Employer obligations in Israel: a checklist under the law

Service page: Support for employers: hearings, dismissals and employee claims.

Safety at work: what must the employer do, and what happens if it doesn’t?

Work safety law — the Work Safety Ordinance [New Version], 5730-1970 (פקודת הבטיחות בעבודה [נוסח חדש], התש״ל-1970), the Labor Inspection (Organization) Law, 5714-1954 (חוק ארגון הפיקוח על העבודה, התשי״ד-1954), and the regulations made under them — imposes detailed safety duties on the employer and on the occupier of the workplace. This is not a recommendation — it is a legal obligation. A labor inspector may issue an improvement order (section 8A of the Labor Inspection (Organization) Law) or a safety order, and in case of danger may even order the work to stop (section 6), and a breach may also be an offense.

Among the duties: to provide the employee with personal protective equipment when the risk cannot be prevented in another way, and to supervise its use (Safety at Work Regulations (Personal Protective Equipment), 5757-1997 (תקנות הבטיחות בעבודה (ציוד מגן אישי), התשנ״ז-1997)); to give employees information about the risks and to hold safety training at least once a year (Labor Inspection (Organization) Regulations (Provision of Information and Training of Employees), 5759-1999 (תקנות ארגון הפיקוח על העבודה (מסירת מידע והדרכת עובדים), התשנ״ט-1999)); from 16 October 2026 the training is as a rule given face to face, and online training or training through e-learning software is allowed only in a workplace that has appointed a safety officer who approved it on a form, and not where building works that require notice under section 192 of the Work Safety Ordinance are carried out (regulation 3(a2) of those Regulations); and in workplaces that employ at least 50 employees in the sectors that were set — to prepare a safety management plan that includes a risk assessment (Labor Inspection (Organization) Regulations (Safety Management Plan), 5773-2013 (תקנות ארגון הפיקוח על העבודה (תכנית לניהול הבטיחות), התשע״ג-2013)). Employees can complain to the labor inspection services, and a labor inspector may issue an improvement order setting a date for correcting the breach, which may not be less than 14 days.

Accessibility and ergonomics: what must the workplace have?

Section 8 of the Equal Rights for Persons with Disabilities Law, 5758-1998, requires employers of six or more employees to make the accommodations needed because of the special needs of an employee or job candidate with a disability — in the workplace and equipment, in the job requirements, in working hours, in hiring tests and in training. This is not just a “nice extra” — failing to make an adjustment is discrimination, unless the adjustment would place an “undue burden” on the employer (section 8(e); on the number of employees — section 13(a) of the Law, which applies section 21(c) of the Employment (Equal Opportunities) Law, 5748-1988 (חוק שוויון ההזדמנויות בעבודה, התשמ״ח-1988)).

The Hours of Work and Rest Law, 5711-1951 (חוק שעות עבודה ומנוחה, התשי״א-1951), does not deal with ergonomics. Ergonomic conditions — chairs with back support, desks at the right height and suitable lighting — are part of the employer’s general responsibility for the safety and health of the employees.

Are all your employees registered with Bituach Leumi?

Under the National Insurance Law [Consolidated Version], an employer who did not pay insurance contributions for its employee is liable to one year’s imprisonment or a fine, and anyone who did not fulfill another duty under the Law is liable to a fine for each person in respect of whom the offense was committed (section 398). The employee can file a complaint directly with the National Insurance Institute (Bituach Leumi) — and then an investigation of the business follows.

An employer must also pay National Insurance contributions on time — this is not optional.

Minimum wage, travel expenses and recuperation pay: what is every employee entitled to by law?

The Minimum Wage Law sets a floor (NIS 6,443.85 a month for a full-time position and NIS 35.40 an hour, as of 1 April 2026) — but the sector extension orders add further obligations: recuperation pay (dmei havra’a), travel expenses (check the updated rates under the relevant extension order), clothing allowance and more. An employer that does not pay one of these is acting against the law — even if the employee did not complain. The value of a recuperation day and the number of days by seniority: Recuperation pay 2026.

