The Ombudsman against amendments to the Labor Code
Ombudsman Velislava Delcheva has called on the National Assembly to reconsider the proposed amendments to the Labor Code included in the 2026 state budget draft. According to her, key institutions of labor law should not be altered through transitional provisions of a budget act.
"Such a change should be the subject of an independent public consultation and not be introduced through the transitional and concluding provisions of the state budget act," Delcheva states.
How will the calculation of length of service change?
- Current model: An employee working 4 hours a day accumulates 1 year of service for 1 calendar year.
- Proposed model: With the same employment, only 6 months of service will be recognized.
Affected groups
The changes directly affect the most vulnerable groups in the labor market:
- Parents of young children;
- People with permanent disabilities;
- Pensioners and students;
- All part-time employees.
Risks to social rights
Delcheva emphasizes that there is a lack of impact assessment regarding leave rights, benefits, and additional remuneration for professional experience. The Ombudsman also expressed serious reservations about suspending the mechanism for determining the minimum wage, which she believes threatens the income of the lowest-paid citizens.