Original article (in Slovenian) was published on 27/3/2026; Author: Meta Gantar
The Common Foundations of the Public Sector Salary System Act changed the way public servants are remunerated but did not introduce an allowance for high-risk occupations.
On 9 March, during a pre-election debate on Pop TV, the president of the Democrats party, Anže Logar, claimed that the Robert Golob government “increased the total wage bill for public servants, but failed to implement necessary structural reforms, such as variable pay or an allowance for high-risk occupations or those in short supply.”
In a summary of a training session on remuneration systems organized in October 2024, the Association of Works Councils of Slovenia defined the fixed portion of a salary as the gross wage specified in an employment contract or collective agreement. The variable portion was defined as performance-based bonuses or other forms of financial incentives.
Under the Common Foundations of the Public Sector Salary System Act (ZSTSPJS), which has been in force since 23 November 2024 and applicable since last January, a salary consists of a base wage and a performance-related component. The latter includes performance bonuses, performance bonuses derived from the sale of goods and services on the market, and allowances such as those for on-call duty and mentorship.
According to this act, the base salary for public servants is determined by salary grades, which ensures that they receive a wage at least equal to or higher than the minimum wage. The act also stipulates that salary grades will be gradually adjusted until 2028 to eliminate disparities in base pay; thereafter, their value will be adjusted annually for inflation in negotiations.
Public servants receive the performance-based portion of their salary for above-average results, such as high quality or precision in their work. The procedures and conditions for performance payments, the maximum payout amounts, and the funding sources for this purpose are all governed by law.
Adjustments and negotiations regarding the criteria for these payments take place within individual “salary pillars,” which are groups of jobs comparable in terms of work content or the circumstances under which the work is performed.
Explanations of the public sector salary reform published on the government website show that during the Golob government’s mandate, the Ministry of Public Administration used a set of rules to establish performance criteria for public servants in salary group B within state administration bodies and local community administrations, such as directors and chief inspectors. Performance criteria for employees in public agencies, funds, and institutes, as well as those selling goods and services on the market, were established through separate decrees.
In a press release following the adoption of the ZSTSPJS in the National Assembly, the Ministry of Public Administration explained that, compared to previous legislation, regular performance bonuses and bonuses for increased workload were merged to reduce administrative burdens and increase transparency in variable remuneration.
They added that superiors will now have more funds available for the variable remuneration of above-average or more heavily burdened public servants. For the latter, the portion of the salary designated for regular performance was increased from 20% to 30% of the monthly base wage.
Upon adopting the reform, the government also clarified on its website that existing allowances were maintained, while a new category of allowances for prohibitions and restrictions was introduced. This new feature relates to a salary supplement intended to compensate for constitutional and legal prohibitions or restrictions that affect the rights of public servants or limit them in their work. The specific details and amounts of these will be determined in the collective agreement for the public sector.
While the new legislation does not introduce an allowance for specifically high-risk occupations in the public sector, the Minister of Labour, Luka Mesec, with the consent of the finance minister, amended sectoral rules to expand the list of occupations facing labour shortages. Under these rules, employers can claim tax relief for hiring in such professions.
Additionally, a decree specifying activities and occupations in which foreign nationals can be employed more quickly has been in effect since last December and remains active until 30 April of this year. For these roles, the Employment Service does not need to verify whether suitable domestic job seekers are registered in the unemployment database.
We have informed Anže Logar of our findings and will publish his response once we have received it.
We categorize Anže Logar’s claim as a grey zone, as it is only partially true. The part of the claim stating that the Golob government ensured public servants receive a wage equal to or greater than the minimum wage and set a timeline for adjusting other salaries is correct. It is also true that no specific allowance for high-risk or shortage occupations was introduced.
However, the part of the claim asserting that the salary reform failed to introduce changes to the determination of performance-based bonuses is incorrect.
