One country encouraging company expansion is the Czech Republic. However, in considering expansion onto this market, an employer must take into account meeting local rules and regulations of hiring employees.
Stages of Processing Information
When hiring employees, it should be in the company’s interest to discern what type of information an employer may gather from candidates during the recruitment process, and what information may be asked for during the onboarding process. These two stages of hiring employees must be conducted in compliance with a distinct set of conditions.
In order to properly distinguish both stages, this article will cover them separately.
Based on Czech local legislation, an employer may only request information directly related with preparing an employment contract. Employers frequently speculate what questions they may or may not ask. There is a strict policy regarding questions which the employer cannot ask the candidate at this stage.
The Employment Act stipulates that employers cannot request certain information during the recruitment process. Such information includes:
- religious, racial or ethnic origin;
- membership in trade unions;
- political and religious opinions.
Furthermore, the employer may not request information contradicting general moral standards of society, or other personal information not connected with fulfilling the employer‘s obligations.
It is forbidden to ask about:
- marital and family status, including the number or age of children;
- whether the candidate smokes;
- execution or insolvency;
- pregnancy;
- family and property relations;
- sexual orientation.
During the interview stage, is also impermissible to ask for a criminal register extract. However, the employer may request it from the selected job applicant when signing the employment contract.
In a few cases, it is possible to inquire whether a candidate already has an employment contract andabout the contract’s length.
Commonly, some information is supplemented via personal questionnaire after the successful conclusion of the recruitment process. However, in order to optimize the recruitment process, certain information must be acquired prior to making a decision on whether to proceed with the onboarding phase.
It should be acknowledged that the scope of information required from candidates is significantly reduced at this stage.
Onboarding process- personal information and data.
Following the successful conclusion of the recruitment process, an employment contract is drawn and signed, establishing an official employment relationship between the employer and the employee. This phase requires the employer to obtain certain personal information about the employee in order to finalize all administrative steps, both internal and external.
The most common external institutions requiring employee information include the Tax Office, Labour Office, Statistical Office, insurance companies, etc.
It is recommend to include information about GDPR process approval to this questionnaire. The personal questionnaire needs to be filled out by the employee and signed at the end. We also recommend attaching the applicant’s CV.
The most frequently asked questions in the personal questionnaire include:
- Name, surname, academic degree;
- Date and place of birth;
- Marital status;
- Citizenship;
- Address;
- Personal identification number;
- Documentation from previous employment(s);
- Work qualifications (courses, qualification etc.);
- Medical condition (Medical exam should be provided before the first day at work)
- Health insurance information;
- Criminal record extract;
- Bank account;
- Tax declaration.
Based on information provided in the personal questionnaire, it is possible, but not required by law, to have access to an employee’s personal files. Personal files can include documents which are needed for the employee’s job. The files may be kept electronically or physically (i.e. on paper). In case you decide on keeping evidence of personal records, it is needed to set-up the GDPR process carefully.
Conclusion
HR problems in the Czech Republic may seem complicated, especially if you are just starting, or are in the process of growing your business. Even when a company is a small or micro-business, it is recommended to set-up HR processes properly. This is of vital importance as it helps in avoiding unpleasant situations or significant fines from authorities.
In an effort to stimulate growth and development, KR Groups renders professional HR services facilitating the process of hiring employees by businesses opting for international expansion. If you have any questions regarding this matter, do not hesitate to get in contact with us.
