European Restructuring Monitor (ERM)
Eurofound's ERM database on restructuring-related legal regulations provides information on regulations in the Member States of the European Union and Norway which are explicitly or implicitly linked to anticipating and managing change.
Articles 107(l), 136(a), 138(a), 139
According to the Labour Code, a reference working week consists of five days and 40 hours of work. For economic reasons, companies can extend working time by written order and in this case are obliged to consult with representatives of trade unions and representatives of employees and to inform the labour inspectorate in advance.
The extension of working time could not be more than 10 hours per day, and for employees with reduced working time up to 1 hour more per day. In such cases, the working week duration cannot be more than 48 hours; for employees with reduced working time 40 hours.
The employer is obliged to record extended, reduced and compensated working time in a special record book. The extension of the working time can take place for up to 60 working days in one calendar year, but no more than 20 working days in a row.
In cases of working time extension, the employer is obliged to compensate the employee with the respective reduction of the working time within 4 months for each extended working hour. In case the employer does not compensate the extension within the listed period, the employee has the right to define the time that will compensate the extension of working hours by notifying the employer in writing at least two weeks in advance. In case of termination of the employment contract prior to compensation, the difference to the normal working day shall be paid as overtime.
The Labour Code regulates various options for working time flexibility such as: * prolonged working hours, * unregulated working hours, * part-time work, * accumulated calculation of working time, * availability out of the enterprise's territory, * working time with variable boundaries.
Flexible working hours are also applicable out of the enterprises' premises - when the employee is not present at the working place but could perform the working functions if necessary. Working time with variable boundaries can only be introduced by the employer. In this case, a working day can be divided into two or three parts. The number of interruptions, excluding lunch breaks, may not be more than two per working day and the duration of each break may not be less than one hour.
Eurofound (2015), Bulgaria: Working time flexibility, Restructuring legislation database, Dublin, https://apps.eurofound.europa.eu/legislationdb/working-time-flexibility/bulgaria
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