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Unlawful Termination of Employment in Croatia – What to Do and How to Protect Your Rights
07/03/2026
Intro
Unlawful termination of an employment contract represents a serious violation of the Croatian Labour Act. In practice, it often happens that employers terminate employment contracts without a lawful reason or without following the legally prescribed procedure.
If you have received a dismissal and believe it is unlawful, it is important to understand the rights of employees under Croatian labour law and the legal steps you can take to protect those rights.
Below is an overview of the legal framework and available protection mechanisms for employees in the Republic of Croatia.
What is unlawful termination under Croatian labour law?
Under the Labour Act of the Republic of Croatia, an employer may terminate an employment contract only if there is a lawful reason for termination and if the prescribed legal procedure has been respected.
Termination of employment in Croatia may occur in several forms:
- Business-related termination (organizational or economic changes within the company)
- Personal termination (the employee is no longer able to perform the job duties)
- Termination caused by the employee’s misconduct
- Extraordinary termination of the employment contract
If the employer cannot prove the existence of a lawful reason or fails to follow the procedure prescribed by the Labour Act, such termination may be considered unlawful termination in Croatia.
Common examples of unlawful termination in Croatia
In employment disputes in Croatia, unlawful termination most commonly occurs in the following situations:
- termination without a real or justified reason
- termination without a written explanation
- failure to follow the legally prescribed termination procedure
- termination during sick leave or pregnancy
- discrimination against an employee
- violation of employee rights guaranteed by the Croatian Labour Act
In such cases, the employee has the right to initiate legal protection of employment rights and file an employment dispute before the court.
What should you do if you receive a termination notice in Croatia?
If you believe the termination is unlawful, it is essential to act quickly because deadlines for protecting employee rights in Croatia are very short.
1. Request for protection of rights
The first step is to submit a request for the protection of rights to the employer.
The employee must submit this request within 15 days from the receipt of the termination decision.
In this request, the employee may ask for:
- revocation of the termination decision
- reinstatement to the position
- protection of rights arising from the employment relationship
2. Initiating a court dispute
If the employer rejects the request or fails to respond within the legal deadline, the employee may initiate an employment dispute before the competent court in the Republic of Croatia.
The lawsuit must be filed within 15 days from the receipt of the employer’s response, or after the deadline for response has expired.
Employment disputes in Croatia are conducted before municipal courts that have jurisdiction over labour disputes.
What rights does an employee have if the court determines the termination was unlawful?
If the court determines that the termination of employment was unlawful, the employee may obtain several legal remedies, including:
- reinstatement to the workplace
- payment of lost wages
- payment of social security contributions for the period of unemployment
- compensation for damages caused by the unlawful termination
In certain cases, the court may also decide on a judicial termination of the employment contract with financial compensation to the employee.
Why is it important to seek legal assistance?
Cases involving unlawful termination in Croatia are often legally complex and involve strict statutory deadlines.
An attorney can assist with:
- assessing the legality of the termination
- preparing the request for protection of rights
- initiating employment litigation
- representing the employee before Croatian courts
Timely legal assistance can significantly increase the chances of success in proceedings concerning the protection of employee rights.
Legal protection of employees in the Republic of Croatia
Employees in the Republic of Croatia have the right to legal protection if they believe their employment has been terminated unlawfully. Acting within the statutory deadlines and taking appropriate legal steps is essential.
If you believe your employment contract was terminated unlawfully, it is advisable to seek professional legal advice in order to protect your rights.
For legal advice or representation in employment disputes in Croatia, you may contact our law office through the contact form on our website.
Do you have any more questions?
A representative from our office will get back to you as soon as possible.
- 091 520 0264
- andrej@odvjetnikbasovic.hr