In December 2018 the Hungarian Parliament adopted a new
legislation that significantly changes the Hungarian Labour Code.
The proposer stated that the goal of this new legislation is
'to remove administrative burdens from the employees, so if
they want to earn more – with their consent – they can
work more'.
According to the currently applicable laws, 250 hours of
overtime work can be ordered for employees in a calendar year. The
new proposal changes the possible overtime for 400 hours if the
employer and employee agree on it in writing. The works councils
and trade unions, as well as the employers' interest groups
have expressed their disagreement with the changes. They argue that
it might result in a limited negotiation power of the employees, it
also imposes an unwanted burden on them, and that this change is
not the way to solve the problem of the shortage of labour.
