What Severance Pay Rules Must Employers Follow in Belarus?

Which Employees Qualify for Severance Pay?

• Employees dismissed due to staff redundancy or liquidation of the organization.
• Employees who refuse to transfer to another locality with the employer or to significantly changed working conditions.
• Employees whose employment is terminated because they are medically unfit for the job and no suitable position is available.
• Employees released from military or alternative service who cannot be reinstated to their previous position.
• Employees whose fixed-term contracts are not renewed in cases where the Labour Code grants a severance guarantee.
• Employees covered by collective agreements or contracts that provide enhanced severance beyond Labour Code minimums.

What Are the Legal Timelines for Paying Severance?

In Belarus, severance must generally be paid on the employee’s last working day together with all other final wage payments. The Labour Code requires employers to settle all amounts due on termination without delay, and any later payment can be treated as a violation of payment deadlines. In practice, your company should calculate severance as soon as the dismissal order is issued and ensure funds are ready before the final day. If the employee is absent on that day, payment should be made no later than the next business day after they request settlement. Always document the payment date and method to evidence compliance in case of inspection or dispute.

What Penalties Apply if Severance Is Not Paid Correctly?

If your company fails to pay severance correctly in Belarus, you risk financial, administrative, and reputational consequences. Labor inspectors, courts, and in some cases prosecutors can intervene, and underpayments often trigger back-pay orders plus additional liabilities. Non-compliance can also complicate future workforce reductions and collective relations.

• You may be ordered to pay the outstanding severance plus interest or compensation for delayed payment.
• Administrative fines can be imposed on the company and responsible managers by labor inspectorates.
• Employees can claim moral (non-pecuniary) damages through the courts in serious disputes.
• Repeated or gross violations can trigger more intensive inspections and closer regulatory scrutiny.
• Disputes over severance can damage your employer brand and union or works-council relationships.

Does Outsourcing Employment via an EOR Change Severance Liability?

Using an Employer of Record (EOR) such as the service described at https://www.playroll.com/employer-of-record does not remove the need to follow Belarusian severance rules. In a compliant EOR model, the EOR is the legal employer in Belarus and is formally responsible for calculating and paying severance under the Labour Code. However, your company usually funds these costs under the commercial agreement with the EOR, so poor planning still hits your budget. You should align your internal approval processes with the EOR’s legal obligations, especially for redundancies and fixed-term contract endings. Clear documentation of the reason for termination and the employee’s earnings history is essential so the EOR can defend the severance calculation if challenged.

Be 100 Percent Compliant in Offering Severance with Playroll

Managing severance in Belarus means tracking the legal grounds for dismissal, the employee’s average earnings, and any enhanced rights in contracts or collective agreements. Playroll helps your team translate those legal rules into clear workflows, so you know exactly when severance is due, how much to budget, and what documents to issue. With local expertise and standardized processes, you reduce the risk of misclassifying a termination or missing a payment deadline.

Playroll also supports you when you restructure teams or close roles in Belarus, modeling severance scenarios before you act. Our platform coordinates with in-country experts to ensure dismissal notices, calculations, and payment dates all line up with the Labour Code. That way, you protect your company from avoidable disputes while offering employees a fair and timely exit package.