Salary Payment Rules in Belarus in 2024

In 2024, Belarus slightly updated the rules regarding salary payments. Understanding these rules is essential for employers and employees to avoid misunderstandings and ensure fair and timely pay. This article will look at the key features of salary payments in Belarus in 2024.

How does the company determine the amount of wages

A salary is a remuneration for work that hiring companies give to an employee with whom an employment contract has been concluded, including a contract. The payment of wages is related to the duties of the employer. There is no limit on the maximum salary in Belarus. The amount of earnings is determined by employers depending on the tasks performed. The level of remuneration is determined by the employer depending on several factors, including the complexity of the work, volume, quality of performance, and employee qualifications, taking into account the time during which the employee performed his work. Wages are paid not only for the time when the employee worked. There are some periods when the employee did not work, but which are included in the time for which wages are paid, for example, annual leave.

Compensation that is not included in the salary

Compensation paid to an employee, such as for mobile communication or the use of his equipment, is not included in the salary. 

Minimum wage

The minimum wage in Belarus is limited by the amount the Belarusian government periodically sets. In 2024, it was 626 Belarusian rubles per month, which is a little less than 200 euros. Employers can determine a higher minimum wage within the company.

When to index wages

When the company delayed the payment of wages for a month or longer, It is necessary to index the salaries that are not paid on time. Indexing looks like an adjustment of untimely amounts paid to the consumer price index, calculated on an accrual basis over the delay time. The National Statistical Committee of Belarus periodically determines the consumer price index.
Wages can be indexed internally due to inflation.

Permanent and variable parts of wages

The permanent part of the salary is a tariff or official salary, which the employer guarantees for a month or an hour of work. This part of the salary is paid necessarily without other payments, which are provided for by the company’s wage system.

The variable part of the salary is payments added to the salary to reward the employee. Sometimes, the employer is obliged to pay additional payments to the employee. For example, this is mandatory when combining positions or working at night. When a contract is signed with an employee, an increase of up to 50% is applied to his salary, and the employer determines the minimum percentage of increase himself.

As a variable part of the salary, the employer pays bonuses on his initiative.

What is the procedure for payment of wages established in Belarus

The employment contract concluded with an employee must include the terms of remuneration. This includes the amount of salary, the order of its payment to the employee, from which the salary is formed, and in what order it is paid.

Terms of payment of wages

Employees are paid wages on the days specified in the employment contract. Since 2024, companies must pay salaries at least twice a month. Usually, the employment contract defines the dates on which monthly wages are paid, for example, on the 20th and 25th of each month. Usually, in the middle of the month, an advance is paid (the salary for the first part of the month), and at the beginning of the next month, the rest of the monthly salary is paid. There are no restrictions on the size of the advance in Belarus. Its size can be set in the company’s remuneration regulations and the employment contract.
When the salary payment dates fall on weekends or public holidays, wages are paid the day before, on a working day.
The employee’s salary is paid to his bank account. To do this, you can use one of the options:

• Option 1. Salary project of the company
  Usually, banks with current bank accounts of companies open, companies are interested in so-called “salary projects”. As part of such projects, all company employees open bank accounts in one bank, to which salaries and other payments related to work are transferred.
• Option 2. Basic employee account
  Working people in Belarus have the right to open basic accounts in banks free of charge, to which they receive scholarships, pensions, salaries, and benefits. An employee can also write an application to transfer wages to his base account.

How to transfer wages to the bank

Usually, the payment document for wages is sent to the bank on the morning of the payday. At the same time, the company must withhold income tax, mandatory insurance contributions, and pension contributions from wages and send the relevant payment documents to the bank along with employee salaries. Without documents for payment of taxes and contributions, the bank will not transfer salaries to employees’ accounts.

How wages are paid when bank account transactions are suspended

The regulatory authorities suspend operations on bank accounts. This does not mean that employees will not be paid wages. In this case, the company can reserve money for salary payments in a bank account with the permission of the government agency that suspended operations on the account. To get such a permit, you need to apply to this state body. There are no refusals.

Together with the permit, the company must send an order to the bank to reserve funds. The bank accepts booking documents even when no money is in the company’s account. Such an order is valid for 30 days.

The same procedure applies when a company’s bank account is seized.

What is a payslip?

The employer is required to issue each employee a monthly pay slip, which calculates his salary for each month. The pay sheet prescribes the amount of accrued wages, deductions from wages, taxes, bonuses, salary, and the amount of salary that is actually paid to the employee. 

The company determines the look of the pay sheet, which is approved by the head. Payslips are usually sent to employees electronically.

In what order are salaries paid when an employee is dismissed

You do not need to wait for the next salary payment period after the dismissal to settle accounts with an employee who leaves. You must finally pay off such an employee no later than the day of his dismissal. On this day, he is paid a salary for the time worked. 

In some cases, settlement with an employee is possible at the employee’s request: no later than the day following the day on which the employee submitted a request for settlement. This is possible when the employee does not work on the day of dismissal or the employee leaves on the day of the end of the probation period established in the employment contract. However, these circumstances do not prevent the employer from paying off the employee on his own initiative on the day of his dismissal.

It is not necessary to delay the payment of wages to an employee upon dismissal since he can go to court and recover his average earnings from the employer for each day of delay. 

In Belarus, an administrative fine is provided for non-payment of wages on time and for incomplete payment of wages in the amount of 4 to 50 basic units—from 80 to 200 Belarusian rubles (approximately 25 to 65 euros). Government agencies fine company officials.

What changes have occurred in the payment of wages in 2024

In 2024, the deadlines for paying salaries for employees with whom contracts were concluded were clarified. Until January 1, 2024, the contracts provided for the payment of wages once a month. However, from January 1, 2024, employers must make payments at least twice a month to all employees, including those with whom they have signed contracts. If necessary, companies make changes to existing contracts. The company did not initiate this innovation, so employees do not need a month’s warning about changes in working conditions.