract during the probationary period with 3 days’ written notice.

Notice Period

An employer must notify an employee of their termination in writing with the following advance notice depending on the reason for termination:

• Changes in technology, production, and labor organization, the reduction of the volume of work that led to a change in the number of employees or the nature of work, or in connection with the termination of the enterprise, as well as the employee reaching retirement age - 2 months
• Employee's insufficient qualifications or becoming unfit for the work due to health condition - 2 weeks
• Employee's guilty behavior - 3 days

Employees must provide 14 days written notice to terminate the employment contract on their initiative.

Employees and employers can agree to replace notice with monetary compensation, even in case of an employee's guilty behavior. During the notice period, employees are entitled to at least one day per week of absence from work with pay to look for another job.

Severance Benefits

In Uzbekistan, once an employment contract is terminated the employer must compensate the employee for all remuneration due, including compensation for unused basic and additional holidays. If the employee does not work on the date of termination, the employer has 3 days to deliver the remuneration to the employee.

In addition to this, an employee is entitled to severance pay based on the circumstances of the termination. If the termination was through no fault of the employee, then severance pay is due. The amount of severance pay is calculated based on the time of service.

• For employees who worked up to 3 years, the severance pay is 50% of the monthly wage
• For employees who worked between 3 to 5 years, the severance pay is 75% of the monthly wage
• For the employees who worked between 5 to 10 years, the severance pay is 100% of the monthly wage
• For employees who worked between 10 to 15 years, the severance pay is 150% of the monthly wage
• For employees who worked more than 15 years, the severance pay is 2 months’ wage

Collective agreements, local acts, and employment contracts may establish additional severance benefits.

Minimum Wage

Employees cannot be paid less than the minimum amount of remuneration for labor established by law. Minimum amount of payment for labor is set at UZS 1,050,000 (Uzbekistani so'm) per month. The base calculation amount is set at UZS 340,000 per month.

Uzbekistan's payroll cycle is monthly, and employers must pay employees once every half month with no more than 16 days between each payment. Upon termination of an employment contract, the employee is entitled to receive all amounts due on the day of the termination. In case of an employee's death, wages owed to the employee are paid to family members or dependents no later than 7 days from submitting the relevant forms to the employer.

Overtime, Holiday & Vacation Pay

The maximum duration of the working day is 12 hours. The duration of overtime work for each employee must not exceed 4 hours for 2 consecutive days and 120 hours per year.

Overtime work, weekend, and public holiday work shall be paid at least 2 times the amount of the normal wage. The exact amount of the fee to be paid is determined in the collective agreement, if it has not been concluded, by the employer in agreement with the trade union committee or other representative body of employees. Employees can also request a day off in place of compensation.

Employees are paid their average salary during their annual leave.

Visas

The following types of visas are issued depending on the purpose of visit:

• Diplomatic entry visa (D) - issued to employees of permanent representative offices of foreign countries and their dependent families for permanent (D1) or temporary (D2) residence or tourism (DT) purposes.
• Service entry visa (S) - issued to employees of representative offices of foreign countries, international intergovernmental organizations for permanent (S1) or temporary (S2) residence or business trip (S3).
• Official entry visa (O) - issued to members of official delegations visiting Uzbekistan and are granted for the period of official events.
• Business entry visa (V) - issued to representatives of foreign commercial organizations in Uzbekistan.
• Tourist entry visa (T) - issued to foreign citizens visiting Uzbekistan for tourist purposes and is granted for a 1-month stay. A Tourist Group (TG) visa is issued to those who visit Uzbekistan as a part of a group of at least 5 persons.
• Work entry visa (Y) - issued to foreign nationals who have been granted the right to work in Uzbekistan by the Foreign Labor Migration for an approved period.
• Student entry visa (A-1) - issued to foreign nationals for studying in higher education institutions located in Uzbekistan for up to 1 year.
• Medical entry visa (WITH) - issued for a period of up to 3 months for foreign citizens who come to Uzbekistan for treatment at the suggestion of treatment and prevention institutions.
• Exit visa (EXIT) - In cases where the entry visas of foreign citizens are delayed, they are issued for a period of up to 1 month for their exit from the country.
• Transit visa (TRAN) - issued for up to 3 days to foreign citizens transiting through Uzbekistan.

Work Permits

Foreign nationals who wish to work in Uzbekistan under an employment contract require a certificate from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. They can enter Uzbekistan with a work visa (Y) with a limited time entry. Employers who hire foreign employees must have a permit to do so. Permit is issued to the employer for a period of one year for the number and specialties (positions) specified in it. The employer shall personally apply to the State Services Center to obtain a permit for recruiting foreign employees.

Both permits and certificates are issued for a period of 1 year but can be extended as per requirement.