Hiring employees in Bosnia and Herzegovina is essential to a successful expansion. Employees are the ones who will help build your new location, so hiring the right candidates will make a difference in your daily operations. However, it’s not as simple as just recruiting and hiring talented employees. You have to follow Bosnia and Herzegovina employment compliance laws and continue to manage day-to-day business.

Recruiting in Bosnia and Herzegovina

You’ll need to consider some of the logistics of hiring and recruiting in Bosnia and Herzegovina, such as the best in-country recruitment channels and your company’s legal obligations.

In terms of sourcing talent in Bosnia and Herzegovina, your options are similar to those in any other country. You can start the recruitment process by advertising your open positions in local newspapers and posting them on job boards. This process can take a while, especially if your company is just entering the market.

Many international companies outsource recruitment to speed up the process, partnering with a traditional hiring agency in Bosnia and Herzegovina. However, some agencies can come with steep fees, so it’s important to do your research before choosing this avenue. Your third option would be working with a global EOR that offers recruiting tools as part of their overall platform.

Laws against discrimination in Bosnia and Herzegovina

In Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Law on the Prohibition of Discrimination sets forth a variety of protections for citizens and anyone else in the country. The law prohibits discriminatory practices based on a wide range of characteristics, including the following:

  • Skin color
  • Race
  • Language
  • Gender
  • Connection to a national minority
  • Financial or social status
  • Religion
  • Membership in a trade union
  • National or social origin
  • Education
  • Political persuasion
  • Sexual orientation

This law applies to all individuals within the country’s public and private sectors, including employers, so it’s crucial to make sure your company complies from day one of the recruitment process.

How to hire employees in Bosnia and Herzegovina

The process of hiring employees in Bosnia and Herzegovina will vary based on whether you’re in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (FBiH) or Republika Srpska (RS). FBiH recognizes several different types of employment, including permanent, temporary, part-time, seasonal, and probationary. All Bosnia and Herzegovina employment compliance laws in both regions must be stipulated in an employment contract for a definite or indefinite period.

Once employees sign the contract, you need to register them with the Pension/Disability Fund as well as the Health Fund. Probation periods cannot exceed 6 months in FBiH and 3 months in RS.

Bosnia and Herzegovina employment laws

Since it’s legally required to have a written employment contract in place in both FBiH and RS, it’s important to outline the right terms. All contracts should be in the local language and use Bosnian convertible marks for salary and compensation amounts. Every contract also needs to include terms such as:

  • Name of employee
  • Residence of employee
  • Working hours
  • Office location
  • Working conditions
  • Dismissal notice
  • Job description
  • And more

Onboarding in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Since every company works differently, you can choose how to onboard the Bosnia and Herzegovina employees you hire. We recommend reviewing all contracts with employees during their first day or week with the company. Then, you can start providing job training to prepare them for their specific position.

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