Armenia

Armenia is one of the world’s oldest countries, whose capital was established before Rome. The country is home to several ancient historical sites (including some of the oldest churches in the world). There are no employer taxes in Armenia, and labor laws provide considerable protections for workers in the country. Their primary industries include manufacturing, textiles, mining, and agriculture.

Parental Leave

Pregnant employees in Armenia receive a total of 140 days fully-paid leave in most cases — 70 before the due date and 70 after — and can be extended to 85 days after birth in the case of complicated childbirth.

New fathers in Armenia are also entitled to 5 days of paid leave within 30 days of the birth. While Armenia currently does not recognize same-sex partnerships, companies may elect to provide their own paid parental leave for parents in same-sex relationships.

Sick Leave

Employers provide paid sick leave for the employee from day 2 to day 5 of sickness. After the 6th day of sickness their pay will be covered by social insurance.

Paid Leave

Armenia has 15 national holidays, and employees are entitled to an additional 20 working days of paid time off per year, accrued at 1.67 days per month. Additionally, employers must provide 3 days of unpaid leave for bereavement and 3 days of unpaid leave in the event of the employee’s marriage.

The minimum wage is 68,000 AMD per month, or 406 AMD per hour. Standard working hours in Armenia are 8 hours per day, and 40 hours per week, with a work week from Monday to Friday.

Overtime is calculated at 150% of the standard hourly rate for each hour of overtime worked. If an employee works nights, these are calculated at 130% of the standard hourly rate for each hour of night work.

Process

Employees in Armenia may only be terminated if it’s for one of the reasons outlined in their labor laws — there is no at-will termination in Armenia for employers. These reasons include: employee’s inability to perform the duties of the role, contract expiration, unexcused absences, etc. The reasoning for the termination should be provided to the employee in writing.

Notice Period

Notice periods in Armenia vary greatly and depend on the termination circumstances as well as the tenure of the employee at the company. Employees leaving by mutual agreement with the employer are entitled to 7 days notice. If they are being terminated for another reason, the notice period depends on their tenure at the company:

• 1 year or less = 2 weeks notice
• 1-5 years = 35 days notice
• 5-10 years = 42 days notice
• 10-15 years = 49 days notice
• 15+ years = 60 days notice

Severance Pay

In Armenia, severance pay amounts vary depending on the tenure of the employee and the reason for termination. For layoffs and employees made redundant, one month’s salary is the norm. In other situations, two weeks’ salary is the norm, unless an employment agreement stipulates otherwise.

The reason for termination determines the severance pay — for example, if the company is liquidated or the number of employees is reduced, the severance pay is equal to the employee’s average monthly salary equal to 1 month.

If the termination is employee-related, such as for a long-term disability, old age, Military Service, etc, the employment length will determine the severance pay.

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