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Overview of Italy
Italy has the most memorable shape of all countries in Europe – the boot. It has a population of 60.366 million. With the Italian economy being one of the broadest in the world, Italy has the third largest economy of the EU and the 8th largest in the world. Italy is the fifth most visited place in the world by tourists.
Punctuality is not a priority in Italy so be prepared to wait for an appointment to arrive. First impressions are important as men and women have an excellent fashion sense so make sure to dress sharp when meeting up with someone. Italians also do a lot of business based on relationships so ensure to build up one when interested in doing business.
Currency of Italy
- Euro
Health Insurance and the Social Security system of Italy
The Italian healthcare system is run by the National Institute for Social Security (Istituto Nazionale della Previdenza Sociale/INPS). Every employee is obliged to pay social security contributions. The employer pays about two thirds of the contribution while the employee pays the other third. The contribution on the part of the employee is about 10% of his gross salary while the employee pays about 35% of the employee’s gross salary. A income ceiling exists for certain types of social security income such as old age pension, disability and survivor’s benefits.
The social security in Italy covers the following:
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sickness
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maternity
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accidents at work and occupational diseases
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benefits for unemployment
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invalidity and survivor’s pension
Employer cost of Italy
The cost for an employer to hire someone in Italy is a plus of 30.00% to the gross salary.
Salary and bonuses of Italy
Regular employees are paid once a month.
There are no laws regarding bonuses in Italy but many companies pay a 13th month salary, usually in December.
Public Holidays in Italy
In Italy there are 12 national public holidays.
- January 1st – New Years Day
- January 6th – Epiphany
- Easter Sunday
- Easter Monday
- April 25th – Liberation Day
- May 1st – International Workers Day
- June 2nd – Republic Day
- Augsut 15th – Assumption Day
- November 1st – All Saints Day
- November 8th – Immaculate Conception
- December 25th – Christmas
- December 26th – Saint Stephan’s day
Working Hours in Italy
Regular working hours are from 9:00am till 1:00pm and from 2:30pm till 6:00pm.
The maximum hours allowed during one work week are 40 hours. With overtime, a maximum of 48 hours per week and 250 hours a year are allowed. After 6 hours of working, one is entitled to a break. Overtime must be paid with an increase of a minimum of 10% of the base salary, but there are no specific rates.
Vacation in Italy
In Italy the average is 25 vacation days per year. It is not allowed to be less than 4 weeks.
Sick Leave in Italy
The first 3 days of an illness are seen as a “waiting period”. If one is still sick after the 4th day, one has to see the doctor who will sill out a sick note and send it electronically to the employer and the INPS. Between the 4th and the 20th day of the illness, one receives 50% of one’s regular wage as statutory sick pay. Between the 20th and the 180th day, once receives 66% of his wage. The maximum amount if sick days you are entitled to in one year is 180.
Termination/Severance in Italy
When dismissing an employee in Italy, this must occur via a written notice. An agreement can be reached between both parties ending the employment relationship through a settlement. In this case, no notice period needs to be adhered to. If no settlement is reached, the usual notice period is as per employment contract is adhered to.