When terminating an employment contract, an employer must give a notice period to employees based on the reason for termination as follows:
The notice must be given in writing and include the reason for termination.
Persons hired for temporary work have the right to 1 day's notice. Fixed-term contracts without a final date can be terminated by giving 2 weeks' notice.
Foreign nationals are allowed to work in Latvia under the following categories of residence permits:
Beginning January 1, 2025, employers must have confirmation from the State Employment Agency (SEA) before inviting a foreign national. The employer must announce the vacancy to the SEA, and the SEA will determine the need for a foreign worker and issue a decision to the employer.
Foreign nationals employed with a specific employer in a particular profession require a work and residence permit for their stay in Latvia. A work permit is issued with a visa or a temporary residence permit after a Latvian employer has demonstrated a need for a specific specialist. A short-term work permit is valid for 6 months, and long-term permits are issued in accordance with the residence permit (up to 4 years for temporary residence and indefinitely for permanent residence).
Foreign nationals who have received a permanent residence permit for certain categories are allowed to work in Latvia without restrictions.
Employees in Latvia are entitled to annual paid leave of at least 4 weeks, excluding public holidays. The right to full leave starts after 6 months of continuous work in the first year. Employees who have taken maternity leave can use their annual leave in the same year irrespective of service duration with the employer.
Supplementary annual leave is granted to employees taking care of a child with a disability under 18 years of age or children under 16 (the duration of leave depends on the number of children). Persons who work in jobs associated with special risks are also eligible for supplementary annual leave.
Annual leave can be transferred to the next year under certain circumstances.
The standard working hours are 8 hours per day or 40 per week. If the daily working time on any weekday is shorter than the regular daily working time, the length of some other weekday may be extended, but not more than by 1 hour.
For employees working in high-risk jobs, as well as young employees over the age of 15 but under 18, working hours cannot exceed 7 per day or 35 per week. Employees between 13 and 15 years of age may not work for more than 10 hours a week.
A workday is reduced by an hour before public holidays unless a shorter working time has been specified by a collective agreement, working procedure regulations, or an employment contract.
Pregnant employees are entitled to 112 days of maternity leave: 56 days before birth and 56 days after birth, each of which can be increased to 70 days in case of any complications. Employers must also provide appropriate leave for medical checkups if it is not possible to undergo such an examination outside of working time. It is prohibited to employ pregnant women in harmful jobs that pose a risk to their or their child's health or to force them to work overtime. A pregnant woman can request to work part-time during the period following childbirth for up to 1 year.
Employees have the right to return to their previous position after maternity leave. Employers are prohibited from giving a notice of termination of an employment contract to women during pregnancy and the period following childbirth for up to 1 year.
Maternity benefits are paid by the State Social Insurance Agency as 80% of the average salary of the employee for 112 days or a maximum of 140 days in case of complications. The benefit must be requested within 6 months from the first day of the maternity leave.
Latvia's labor law requires that an employee's salary be at least the minimum level determined by the government. Effective January 1, 2026, the minimum wage is EUR 780 (euro) based on a 40-hour workweek.
Employees who fail to provide the minimum wage are subject to a fine. The law requires wages to be paid 2 times a month unless otherwise agreed upon with the employee, in which case it cannot be paid less than 1 time a month.
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