The posting of employees
In case employees are posted to Austria, several legal provisions must be adhered to, including the following:
- Safety and health in the workplace
- The protection of pregnant women and female employees nursing their children
- The employment of children and young people
- Working hours and rest periods
If collective agreements include terms that deviate from the general provisions, these terms shall also apply to posted employees. This particularly applies to working hours. In general, the same level of protection should apply to all employees, regardless of whether they are employed by a company based in Austria or have been posted here. Austrian public holidays also have to be adhered to, even if these days are normal working days in the employee's country of origin.
There must be a risk assessment for posted workers as for all other employees, and appropriate instructions have to be issued based upon the assessment. Posted employees have to receive support from preventive services, and undergo a medical examination if necessary (health surveillance).
When posted employees work on the premises of another company, for example carrying out construction work or maintenance, their work must be coordinated with that of the other persons employed there.
On building sites, a building site coordinator must be appointed who also coordinates all activities, which have an influence on the protection of the safety and health of the posted employees. On building sites, but also on other business premises, it is important that a German-speaking person is present who can give any necessary information to the Labour Inspectorate.
Companies that post workers have to notify the relevant authorities (Central Coordination Office for the Monitoring of Illegal Employment) at least a week before their employment begins. In the case that work cannot be postponed, orders have to be completed at short notice or catastrophes, this notification has to be given immediately before the work of posted employees commences.
You can obtain further information from the following websites:
- Website for the posting of workers
https://www.entsendeplattform.at/cms/Z04/Z04_10/home - Federal Ministry of Labour , Social Affairs, Health, Care and Consumer Protection
Cross-Border emlpoyment - Central Co-Ordinating Agency Posting
Letzte Änderung am: 23.02.2026