Another danger: unlawful deductions from wages. Section 25 of the Wage Protection Law sets out a closed list of permitted deductions: mandatory deductions under law (such as income tax, National Insurance contributions and health insurance contributions), deductions the employee agreed to in writing under the conditions in the section, and a debt under a written undertaking — up to a quarter of the wage. Any other deduction, for example for work clothing or equipment without such an undertaking, is forbidden, and the amount deducted is a wage that was not paid on time.

Documenting the terms of employment: what must you give the employee, and when?

The Notice to Employee and Job Candidate (Terms of Employment and Screening and Hiring Procedures) Law, 5762-2002, requires every employer to give the employee written notice of their terms of employment — among other things, the identity of the employer, the start date of the work, the job, the wage, the working hours and the social benefit payments — within 30 days from the start of work, and for a young worker, within 7 days (section 1). The notice is drawn up according to Form 1 in the Notice to Employee (Terms of Employment) (Form and Details of Notice) Regulations, 5762-2002 (תקנות הודעה לעובד (תנאי עבודה) (צורת הודעה ופרטיה), התשס״ב-2002), and it also includes the basis of the wage and any payment in kind, if agreed (regulations 1–2). An employer that did not give notice bears the burden of proof on the disputed matter, if the employee testified to their claim (section 5A), and the Labor Court may award exemplary damages (section 5(b)).

In a dispute over the terms of employment, an employer that did not give notice as required will have to prove its version, so written records are important. This means: document everything in writing and sign. See also: Legal support for employers in employment law.

Which kinds of discrimination at work are prohibited in Israel, and what is the sanction for a breach?

The Employment (Equal Opportunities) Law, 5748-1988, prohibits an employer from discriminating against employees or job seekers because of sex, sexual orientation, personal status, pregnancy, fertility treatment, IVF treatment, parenthood, age, race, religion, nationality, country of origin, place of residence, views, political party or reserve duty — in hiring, in working conditions, in promotion, in training and in dismissal (section 2); discrimination because of disability is prohibited under section 8 of the Equal Rights for Persons with Disabilities Law, 5758-1998. The prohibitions of discrimination in the two Laws do not apply to someone who employs fewer than six employees (section 21(c) of the Employment (Equal Opportunities) Law, and section 13(a) of the Equal Rights for Persons with Disabilities Law). Other protections, such as the prohibition on dismissing a pregnant employee without a permit (section 9(a) of the Women’s Employment Law, 5714-1954 (חוק עבודת נשים, התשי״ד-1954)), do not depend on the number of employees. The Labor Court may award compensation even if no monetary damage was caused, with no fixed ceiling — except in a claim for harm related to sexual harassment (section 10(a)(1)).

In addition, the Protection of Employees (Exposure of Offenses and Harm to Integrity or Proper Administration) Law, 5757-1997 (חוק הגנה על עובדים (חשיפת עבירות ופגיעה בטוהר המידות או במינהל התקין), התשנ״ז-1997), prohibits an employer from harming an employee’s work conditions or dismissing them because they filed a complaint against their employer or against another employee, or helped another employee to do so (section 2) — provided the complaint was filed in good faith, about a breach of an enactment (and in a public body, also about harm to integrity or proper administration), with the competent authority (section 4).

Mandatory pension: when it starts, how much is contributed, and what happens if payments are late?

Pension contributions are a legal obligation under the Extension Order for Mandatory Pension (צו ההרחבה לפנסיה חובה) (2008). From the January 2017 wage, the employee contributes 6% and the employer 6.5% to the benefits component, plus 6% to the severance component; an employee who has an active pension fund is entitled to contributions from the first day, and an employee without a fund after six months of work. An employer that is late with the contributions bears the direct damage to the employee and may be required to compensate.

Sector extension orders and collective agreements (for example in the construction sector) may set higher requirements. An employer must check the order that applies to its sector and comply with every requirement.