Georgian Labor Code — practical overview for employers and employees
Also known as: Georgia Labor Code, Georgian employment law, Labor Code of Georgia
The Georgian Labor Code (in force since 2010, materially amended in 2020) is the primary statute governing employment relationships in Georgia — covering contract formation, working hours, leave, wages, termination, and dispute resolution. It applies to all private-sector employment regardless of the employer's nationality or the employee's residency status, with limited exceptions for public-service workers governed by separate statutes.
Most foreign companies hiring in Georgia and most local SMBs first encounter the Labor Code when a specific question arises — what notice do I owe, how do I terminate cleanly, how much vacation is mandatory. The Code is more concise than EU directives but covers the same fundamentals: contract types, working time, leave entitlements, wage rules, and termination procedure. This overview maps the territory so you know which article to consult for which question.
Structure of the Code
The Code is organized into chapters covering employment contracts, working time, leave, wages, occupational safety, termination, collective rights, and dispute resolution. The 2020 amendments tightened protections — notably around discrimination, working hours caps, and the procedural requirements for employer-initiated termination.
Key articles by topic
- Articles 12-14 — Employment contract: oral or written form, written form required if the relationship lasts longer than 1 month, essential terms listed in Article 14
- Article 17 — Probationary period: up to 6 months, agreed only once; work done during probation is paid
- Articles 24-27 — Working time and overtime: normal working time capped at 40 hours a week (48 in certain continuous-process enterprises); overtime by agreement at an increased hourly rate
- Article 30 — Public holidays (see our dedicated article)
- Articles 31-36 — Annual leave: at least 24 working days paid and at least 15 calendar days unpaid per year; 10 extra calendar days for heavy, harmful or hazardous work
- Articles 37-40 — Pregnancy, childbirth and childcare leave: up to 730 calendar days in total, of which 183 are paid (200 for complicated births or twins), paid from the state budget
- Articles 41-44 — Pay: at least once a month, 0.07% of the delayed amount for each day of delay, a single deduction capped at 50% of pay, final settlement within 7 calendar days
- Article 46 — Suspension of the employment relationship, including temporary incapacity of up to 40 consecutive days or 60 days in total within 6 months
- Remote work — the Code has no dedicated article; the place of work is an essential contract term under Article 14
- Article 47 — Termination grounds: a closed list; termination on any other ground is not allowed
- Article 48 — Termination procedure: for redundancy and certain other grounds, at least 30 calendar days' written notice plus compensation of at least 1 month's pay, or at least 3 days' notice plus at least 2 months' pay
- Article 49 — Collective dismissal; Articles 61-68 cover labor disputes, strikes and lockouts
What changed in the 2020 amendments
The organic law of 29 September 2020 rewrote most of the Code and gave it its current article numbering, so older guides may cite different article numbers. The current Code contains detailed anti-discrimination rules (Articles 4-9), a 40-hour cap on normal weekly working time (Article 24), overtime by agreement at an increased rate (Article 27), a written-notice-plus-compensation procedure for employer-initiated termination (Article 48), and information-and-consultation duties for workplaces where at least 50 employees regularly work (Article 70). It does not contain a remote-work article.
Who the Code applies to
The Code applies to private-sector employment in Georgia regardless of the employer's nationality or the employee's residency status. Foreign employees working in Georgia, Georgian employees of foreign companies (via local subsidiary or EOR), and employees of Georgian companies operating elsewhere all fall within its scope when the work is performed in Georgia. Public-sector employment is governed by separate statutes (Law on Public Service) with overlapping but distinct rules. Independent contractors under Civil Code service agreements are NOT covered — contractor relationships fall under general contract law.