Government: From July 1, 16 Working Sundays in Retail

The government on Thursday submitted to the Parliament the final proposal of the Trade Act, according to which stores would generally be closed on Sundays, and retailers could choose 16 Sundays in the year during which they would operate, with the new law coming into effect on July 1, said Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development Davor Filipović.

Filipović emphasized at the government session that the final proposal of the Trade Act regulates the fundamental right of retail workers to weekly rest and addresses the issue of balance between private and business life, which has been shown to be very important to citizens in all public opinion surveys.

The working hours in retail, as he stated, are regulated in such a way that stores are closed on Sundays and on public holidays, and the maximum weekly amount of working hours that a retailer independently schedules from Monday to Saturday is set at 90 hours.

– When this final proposal of the law is compared to the first reading, we have anticipated a part of exceptions that will operate on Sundays due to the need to supply the population, the continuous provision of public services, and the operation of those facilities that usually work on Sundays and public holidays due to specificities. In relation to the first reading, bakeries have been removed from those exceptions as we took into account everything that was discussed in committees and in Parliament – said Filipović.

Regarding the possibility of working on Sundays, as he noted, the proposal of the law provides for 16 working Sundays throughout the year. It is also proposed that the law come into effect on July 1, and for the adjustment of business entities, the 16 working Sundays in 2023 will not be counted as Sundays that were working before the new law comes into effect.

There are exceptions to the general rule

– We found a model of 16 working Sundays and I think that is a good balance, and I believe it will contribute to both workers’ rights and family life, and the quality functioning in this new regime of working on Sundays, which was part of our program – said Prime Minister Andrej Plenković at the beginning of the government session. We wanted to do this in a way that is sustainable and of quality, and all interested parties were consulted in the decision-making process, he added.

According to the proposal, the retailer independently determines which 16 Sundays in the year are working, based on individual needs, seasonality, micro-location, and other relevant factors. In weeks where Sunday is a working day, the maximum allowed fund of hours is increased by 15 hours, making the maximum allowed 105 working hours per week from Monday to Sunday.

The law prescribes exceptions to the general rule that are found within or are an integral part of the entirety of railway and bus stations, airports and ferry ports, inland navigation ports, ships, aircraft, and ferries for the transport of persons and vehicles, gas stations, hospitals, hotels, spaces of cultural and religious institutions, and other entities in culture, museums, visitor centers or interpretive centers, nautical marinas, camps, family farms, and areas declared as protected natural areas in accordance with special regulations.

Additionally, exceptions also apply to the purchase of primary agricultural products, the sale of own agricultural products at stalls and counters at retail markets, and the sale of own agricultural products at stalls and counters at wholesale markets, occasional sales at fairs and public events, as well as sales through vending machines and remote sales.

The distribution of press through kiosks, as a special form of sales outside of stores, may be open on Sundays and public holidays from 7 AM to 1 PM.

The stated exceptions are, as noted in the explanation, prescribed due to the need to supply the population, the continuous provision of public services, and the operation of those facilities that usually work on Sundays and public holidays due to the specific needs of consumers.