Injured at Work in the Czech Republic: What to Do

What you can do now

1. 1

   Get medical treatment and keep every report

   See a doctor the same day, say that it happened at work and keep every medical report and sick note. They are the main evidence of the injury and of how long you could not work.

2. 2

   Make sure the injury is recorded

   The employer must record every work injury in its injury register (kniha úrazů). Report it to your supervisor straight away, ask for the record in writing and keep a copy. Write down names of witnesses.

3. 3

   Take photos and keep your own notes

   Photograph the place and any faulty equipment, and write down what happened while you remember it: time, task, who was there and what safety instructions you had received.

4. 4

   Know that the employer pays even without fault

   Under the Czech Labour Code the employer is liable for a work injury even if it did nothing wrong. It can escape liability fully only in narrow cases — for example when your own knowing breach of safety rules you were trained on, or intoxication, was the only cause.

5. 5

   Claim compensation in writing

   Ask the employer in writing for compensation: lost earnings, pain and suffering, any lasting harm and treatment costs. Employers are insured for this by law, so the insurer usually handles the payment.

Deadlines and money

Compensation covers lost earnings during and after sick leave, pain and suffering (bolestné), lasting impairment of your social life and reasonable treatment costs. The right to compensation as such does not expire, but individual payments do, so claim them promptly. An injury on the way to or from work is not a work injury. A lawyer often works on a fixed fee or a share agreed in advance — ask before you sign.

Can you handle it yourself, or do you need a lawyer?

A small injury with a cooperative employer can often be settled with a written claim. Get a lawyer if the employer denies that it happened at work, blames you, did not record it, the injury is serious or lasting, you worked through an agency or without a contract, or your residence permit depends on this job.

Bring the medical reports, sick notes, the injury record or your own notes, your employment or agency contract and payslips.

Where to get help in Prague

• Residence and visas

  The Ministry of the Interior's OAMP office — book an appointment through the Information Portal for Foreigners or on +420 974 801 801.

  Ministerstvo vnitra — Odbor azylové a migrační politiky (OAMP)

• Free advice for foreigners

  The regional integration centre gives free advice in several languages and helps with offices.

  Integrační centrum Praha

• Wages and working conditions

  The regional labour inspectorate takes complaints against employers free of charge.

  Oblastní inspektorát práce pro hlavní město Prahu

• Court

  The district court for civil disputes such as deposits, wages or divorce.

  Obvodní soud podle městské části, kde bydlíte

Documents to Prepare

• •Medical reports and sick notes
• •The injury record from the employer, or your own written notes
• •Photos and names of witnesses
• •Employment or agency contract
• •Payslips from the months before the injury

Frequently Asked Questions

Legal background

Work injuries are governed by the Czech Labour Code (Act No. 262/2006 Coll.). The employer is liable for harm caused by a work injury (Section 269) and may be released fully or partly only on the grounds in Section 270; a work injury is harm caused by a sudden external event while performing work or in direct connection with it, not on the commute (Sections 273–274). The employer keeps an injury register (Section 105). Employers carry statutory liability insurance for work injuries.

Verified Sources

• Labour Code (Act No. 262/2006 Coll.), Sections 105, 269–274 — Zákony pro lidi
• Work injuries and occupational diseases — Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs
• State Labour Inspection Office — Státní úřad inspekce práce

Last reviewed: 2026-10-14

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