Romania’s capital city of Bucharest is one of the largest cities in the European Union (EU). With the nation’s proximity to the Black Sea and other European countries, it is an ideal place for companies looking for a significant amount of human capital.
However, hiring employees in Romania on your own is not an easy task. Traditionally, you must first set up a subsidiary, establish payroll, and then hire employees under Romania employment compliance laws — and before you even begin hiring, you’ll need to study up on Romanian culture and etiquette in order to recruit local talent for your team. G-P offers an easier alternative using our PEO in Romania. We’ll hire employees to work on your behalf, add them to our payroll, and handle compliance.
Recruiting in Romania
As important as it is to understand Romanian culture and build a connection with your potential hires, you should also spend some time preparing for the practical aspects of staffing in Romania. You might want to begin the recruitment process by identifying the best channels for sourcing talent overseas.
In Romania, many employers advertise job listings in national newspapers. Keep in mind that the majority of newspapers are printed exclusively in Romanian. That said, some newspapers do have an online presence in English.
You might also consider advertising your company’s open positions on job-focused websites.
Laws Against Discrimination in Romania
Throughout the process of staffing and recruiting, it’s your responsibility as the employer to ensure that your company is compliant with all of the relevant laws and regulations in Romania, including laws against discrimination in the workplace. Romanian law strictly prohibits discrimination on the following grounds:
- Nationality
- Race
- Ethnic origin
- Religion
- Family or marital status
- Social status
- Language
- Sexual orientation
- Beliefs
- Gender
- Handicap
- Age
- Belonging to a disadvantaged social group
- HIV positive status
- Non-contagious chronic disease status
In addition to the above characteristics, union affiliation cannot influence a hiring decision. To ensure compliance, you should avoid asking candidates any questions pertaining to these characteristics throughout the recruitment process.
How to Hire Employees in Romania
Romania requires employers to draft a written employment contract in the local language. These contracts are typically executed for an indefinite amount of time. However, fixed-term contracts are allowed for up to 36 months under certain circumstances.
An employment contract should include specifics such as:
- Compensation
- Start date of employment
- Location of the company’s headquarters
- Job duties
- Benefits
- Private pension fund obligation
- Termination
- Severance
Contracts must be signed prior to the employee’s start date and the employee must receive a copy. The employer also must keep a copy of each employment contract at their workplace or can face fines.
You will also need to register the new employee in your company’s official “general register of employees.” Your business’ employee register is required to be in a specific format and submitted to the country’s labor authorities on a regular basis.
Romania Employment Laws
Romania employment compliance starts with drafting the employment contract mentioned above. Once you officially hire employees in Romania, you’ll also need to follow guidelines such as the country’s standard working hours. Romanian workers typically work eight-hour days and 40-hour weeks. An employee can work a maximum of 48 hours per week, including any overtime; however, this maximum can be exceeded as long as work time does not exceed 48 hours per week over a four-month period.
If an employee does accrue overtime, you should either compensate them at a rate of at least 75% above their base salary or give them additional time off within 60 days of the overtime work.
Onboarding in Romania
Onboard your employees after you have clearly defined your company’s code of conduct and workplace culture. You can curate materials or training that will help workers embrace the culture your office is hoping to promote. Fly in some key company players from the parent company for employees’ first day or week to make them feel like valued members of the team.
Although your new employee has already signed the employment contract at this point in the process, it is a good idea to go over it with them during their first day. This instruction can help address any lingering questions and ensure you and your employee are on the same page concerning the contract.
Benefits of Hiring Outsourcing in Romania
Romania hiring outsourcing services offer multiple benefits. First, you can secure top talent with the help of an established entity who understands the workforce in Romania. Further, G-P can do more than a talent acquisition firm. As a global PEO, we’ll use our established Romanian subsidiary to house your business. We can hire employees to work on your behalf and add them to our locally compliant payroll. You won’t have to worry about Romania employment compliance when you work with us.
Work With G-P To Expand Globally
When you’re ready to expand to Romania, choose G-P to make the process fast and simple. Contact us today to learn more.