Can I be dismissed during my probation period?
Yes — with no notice, no reasons and no severance. A contract with a probation clause under art. 70 of the Labour Code is the most fragile in Bulgarian employment law. Its maximum length is 6 months, or 1 month where the job itself is for a term under one year. The rule is mandatory: if the contract states a longer period, it is valid only up to 6 months. Probation is agreed in favour of one or both parties, and while the period runs, the party it favours may terminate the contract with immediate effect, without giving any reason at all. The protection against dismissal under art. 333 does not apply — no permission is needed from the labour inspectorate or a trade union. Under art. 70(5), a probation contract for the same job with the same employer may be concluded only once.
📋 The rules
- Maximum 6 months; for a job under 1 year — 1 month
- Termination with no notice and no reasons
- Only the party the probation favours may terminate
- The art. 333 protection does not apply
- For the same job with the same employer — only once
🔓 Exceptions
- The period does not run during leave, sick leave and other lawful absences
- If probation is agreed in the employee's favour only, the employer cannot terminate under art. 70
- Once the period expires the contract becomes final automatically — no new document is needed
⚠️ Penalties & fines
There is no fine here — there is an absence of protection, and that is exactly what people fail to grasp in time. Termination under art. 70(4) requires no reasons, gives no notice and triggers no severance, and a court challenge is almost always futile — unless the period had already expired, probation was agreed a second time for the same job, or the termination was discriminatory (pregnancy, ethnicity, union membership). Then the dismissal is unlawful and can be set aside by a claim brought within 2 months. Check the exact expiry date: one day late and termination under art. 70 becomes impossible.
📎 Official sources
- lex.bg · Labour Code (art. 70) →
- General Labour Inspectorate Executive Agency →
- Ministry of Labour · Employment relationships →
❓ Frequently asked
How long can a probation period be?
At most 6 months, or 1 month where the job itself is for a term under one year. The rule is mandatory: an agreement for a longer period is valid only up to the statutory maximum.
Can I be dismissed without a reason?
Yes. While the period runs, the party in whose favour probation was agreed can terminate with immediate effect — no notice, no reasons given and no severance payable.
Does the protection against dismissal apply?
No. The protection under art. 333 of the Labour Code does not apply to termination during probation — no permission is needed from the labour inspectorate or from a trade union body.
Can they impose a second probation period?
No. Under art. 70(5), a contract with a probation clause may be concluded only once for the same job with the same employee at the same enterprise.
What happens when the period ends?
The contract becomes final automatically, with no new document or annex. From that moment termination under art. 70 is no longer possible and the ordinary rules apply.
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