Unpaid salary / Unpaid wage

Has your employer failed to pay you? We will help you recover what you are entitled to.

An employer is obliged to pay wages on the agreed pay date. If your employer fails to pay your wages duly and on time, you have the right to claim them.

You can verify the wage due date in your employment contract or salary assessment (salary statement). Wages are typically payable in the month following the month in which the agreed working hours were performed.

Unpaid Wages (Outstanding Salary) – Step by Step

• Review payroll documentation – Check your payslip, attendance records, bonuses and allowances (public holidays, night work, overtime), and premiums. Verify that the full amount due has actually been credited to your bank account.
• If you identify a shortfall, request payment of the outstanding wages and demand an explanation for any recorded discrepancy.
• Formal written demand for payment (e-mail + registered letter) – calculate the outstanding amount and set a reasonable deadline for additional performance (e.g. 7 days).
• Attorney’s demand letter (e-mail + registered letter) – together with your lawyer, recalculate the outstanding amount and formally demand payment within a specified period (e.g. 7 days).
• Default interest and costs – notify the employer that you will claim statutory default interest and recovery costs.
• Labour Inspectorate – you may file a complaint for breach of statutory obligations; however, the authority does not award compensation, it only addresses the employer’s administrative offence under employment regulations.
• Court action / Payment order – before a court you may claim outstanding wages + default interest + costs; in clear-cut cases, a payment order procedure may be issued swiftly.
• Immediate termination of employment by the employee – possible if wages are more than 15 days overdue after the due date; in such case, you are also entitled to wage compensation.

When Do Unpaid Wages Most Commonly Arise?

A) Unpaid Wages (Outstanding Salary)

• Scenario: For June 2025 you were to be paid CZK 35,000 by 31 July 2025. As of 15 August 2025, the wage has still not been credited.
• Claim: CZK 35,000 + statutory default interest from 1 August 2025 until payment + recovery costs.
• Procedure: Formal demand → payment order/court action; in parallel, a complaint to the Labour Inspectorate.

B) Compensation for Loss of Earnings Following a Workplace Injury (During Sick Leave)

• Scenario: Prior to the injury, your average earnings were CZK 38,000. After the injury, you are on sick leave receiving sickness benefits and, where applicable, wage compensation from the employer for the initial period.
• Principle: The employer’s insurer compensates for loss of earnings, i.e. pays the difference so that your income corresponds to your pre-injury average earnings.
• Example: If your total monthly income during sick leave (wage compensation + sickness benefits) amounts to CZK 22,000, the compensation for loss of earnings may be approximately up to CZK 16,000 (to reach CZK 38,000).
• Additionally: You may also claim compensation for pain and suffering, compensation for diminished social functioning, and material damage.

C) Compensation for Loss of Earnings After Sick Leave (Permanent Consequences)

• Scenario: After returning to work, due to lasting consequences of the injury, you earn CZK 30,000 instead of the previous CZK 38,000.
• Principle: The insurer pays the monthly difference (CZK 8,000), potentially taking into account disability pension benefits.
• Duration: Payable for as long as the reduction in earnings persists in causal connection with the injury.

D) Invalid Notice of Termination – Wage Compensation (Employee Insists on Continued Employment)

• Scenario: Your average earnings are CZK 40,000. On 30 April 2025 you receive notice of termination, which you challenge in court and simultaneously notify the employer in writing that you insist on continued employment. The employer does not assign you work for 5 months.
• Principle: You are entitled to wage compensation in the amount of your average earnings for the period during which no work was assigned.
• Example: 5 × CZK 40,000 = CZK 200,000 (+ accessories). The specific amount and any adjustments will be determined by the court based on the circumstances of the case.

E) Immediate Termination of Employment (Declared Invalid)

• Scenario: On 10 June 2025 you receive immediate termination. By court action you obtain a judgment declaring it invalid; you also insisted on continued employment, but the employer did not assign work for 3 months.
• Principle: The same as with invalid notice – entitlement to wage compensation equal to your average earnings for the period without work.
• Example: 3 × average earnings (+ accessories).

Assistance from Právo zaměstnance

Until a lawyer speaks on your behalf, employers often fail to respond.

Without knowledge of employment law, it is difficult to determine what you are legally entitled to.

You gain an experienced legal partner who will stand by your side and ensure effective enforcement of your rights.

• Prompt legal assessment (as soon as possible after the pay date).
• Formal demand and negotiations with the employer/insurer.
• Court action/payment order proceedings, enforcement and execution.
• Strategy regarding immediate termination of employment (where appropriate).

Contact Právo zaměstnance

Have you not been paid for your work?

Contact us – we will assess your situation free of charge and propose the most effective course of action to recover outstanding wages or other employment-related claims.

We will handle both the legal steps and the enforcement process on your behalf.

📞 By phone: +420 773 014 007

📧 By e-mail: info@pravozamestnance.cz

🏢 Via the contact form: formuláře

📱Through social media: Instagram, Facebook či LinkedIn