Romania labor rights: rules for weekend work and paid leave

Under the Romanian Labor Code, employees are entitled to specific rights regarding rest periods, special leave, and annual vacation.

For those working on weekends, the law mandates 48 consecutive hours of weekly rest, which must be granted on other days of the week. While granting compensatory days off, employers may still be required to pay weekend bonuses as specified in individual or collective labor contracts. In certain cases where rest is accumulated after 14 days of continuous activity, a bonus of at least 150% of the basic salary may apply.

Employees also have rights to paid leave for special family events, such as marriage, birth of a child, or the death of a relative. For public sector employees, specific durations are set by law, including 5 days for marriage and 3 days for the birth of a child. In the private sector, these entitlements are governed by internal regulations or collective bargaining agreements.

Regarding annual leave, the minimum duration is 20 working days per year. If an employee cannot use their full leave entitlement due to justified reasons, the employer is obligated to grant the unused days within an 18-month period starting from the following year.