One of the most important parts of growing your business in Lithuania is the process of recruiting and hiring a global workforce that can help your company succeed in a new market. Whether you hire employees in Lithuania yourself or leverage an Employer of Record (EOR) like G-P, companies must follow the country’s employment laws to stay compliant.
Recruiting in Lithuania
In addition to familiarizing yourself with Lithuanian culture and business etiquette, you should take some time to consider the logistics of the hiring process. To reach the most talented employees, you’ll need to utilize the best recruitment channels.
Most companies choose one of the following strategies to source talent in Lithuania:
- Recruit through the State Labor Exchange Office
- Work with a private recruitment agency
- Recruit and hire through personal contacts and recommendations
- Advertise open positions on recruitment websites and job boards
Using one or a combination of these options can take a significant amount of time and resources. For this reason, many international companies choose to partner with a global EOR to streamline the process.
Laws against discrimination in Lithuania
You should also consider your legal obligations as you begin the recruitment process. Lithuanian laws require employers to implement equal treatment in the workplace. Employees are protected against discrimination based on a number of characteristics, including the following:
- Race
- Nationality
- Gender
- Sexual orientation
- Social status
- Origin
- Religion
- Beliefs, convictions, or views
- Age
- Disability
- Marital and family status
- Membership in political or public organizations
To stay compliant, avoid asking questions about these characteristics during interviews and meetings with prospective employees. Some related topics may arise in casual conversation as you get to know candidates, but you can’t take them into consideration during the hiring process.
How to hire employees in Lithuania
Lithuania employment compliance laws permit several types of contracts, including fixed-term and indefinite. A fixed-term contract cannot exceed 2 years, or 5 years in specific circumstances. Other contract types include secondary jobs, teleworking, and supply of services.
No matter which contract you choose, it has to be written in Lithuanian, or bilingual, and spell out everything from benefits to termination requirements. Both the employment contract and offer letter need to have compensation amounts listed in Euro instead of another currency.
You can also choose to hire employees in Lithuania under a probation period. You have to set this time period in an employment contract, and it cannot exceed 3 months. Lithuania allows probation periods for individuals under 18, when employing someone to a post by competition or election, and when employing someone due to a transfer by agreement between employers.
Lithuania employment laws
According to Lithuania’s employment compliance laws, employees can’t work over 40 hours a week and 8 hours a day. However, some sectors — such as childcare, healthcare, specialized communications services, and more — may require employees to work longer days. Employees can work overtime, but they cannot exceed 48 hours per 7 working days.
Lithuania does not have many Collective Bargaining Agreements (CBAs) or trade unions, but you should still check to see if your industry or employees will be covered by one.
Onboarding in Lithuania
After learning how to hire employees in Lithuania, you need to onboard them and make them comfortable. We recommend reviewing employment contracts with every employee on their first day to make sure they agree with all the terms. You can also provide training during the employee’s first week or month to help them succeed.
Grow globally with G-P.
G-P never forgets that behind every hire is a human being. That’s why we’ve backed our fully customizable suite of global employment products with our robust team of HR and legal experts, so we can remain at your side, ready to support you as you build your global teams. With the #1 global employment platform, you have the recruitment tools and services you need to find your perfect full-time or contract match.
Contact us today to learn more about how we can help you recruit, hire, and onboard anyone, anywhere.