A Czech pension reform bill aimed at supporting workers in high-risk jobs is progressing through the legislative process, with its third reading in the Chamber of Deputies set to begin tomorrow (11 June).

The bill would require employers to contribute 3 per cent or 4 per cent of gross wages into voluntary private pension savings if the employee works a category three risk job, such as mining, metallurgy, or hazardous chemical processing.

To access the contributions, employees must submit a written application and select a third-pillar pension provider.

These contributions will be owned entirely by the employee and can be accessed for early retirement or other permitted uses under the third-pillar system.

Although the bill is advancing, having passed the second reading in May, the implementation timeline for the reforms remains uncertain, and lawmakers have yet to confirm a final approval date.

The proposed law Parliamentary Print No. 894 was originally scheduled to take effect on 1 July 2025, with the Czech Finance Ministry previously suggesting that it was "realistic" that it could be approved by the end of the first half of 2025.

But a number of amendments to the bill have been put forward as part of the legislative process, including amendments to delay the original start date of 1 July 2025, in order to allow for administrative preparations and ensure employers have sufficient time to comply.

Czech MP, Viktor Vojtko, proposed delaying the start date to 1 January 2026 due to short preparation time and the changes needed for HR and payroll systems to follow the new rules.

However, fellow MP, Alena Schillerová, proposed a longer delay, suggesting that the start date for the effectiveness of the regulations should be pushed by a full year, until 1 July 2026.

Whilst the amendments have yet to be confirmed, the Budget Committee recently recommended that the Chamber of Deputies approve the amendments and impose some delay on the start date.

The amendments and timing concerns will be discussed as part of the third reading for the legislation, which is set to begin tomorrow (11 June).

The legislation is part of a broader effort to support workers performing “demanding” environments, allowing them to build private pension savings that can be used to finance pre-retirement, without affecting their entitlement to the state pension.

The ruling coalition has broadly supported the proposal and was officially endorsed by the Ministry of Finance in January, describing it as a long-needed reform for those working in physically and mentally demanding jobs.

The proposal follows the Czech government’s previous pension reform that removed the right to retire early without a reduced pension for certain demanding professions.

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