[Czech Republic] Occupational Medical Examinations as of June 1, 2025

On June 1, 2025, a major amendment to the Labour Code came into effect. Along with it, the conditions for conducting occupational medical examinations of employees have also changed. In this article, we will outline the changes and review the basic rules that employers must follow.

The system of occupational medical examinations is based on the following types of check-ups:

• Entry
• Periodic
• Exit
• Extraordinary
• Follow-up

Let us remind you that work is divided into four risk categories, where Category I includes work with the lowest risk and Category IV with the highest. Within Category II, we further distinguish between so-called “risky” and “non-risky” subcategories.

The employer classifies work into Category I on his own. For classification into Categories III and IV, the decision is made by the regional hygiene station upon the employer’s proposal. Classification into Category II is also determined by the employer, similar to Category I, but with the obligation to notify the hygiene station, which may reassign the employee to a different category.

As of January 1, 2023, periodic check-ups were abolished for Categories I and II (non-risky). Starting June 1, 2025, entry medical examinations are no longer required either – though this change applies only to Category I. Initial examinations for Category II (even non-risky) remain mandatory. Thus, the new rule is that an initial medical examination for Category I is only conducted if requested by the employer, the employee, or if required by a specific legal regulation.

If the employer requests the entry examination, the employee is obliged to undergo it. Failure to do so results in the employee being considered medically unfit. If an employment relationship has already been established, the employer will not assign work, and the employee will not be entitled to wage compensation, as the obstacle is on the employee’s side.

If the examination is requested by the employee, the employer must issue a referral and send the employee for the examination. Until it is completed, the employee is deemed medically unfit.

For employees working under agreements to perform work (DPP) or agreements to complete a job (DPČ), the requirements have been aligned with those of regular employment contracts (HPP). Before the amendment, DPP/DPČ workers in Category II (non-risky) were not required to undergo an entry examination, but now this requirement applies to them as well.

For juvenile employees (under 18), there is an obligation to undergo an entry medical examination and periodic examinations at least once per year. There had been differing interpretations as to whether this obligation applied only to employment contracts or also to DPP and DPČ arrangements. The amendment clarifies this by explicitly stating that both entry and periodic examination requirements for juveniles apply to DPP and DPČ as well.

Special Provisions and Clarifications for Juveniles

For juvenile employees (under 18 years of age), the obligation to undergo an entry medical examination and periodic check-ups at least once a year has long been in place, regardless of the category of work (this applies even to Category I). However, there have been differing interpretations as to whether this obligation applies only when the juvenile has an employment contract, or also in cases where they work under a DPP (Agreement to Perform Work) or DPČ (Agreement to Complete a Job). The amendment has eliminated these differing interpretations by explicitly stating that the obligations for entry and periodic medical examinations of juvenile employees also apply to DPP and DPČ.