Being over 50 is not enough. Support is for an employer hiring a registered jobseeker over 50 into a newly created job. If the person already works for the business, the contribution is not retrospectively available for their existing pay.
How much can an employer receive?
A person over 50 is a disadvantaged jobseeker under § 8(1)(b) of the Employment Services Act. The special rate in § 50(3), rather than the general rate, therefore applies:
- 80% of the employee’s total labour cost, capped at
- 60% of total labour cost calculated from Slovakia’s average wage for the first three quarters of the previous year. For 2026, this means EUR 1,291.17 monthly.
Total labour cost includes employer insurance and mandatory contributions, not just gross salary. A EUR 1,500 labour cost gives maximum support of EUR 1,200 monthly. At EUR 2,000, 80% would be EUR 1,600, but the cap applies.
Part-time amounts are reduced proportionately, and employment must cover at least half the prescribed weekly working time.
Under § 70(14), the period in which the written agreement with the office is concluded determines the amount. Later average wage changes do not increase the agreed support.
Conditions that must all be met
The basic § 50 of Act No. 5/2004 Z. z. test has five elements:
- The recruit is over 50.
- They have been registered as a jobseeker for at least three months before hiring.
- An employment relationship is created, not an agreement for work outside employment.
- Working time is at least half-time.
- It is a newly created job.
The last condition often surprises employers. Under § 50(6), job creation means an increase in average headcount over twelve calendar months compared with the corresponding preceding period. If headcount did not increase, the employer must show this was not caused by redundancies.
The employer must also meet § 70(7): fulfilled tax and contribution obligations, no overdue debts to the office or recorded unpaid employee claims, no bankruptcy, liquidation or compulsory administration, and no illegal employment fine within two years. These conditions must remain satisfied throughout support; otherwise payments stop.
Duration and job retention
For disadvantaged applicants under § 8(1)(b)–(d), support may run for up to twelve calendar months, compared with the general maximum of nine (§ 50(4)).
The job must then be maintained for at least half the agreed support period. Twelve months of support therefore means another six months. Failure requires repayment proportionate to the period the job was not maintained.
Labour office pages may mention 24 months for applicants registered for at least two years. The effective § 50(4) contains no such period, only nine and twelve months. Applications must therefore follow current legislation and the specific agreement, not a summary table.
Exclusions
Two restrictions are often missed:
- Support under § 50 cannot be combined for the same period with § 60 support for employment of a person with a disability.
- The supported employee cannot be temporarily assigned to a user employer (§ 50(8)). Temporary employment agencies can therefore use the scheme only for their own core staff.
Electronic applications
Applications use the central office’s form, submitted electronically with a qualified electronic signature (§ 70(17)). According to ÚPSVaR, active labour market applications have used slovensko.sk since 1 September 2025. The office responsible for the location of the created job provides support.
This is not retrospective reimbursement of wages already paid. The written agreement sets the job’s characteristics, filling date, amount and payment method, inspection conditions and deadline for providing the employment contract. The sequence is therefore: check the candidate and conditions with the relevant office, apply, and conclude employment under the agreed procedure.
Is there a legal entitlement?
No. The office may provide support, and § 70(6) expressly confirms there is no entitlement. Satisfying the conditions is not approval.
Common questions
Is it enough that my existing employee is 55? No. The scheme supports recruiting a registered jobseeker into a created job, not an existing employee based on age alone.
Must the applicant have been unemployed for two years? No. Three months’ registration is sufficient. Longer registration does not extend support beyond twelve months under the effective Act.
Will we receive the full cap? Only if 80% of labour cost reaches it and working time is not reduced. The office agreement fixes the exact amount.
Does the scheme cover professional services? The Act does not exclude an entire sector. Employer, candidate and job conditions matter; where special state aid rules apply, those must also be met.
Before hiring, we can check the employment structure and prepare employment contracts and onboarding documents. Employment documentation under ongoing review keeps the wider HR documentation current.
Sources
This article provides general legal information as at 16 August 2026. It does not constitute legal services or advice on your specific matter. Laws change and the details of your situation may differ. Check the appropriate course of action or contact us before making a decision.
