The employment contract in Italy

The permanent contract (contratto a tempo indeterminato) is the norm and gives the greatest protection.

• The fixed-term contract (a tempo determinato) may not exceed twelve months without a justified reason (causale), and twenty-four months at most with a reason, and its renewals are limited.
• The apprenticeship contract (apprendistato) for young people combines work and training.
• Agency work (somministrazione) is where you contract with an agency and work at another company.
• There is also part-time (part-time), seasonal (stagionale) and on-call (intermittente) work.
• Check the type of contract and that it is written, and your INPS registration via the employer or a patronato.
• And work in nero without a contract is illegal and does not protect you.

The contract includes the names of the parties, the workplace, the job title, the level (inquadramento), the start date, the pay and its payment dates, the weekly working hours, leave, the notice period, the probation period and the applicable collective agreement.

• The probation period (periodo di prova) is optional with a maximum of six months depending on the CCNL and level, and must be written in the contract, and during it either party may end the contract without notice or reason.
• The level is important because it determines the minimum pay.
• Ask for a signed copy, make sure you understand all the clauses in your language, and ask a patronato or the union.
• A clause contrary to the law is not valid.

There is no single statutory minimum wage in Italy, rather the collective agreements (CCNL) set it for each sector and level, and the agreements also set additional entitlements.

• Salary is paid monthly with a payslip (busta paga) showing the gross and deductions: INPS contributions (about 9 per cent) and income tax (IRPEF) by brackets and regional and municipal additions, and the net that reaches your account.
• The tredicesima is often paid in December and in many sectors the quattordicesima in June or July.
• And the TFR (end-of-service allowance) accrues about 7 per cent a year and is paid on ending.
• Read your payslip every month and report any error, and keep it.

Ordinary working time is 40 hours a week on average, and many agreements provide less, and a maximum for overtime.

• The worker has the right to paid annual leave of at least four weeks (about 26 days in many agreements), public holidays, and daily rest of eleven consecutive hours and weekly.
• Other leaves include maternity (five months), paternity, parental, marriage (15 days), study, bereavement and accompanying a sick person.
• And part-time or smart working can be requested under agreement.
• Overtime hours are paid or compensated.
• Record your hours and leave and keep evidence of any overtime.
• And August is a common closure month (Ferragosto).

You may not be dismissed without a justified reason: dismissal must be for an objective reason (giustificato motivo oggettivo) such as reorganisation or a subjective one (soggettivo) such as serious breach or for just cause (giusta causa) without notice.

• Dismissal must be written with its reasons, and you can challenge it within sixty days in writing then before the court within 180 days.
• The notice period (preavviso) is set by the CCNL and seniority.
• In unlawful dismissal there is compensation according to company size.
• On ending you receive the TFR and pay for your unused leave.
• And you are entitled to NASpI unemployment benefit if you contributed enough.
• The self-employed (partita IVA) do not have an employee's protection, so beware of false self-employment, that is working as an employee under a freelance status.

Which contract is the norm and most protective?