Employment law

On 4 September the Riga City Court declared void the Daugavpils municipality's order dismissing Santa Pupiņa, head of the liquidated Urban Planning and Construction Department, reinstated the employment relationship and, at the claimant's request, terminated it by court judgment. The municipality was ordered to pay EUR 13,012.65 for forced absence from work and EUR 2,051.68 in litigation costs; the claim for EUR 3,000 in moral damages was rejected. The court found a breach of the requirements of Section 108 of the Labour Law on assessing employees and a failure to prove the need for the reorganisation. The judgment may be appealed.

Sworn attorney Lauris Klagišs analyses when an employer may terminate an employment contract because an employee's conduct is contrary to good morals. "Good morals" is a general clause without an exhaustive list of prohibited conduct, so the court assesses each case individually, taking into account both generally accepted ethical norms and principles established in the national legal system. The article is paywalled.

On 2 September the "LVM Employees' Independent Trade Union Organisation" filed a claim at the Riga City Court against AS "Latvijas valsts meži", asking the court to ensure genuine participation in collective bargaining. The union initiated negotiations in April 2026 and submitted its proposals in May, but the first meeting took place only on 5 August – after 125 days; it believes that correspondence about procedure has replaced substantive negotiations. LVM has concluded a collective agreement with another trade union, "LVM Cilvēkam un mežam". The case has not yet been initiated.

The publisher iŽurnāli has updated its handbook on internal whistleblowing systems in line with the amendments to the Whistleblowing Law that entered into force on 1 March 2026; an internal system is mandatory for organisations with 50 or more employees. The changes concern the procedure for the whistleblower contact person, the documentation of oral reports and an expanded list of prohibited adverse consequences (intimidation, blacklisting).

On 3 September 2026 the European Court of Human Rights rejected a complaint against Latvia alleging that the state had failed to provide sufficient rules against forced labour and servitude (Article 4 of the Convention). The Court found that Latvia has an adequate legal framework (the Constitution, the Criminal Law) and that the authorities had carefully investigated the applicant's allegations of exploitation, including unpaid wages and living conditions controlled by the employer.

In an e-consultation, the State Labour Inspectorate explains whether an employer may require paid training before concluding an employment contract and then bind the employee for 2–5 years. Section 96 of the Labour Law (an agreement on professional training for no longer than two years, proportionate to the expenses) applies only to training during an already existing employment relationship. The law makes no specific provision for training before a contract is concluded; if the parties agree on repayment of expenses in the event of early termination, this is a private-law dispute to be decided by a court.

In August 2026 the Insolvency Control Service (MKD) adopted 92 decisions satisfying employee claims from the employee claims guarantee fund, paying out a total of EUR 223,388 to 87 employees in the proceedings of nine insolvent employers. The largest payouts went to insolvent AS "Ditton pievadķēžu rūpnīca" (50 employees, EUR 125,920) and insolvent SIA "GBM" (13 employees, EUR 48,303). The fund is made up of employers' monthly contributions of EUR 0.36 per employee.

Sworn attorney Annija Švemberga-Streikiša (AmberLaw) analyses the CJEU judgment of 16 July 2026 in joined cases C-258/23–C-260/23 on competition authorities' access to employees' e-mails. The Court held that work e-mail is correspondence protected by the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights, and an internal ban on private use of e-mail does not remove that protection; any access is an interference with fundamental rights that must have a legal basis. The article is paywalled.

An e-consultation explains that under Section 100 of the Labour Law, an employee's notice period is one month from the submission of the notice, unless the employment contract or collective agreement sets a shorter period. The employer is entitled to maintain the employment relationship for the full month (the period runs until the corresponding date of the following month), but may also agree to the date stated by the employee; the employment relationship cannot be terminated on the last day of leave.

The consultation clarifies that reaching retirement age does not automatically end employment; the employee must submit written resignation notice one month in advance under the Labour Law, and separately file a pension application with the State Social Insurance Agency no earlier than one month before eligibility.

The article (paywalled, only the lead is visible) explains what documentation is needed when employment contract terms change — duties, pay, working hours or workplace location — referencing Section 97 of the Labour Law on amendments made by mutual agreement of the parties.

The State Labour Inspectorate clarifies that the Labour Law does not automatically grant parents a paid day off on 1 September, though employers may offer it at their discretion. Parents raising three or more children under 16 are entitled to three extra paid leave days, while parents of children under 8 may, under Article 148, request flexible hours or remote work. The Inspectorate advises employees to discuss their needs with employers in advance.

Amendments to the Law on Maternity and Sickness Insurance, published on 25 August, change how parental benefit is calculated for working parents who are not on formal child-care leave. From 1 January 2027 such parents will receive the benefit at 75% of the full rate. The law took effect on 8 September, though the new rule only applies from 2027.

On 20 August the Insolvency Control Service held an online seminar for insolvency administrators on filing employee claims in the EMUS system and applying labour law during insolvency proceedings. 45 administrators attended; the session was led by the Service and the State Labour Inspectorate. Topics included termination of employment contracts and guarantee fund payouts.

A joint LDDK and SIFFA study finds that employee health problems create an additional burden for employers — 90% of surveyed companies report an impact on colleagues, and over half face prolonged or frequent staff absences. LDDK proposes reducing the number of days employers must pay for an employee's sick leave (the A-list period) to encourage preventive health measures, along with better tax incentives for employer investment in employee health. The study feeds into a discussion on possible amendments to labour and healthcare regulation.

The article explains that employee video surveillance is lawful for an employer only when it serves a specific purpose — such as meeting legal obligations, gathering evidence for disputes, or monitoring work quality — has a proper legal basis, and employees are honestly informed about the monitoring and their rights. Surveillance is unlawful if cameras target private areas or shift from monitoring situations to tracking an individual employee. The framework rests on Article 96 of the Constitution, the GDPR, and the Law on Personal Data Processing.

The Latvian Aviation Professionals' Union (LAP) is demanding a social guarantees agreement from airBaltic covering workers potentially affected by fleet-optimization layoffs. The union also wants access to the airline's business plan after consultations broke down on 14 August, and rejected an overly broad confidentiality agreement proposed by the company. Under the Labour Law, employers planning collective dismissals must consult worker representatives on social guarantees for those being let go.