Employment & Labour Law in Kazakhstan

Employment Contracts

Drafting and reviewing employment contracts compliant with the Kazakhstan Labour Code — mandatory provisions, probationary periods, working time, remuneration, benefits, and termination grounds. Bond Stone advises on adapting multinational group employment templates to Kazakhstani mandatory law requirements.

Termination & Redundancy

Advising on lawful termination of employment under the Kazakhstan Labour Code — grounds for termination, notice periods, severance entitlements, and mandatory conciliation commission procedures. Bond Stone has managed full lifecycle reductions in force (RIF) for international companies — from conciliation commission formation through trilingual termination documentation.

Work Permits & Immigration

Work permit applications for foreign nationals employed in Kazakhstan — employer quotas, work permit categories, application procedures, and compliance with local content requirements. Bond Stone advises on C3 (CEO/deputy) and specialist work permit categories, and on structuring employment arrangements to comply with Kazakhstan's foreign worker quota system.

Expatriate Employment

Structuring expatriate employment arrangements for foreign nationals working in Kazakhstan — local employment contracts vs. secondment agreements, local content compliance, tax residence implications, and social insurance contribution obligations. Bond Stone advises multinationals on dual employment structures balancing home country and host country obligations.

HR Policy & Compliance

Drafting and reviewing internal HR policies, regulations, and procedures for compliance with Kazakhstani labour law — internal labour regulations, disciplinary procedures, remuneration regulations, and data protection policies. Bond Stone conducts employment law compliance audits for international companies entering or restructuring their Kazakhstan operations.

Employment Disputes

Representing employers in individual labour disputes before Kazakhstan courts and conciliation commissions — wrongful termination claims, unpaid wages disputes, and disciplinary challenge proceedings. Bond Stone advises on pre-litigation strategy and settlement, and represents employers through the full litigation process where settlement is not achievable.

Mandatory employment contract provisions

Article 28 of the Labour Code prescribes mandatory content for all employment contracts, including the parties, work function, place of work, term, start date, working and rest time, pay, and rights and duties. A missing term does not remove the employee's statutory protection.

Probationary periods

Maximum probationary period is 3 months under Article 36 of the Labour Code, or up to 6 months for heads of organisations, chief accountants, their deputies, and heads of branches and representative offices. If the result is negative, the employer may terminate by a notice stating the reasons (Art. 37). Probationary period provisions must be expressly included in the employment contract — they cannot be implied.

Working time & overtime

Standard working week is 40 hours under Article 68. Overtime generally requires the employee's written consent (Art. 77) and is limited to 2 hours per day and 12 hours per month (Art. 78). It is paid at no less than 1.5 times the regular rate (Art. 108). Mandatory annual leave is 24 calendar days minimum.

Foreign worker quotas

Employers in Kazakhstan must comply with annual foreign worker quotas set by the government. The quota system limits the percentage of foreign workers by employment category. Work permits are issued within the quota framework — employers must apply for quota allocation before hiring foreign nationals. Bond Stone advises on quota planning and work permit applications.

Conciliation commission — first step in most disputes

Individual labour disputes go first to a conciliation commission (Labour Code, Art. 159). The exceptions are micro-businesses, non-profit organisations, branches and representative offices of foreign legal entities with up to 15 employees, domestic workers, and heads and other members of executive bodies. The conciliation commission is a joint employer-employee body established at the workplace. Bond Stone advises on conciliation commission formation, procedure, and outcome documentation — a step that foreign employers often overlook and that can derail a later court claim.