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Employment Retrospective 2025
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| Retrospective of Legislative Changes in Labor Law in 2025 and an Outlook for 2026 | ||
| The year 2025 represented a new step in the evolution of labor law in Romania, marking the continuation of the process of adapting labor relations to the current economic, social and technological reality. The legislative changes and interpretations that appeared during this year aimed, first of all, to strengthen the protection of employees, and secondly, to increase flexibility for employers, in the context of changes in the labor market and alignment with European standards.
This retrospective aims to highlight the most important changes and trends in the field of labor law in 2025, with a direct impact on labor relations, employers’ obligations and employees’ rights, while providing an overview of the direction in which labor legislation is heading in Romania in 2026. |
| Promoting collective bargaining | The Government approved the Action Plan for the promotion of collective bargaining 2025–2030, a strategic document that aims to expand the coverage of collective agreements and to strengthen social dialogue, in the context of the obligations assumed through the EU Directive on adequate minimum wages. The plan aims to stimulate negotiations at all levels, to strengthen the capacity of the social partners and to increase transparency, with the aim of significantly increasing the coverage of collective bargaining in Romania. | |
| Procedural changes regarding sick leaves | The year 2025 was marked by the completion of the regulatory framework on sick leave, through Order no. 522/1.026/2025, which brought procedural clarifications regarding the granting and settlement of allowances, as well as the responsibilities of employers and doctors, with a direct impact on employers’ administrative practices. | |
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Suspension of the employment contract in case of participation to a strike
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By Decision no. 5/2025, the High Court of Cassation and Justice established that, participation to a strike determines the de jure suspension of the individual employment contract, exclusively for the duration of the strike, without the need for notification or an additional manifestation of will on the part of the employee. This clarification eliminates the previous non-unitary interpretations and strengthens the legal framework for exercising the right to strike, in accordance with the principles of social dialogue provided by Law no. 367/2022. |
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Support for the professional
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The Government has introduced measures dedicated to facilitating access to the labor market for victims of domestic violence and human trafficking, by providing free training programmes and financial incentives for employers who employ them. The new regulations clarify the procedures for accessing benefits, strengthen confidentiality obligations and aim to reduce bureaucracy, in order to support the professional reintegration of people from vulnerable categories. |
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Teleworking for parents of children with disabilities |
By Law no. 149/2025, employees who care for children with disabilities benefit from the right to work up to 8 days a month in teleworking or working from home, with the possibility of extending this right in the case of several children or multiple births, to the extent that the specifics of the activity allow. The measure aims to support work-life balance for this category of employees. |
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Dismissal during sick leave |
The High Court of Cassation and Justice clarified that the legal prohibition of dismissal operates at the time of issuance of the decision, not on the date of its effectiveness, establishing that the dismissal act cannot be drawn up during the temporary incapacity for work of the employee. This solution unifies the judicial practice and eliminates the divergent interpretations that previously existed in the field of protection of employees on sick leave. |
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Applicability of the Collective Bargaining Agreement in the insurance sector
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The Romanian Government has adopted Decision no. 1109 of December 18, 2025 by which the provisions of the Collective Labor Agreement (CLA) negotiated in the field of insurance and reinsurance will be extended so as to cover the entire sector of activity. The decision concerns over 8,000 employees and aims to standardize the rights and obligations in labor relations within this field, providing a stable and predictable framework for employees and employers alike. |
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High Court of Cassation and Justice clarifies the effects of maternal risk leave on the employment relationship |
The High Court of Cassation and Justice clearly established, by Decision no. 361 of October 20, 2025, that the period in which an employee benefits from maternal risk leave produces, by law, the suspension of the individual employment contract based on article 50 of the Labor Code. This judicial interpretation allows it to be considered that, once the application for maternal risk leave has been submitted, it does not require the employer’s consent, but the protection provided by law is activated in favor of the applicant by the de jure suspension of the employment relationship. |
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General Register of Employees – REGES-ONLINE |
In 2025, employers began the transition from REVISAL system to REGES-ONLINE for employees records, with much stricter data reporting requirements (including before the start of work). REGES came into effect in stages in 2025 and remains mandatory, with significant penalties for non-reporting or late reporting. |
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Procedure for determining the minimum wage at the level of economy |
Government Decision No. 35/2025 was adopted to transpose the EU Directive on adequate wages (EU 2022/2041). There was thus established a clear procedure for determining and updating the guaranteed minimum wage, based on economic indicators, with the Government deciding its level annually through a decision. |
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Employment of non-EU citizens in Romania |
Law no. 53/2025 was intended to update the rules on foreigners working in Romania, with the aim of transposing Directive 2014/36/EU for seasonal workers and providing for situations in which employers may lose the right to employ foreigners (e.g., insolvency or penalties for violations of the law). |
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Important changes to sick leave: the first day remains unpaid |
The authorities approved a package of changes that will come into force on February 1, 2026 and will affect the manner sick leave allowances are granted and paid. According to the new rules, the first day of sick leave will no longer be paid, being fully borne by the employee, while the employer pays the allowances for days 2–6, and the payment from health insurance funds through FNUASS starts from the 7th day until the end of the period of incapacity for work. Also, a stronger mechanism is provided for the control of sick leave certificates by insurance houses to combat their unjustified granting, and irregularities can lead to sanctions for doctors or even the loss of the right to compensation for employees. |
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Gross minimum wage in 2026 — trends and implications for employment relations |
One of the topics with a concrete impact for 2026 is the project to increase the minimum gross basic salary per country guaranteed in payment. According to the documents put in decision-making transparency by the Ministry of Labor, the gross minimum wage would be increased to 4,325 lei per month starting with July 1, 2026. |
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Foreign workers quota approved for 2026 |
The Government has set the contingent of foreign workers newly admitted to the Romanian labor market for 2026 at 90,000 people, continuing the policy of previous years to respond to the labor shortage in certain economic sectors. |
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EU Pay Transparency Directive – preparations needed in 2026 |
A final important milestone for 2026 is the European Directive on salary transparency and its integration into national legislation, which will have a direct impact on the structure of remuneration policies and recruitment processes. The deadline for transposing the Directive into Romanian law is June 7, 2026, but to date there is still no official draft law published for consultation/debate/transparency in decision-making. Among the most important aspects that will be introduced (or are already under discussion for Romanian legislation) are:
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The year 2025 was marked by a series of legislative interventions and clarifications in the field of labor law, with significant implications for employment relationships, internal governance frameworks and human resources policies, in the context of strengthened employee protection standards and the ongoing transposition of European requirements. The outlook for 2026 indicates the continuation of this direction, with a particular focus on the regulation of flexible forms of work, the digitalisation of HR-related processes and the reinforcement of the powers of supervisory authorities.
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