The Estonia government mandates a minimum wage and employers are expected to offer employees at least €584 per month, or €3.85 per hour for hourly work.

For customers of Remote, all employee payments will be made in equal monthly installments on or before the last working day of each calendar month, payable in arrears.

We can help you get a new employee started in Estonia fast. The minimum onboarding time we need is only 8 working days.

Our team ensures your employees are onboarded and paid as quickly as possible while keeping your business compliant with all local employment legislation. The minimum onboarding time begins after the employee submits all required information onto the Remote platform. The onboarding timeline is also dependent upon registration with local authorities.

For all non-nationals of the country of employment, the Right to Work assessment (if applicable) will add three extra days to the total time to onboard. There may be extra time required if we need to follow-up on the right to work assessment.

Please note, payroll cut-off dates can impact the actual first day of employment. Remote has a payroll cut-off date of the 10th of the month unless otherwise specified.

Employees are entitled to 28 paid days off and should any of those leave days fall on a public holiday, the paid leave will be extended so employees are not shortchanged.

Employees are entitled to take the 13 national holidays off and employees who make themselves available on holidays are entitled to double pay.

Estonian labor law guarantees a maximum of 182 paid sick leave days per calendar year, paid at 70% of the employee’s average salary. This is paid by the employer from the fourth until the eighth day of the employee’s illness. The employee draws sickness benefits from the social security administration from the ninth day onwards.

Pregnant employees are entitled to 140 paid days off, which can start vesting at least 70 days before the delivery date. Maternity benefits are disbursed by the social security office.

An employee is entitled to paid parental leave to raise a newly-delivered child or to assist a postpartum partner, both at the expense of the state. Same sex couples are eligible if the child is adopted by the other parent. Paid parental leave can be taken until the child reaches the age of three. The parents can take up to 435 days of leave (this time can be either consecutive or not consecutive). Only one parent can take this leave at a time.

Men are entitled to 10 working days that can be taken within two months of the expected birth date. After the birth, the father is entitled to two months paternity leave. Men are entitled to 100% of their gross salary, however it is capped at three times the minimum wage of the country.

Working students can access 30 calendar days off for general education or vocational studies and are guaranteed 20 days of compensation for the time off taken.

• Adoption leave: adopting parents are guaranteed paid leave to negotiate the adoption process and bond with their children.
• Childcare leave: employees with children aged below 14 are entitled to up to 6 days of paid leave monthly, depending on the age of their children. Either parent of a disabled child can take an additional paid workday off every month until the child turns 18.