Working Pauza (Croatia)

Working Pauza

Pauza na poslu or pauza od posla (work break) is a casual long break during the working day. According to the Croatian Law on labor, every worker who works six or more hours per day has the right to a 30-minute break. This working break is calculated into working hours and must be paid. If an employer does not give a break to his employees, he is committing a serious misdemeanor.

Pauza from work usually lasts for 30 minutes, but some are lucky to have a longer break – up to one hour. To be honest, 30 minutes is barely enough to take lunch.

The lucky ones have the privilege of prolonging pauza a bit. While it may be written in the contract that an employe has a 30-minute break, one may stay for 45 minutes or an hour. Longer pauza mostly depends on good bosses who also appreciate the value of pauza.

There is another working pauza specifically for new mothers. After new mothers return to work, before the child turns one year, they are entitled to take a 2-hour pauza each day to breastfeed or handle any additional mother duties. Both parents are allowed to legally “pause” their employment until the child turns three years old.