{"id":1265,"date":"2025-04-11T10:29:55","date_gmt":"2025-04-11T08:29:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/intras.cz\/?post_type=novinky&#038;p=1265"},"modified":"2025-04-11T10:32:15","modified_gmt":"2025-04-11T08:32:15","slug":"svarcsystem-short-term-relief-long-term-risk","status":"publish","type":"novinky","link":"https:\/\/intras.cz\/en\/news\/svarcsystem-short-term-relief-long-term-risk\/","title":{"rendered":"\u0160varcsystem: Short-Term Relief, Long-Term Risk"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>At Intras Consulting, we understand that collaboration with self-employed individuals (freelancers) is an attractive way for many companies to ensure flexibility and optimize costs. However, with the amendment to the Employment Act taking effect on <strong>January 1, 2025<\/strong>, penalties for illegal employment through the so-called <strong>\u0160varcsystem<\/strong> have been significantly tightened.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>What is the \u0160varcsystem?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The \u0160varcsystem refers to a situation where a company cooperates with a self-employed person under conditions that actually correspond to an employment relationship. This includes, for example:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Fixed working hours<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Performing work at the company&#8217;s premises<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Use of company equipment<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Direct supervision by a superior<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Such a setup is <strong>illegal<\/strong> and may lead to serious legal consequences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>New Sanctions from 2025<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The amendment to the Employment Act introduces the following stricter penalties:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Activity ban for up to 2 years<\/strong>: Companies proven to use the \u0160varcsystem can face a ban on their activities for up to two years.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Retroactive assessment of levies<\/strong>: In addition to fines, companies may be required to pay back taxes for the past <strong>3 years<\/strong>, and health and social insurance contributions for up to <strong>5 years<\/strong> retroactively.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Blacklist of illegal employers<\/strong>: Companies that violate the law may be listed in a public registry of illegal employers, damaging their reputation and ability to obtain contracts.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Risk Factors in Contracts with Freelancers<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>When working with freelancers, it is crucial to avoid the following <strong>risk factors<\/strong> in contracts:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Fixed working hours<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Work performed at company premises<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Use of company equipment<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Direct management and control by a superior<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Exclusive collaboration without other clients<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Regular monthly payment regardless of results<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Providing employee-like benefits<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Long-term collaboration with no time limit<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Use of company business cards and email<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Inability to refuse assigned work<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Absence of personal business risk<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>These elements can indicate that the collaboration constitutes dependent (employee-like) work \u2013 and therefore <strong>illegal<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Duration of Cooperation with Freelancers<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Collaboration with a freelancer <strong>exceeding 1 year<\/strong> may be considered high-risk, especially if it exhibits signs of dependent work. Long-term exclusive cooperation with a single client may indicate an attempt to circumvent labor laws.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>What Inspections Focus On<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Inspectors typically focus on the following when detecting a \u0160varcsystem:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Working hours and place of work<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Method of task assignment and level of control<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Use of company equipment and space<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Exclusivity of collaboration<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Form of compensation and provision of benefits<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>These factors may signal illegal employment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>High-Risk and Lower-Risk Activities<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Some activities are more prone to being misused via the \u0160varcsystem, such as:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>IT services<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Marketing and advertising<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Construction<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Consulting<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Activities where freelancers serve <strong>multiple clients<\/strong> and operate with greater autonomy are considered <strong>lower-risk<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Recommendations for Companies<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>To avoid <strong>multi-million fines<\/strong> and other penalties, we recommend:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Carefully structure contracts with freelancers<\/strong><br>Ensure wording does not imply employment \u2013 especially regarding working time, place of work, and control mechanisms. If the freelancer has clearly defined assignments, their own tools, and multiple clients, you&#8217;re in a better position to justify the cooperation.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Regularly review collaborations<\/strong><br>Even if the initial setup was correct, circumstances can change \u2013 e.g., increased workload, use of company premises, or actual supervision by internal managers.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Avoid extending collaborations without assessment<\/strong><br>Relationships lasting over 12 months and involving exclusivity are red flags for inspections. In such cases, we recommend performing a <strong>risk assessment<\/strong>, for example, through a legal or tax analysis.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Educate responsible personnel<\/strong><br>Managers, HR staff, and recruiters should understand what constitutes legal external cooperation. Surprisingly often, the \u0160varcsystem arises <strong>unintentionally<\/strong> from good intentions and a lack of awareness.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Conclusion<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The 2025 amendment to the Employment Act clearly demonstrates that the state has adopted <strong>zero tolerance<\/strong> for illegal employment. <strong>Inspections are more frequent<\/strong>, <strong>penalties more severe<\/strong>, and <strong>\u201cwe didn\u2019t know\u201d is no longer a valid excuse<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>At Intras Consulting, we ensure that all our internal processes are fully compliant with the law. All our colleagues are employed under regular labor contracts, and we have <strong>never taken the risk<\/strong> of engaging in a \u0160varcsystem \u2013 not only because of regulations, but because of our <strong>fair and stable approach<\/strong> to every team member.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>From experience, we know that <strong>legal and meaningful models<\/strong> of external cooperation do exist, but they must always be transparent, fair, and compliant with the law. That\u2019s exactly where we support our clients.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>If you\u2019re unsure whether your setup complies with current regulations \u2013 get in touch.<\/strong> We\u2019ll gladly go through your specific case and help you find a compliant and functional solution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Veronika \u010capov\u00e1<\/strong><br>Operations Director<br>\ud83d\udce9 <a class=\"\">veronika.capova@intras.cz<\/a><br>\ud83c\udf10 <a class=\"\" href=\"http:\/\/www.intras.cz\">www.intras.cz<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>At Intras Consulting, we understand that collaboration with self-employed individuals (freelancers) is an attractive way for many companies to ensure flexibility and optimize costs. However, with the amendment to the Employment Act taking effect on January 1, 2025, penalties for illegal employment through the so-called \u0160varcsystem have been significantly tightened. What is the \u0160varcsystem? The [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-1265","novinky","type-novinky","status-publish","hentry"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v22.7 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>\u0160varcsystem: Short-Term Relief, Long-Term Risk - Intras Consulting a.s. | \u00da\u010detnictv\u00ed, mzdy, dan\u011b<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/intras.cz\/en\/news\/svarcsystem-short-term-relief-long-term-risk\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"\u0160varcsystem: Short-Term Relief, Long-Term Risk - Intras Consulting a.s. | \u00da\u010detnictv\u00ed, mzdy, dan\u011b\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"At Intras Consulting, we understand that collaboration with self-employed individuals (freelancers) is an attractive way for many companies to ensure flexibility and optimize costs. 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