Part-Time and Fractional Hires Through EOR in Belarus: Contracts, Pay, and Limits

Hiring someone for part of the week has become common in tech. A startup might bring in an experienced CTO for two days a week, or a product team might need a QA engineer at half time while the release schedule is light. In Belarus, these people don’t have to be contractors. They can be employed part-time through an employer of record on a regular employment contract, with paid leave, social insurance, and the other protections that come with employment.

Which rules apply depends mostly on whether the job with you will be the person’s only job. If it is, you’re dealing with ordinary part-time employment and can agree on almost any number of hours. If they already work full-time for another employer, Belarusian law treats your role as a secondary job, and it can’t take up more than 20 hours a week. Below we go through both cases and then cover pay, taxes, leave, and the practical limits.

Part-time employment and secondary jobs: the difference

Belarusian labor law has two separate concepts here. Part-time work is simply a reduced schedule. Secondary employment is a second job held alongside a main one. The table below sums up how they differ.

Factor	Part-time employment	Secondary job
Who it’s for	People for whom this is their only or main job	People who already have a main job elsewhere
Hours limit	None set by law	Half of normal working time (20 hours on a 40-hour week)
Pay	Proportional to hours worked	Proportional to hours worked
Annual leave	Full statutory length	Full length; can be taken with main-job leave if the employee asks
Irregular working day	Possible	Not allowed
Contract	Employment contract with reduced hours	Separate employment contract for the second job

Part-time employment

Part-time work may be arranged in three ways under the Labor Code: by having shorter working days, by working fewer days each week, or by combining the two. This arrangement is made agreeably between the employer and the employee, either when the employee is first hired or at any subsequent time, and is recorded in the contract or in an order. It can be either permanent or temporary, although with a fixed-term contract it cannot extend beyond the end of that contract.

The law doesn’t set a minimum number of hours, so 10 hours a week is as acceptable as 30. What matters is that both sides agree and that the schedule is written down clearly. A line such as “Tuesday and Thursday, 9:00 to 18:00” or “four hours a day, Monday to Friday” causes far fewer arguments later than “part-time as needed.”

Probation can last up to three months, the same as for full-time staff. If the hours change later, whether from full-time to part-time or back again, the employee has to agree and the contract needs a written amendment.

Payment is based on the number of hours worked; the rate mentioned in the contract stays unchanged, the employee receiving the part of it corresponding to their working schedule. Annual leave is not reduced, the length of service is counted in full and the employee keeps all their other rights.

This arrangement works well in the case of fractional positions. For example, a CTO who is hired on a part-time basis for two days each week can have that specific arrangement stated in the contract, with their salary set at 40 per cent of the full-time rate and no other aspect of the employment changed.

When the person already has a job

If your candidate already works full-time for someone else, the job with your EOR is a secondary job. The Labor Code describes this as paid work done in the time left over from the main job, for the same employer or a different one, under its own employment contract.

The number of hours is limited, so that a part-time job cannot exceed half of the usual working time, which in the case of a standard 40-hour week amounts to 20 hours. The purpose of this limit is to ensure that people have sufficient rest, and in the case of partial hiring it is the rule which most closely determines the nature of the position.

For people with more than one secondary job, the labor ministry has said that the combined hours across those contracts should stay within the half-time limit set by the Labor Code, and that hours under different contracts must not overlap. 

Before agreeing on a schedule, ask the candidate what hours they work at their main job, and put in writing that the two don’t overlap. Evenings, weekends, or a fixed half-day outside their main working hours are the usual arrangements.

There are a few other points to keep in mind. People on a secondary job can’t be given an irregular working day, so their hours have to be fixed. If they want, their annual leave with you can be taken at the same time as their leave from the main job. It’s also worth asking whether their main employer is an HTP resident with a non-compete agreement, because working for a competing client could lead to a conflict.

Pay, currency, and the minimum wage

On 1st January 2026 the minimum monthly wage in Belarus was raised to 858 Belarusian rubles. It is calculated according to the number of hours worked, which means that a person working half-time must receive at least 429 Belarusian rubles per month. Although IT salaries are generally much higher, the minimum wage may apply in the case of very short working schedules or to junior positions.

Pay can be set as a monthly salary for the agreed hours or as an hourly rate. A monthly salary is easier to manage when the schedule is fixed. An hourly rate works better when hours vary, though you’ll need reliable time tracking. As an example, a QA engineer on $25 an hour who works around 80 hours in a month earns about $2,000 for that month, and the amount moves up or down with the hours.

In both cases, the amount can be pegged to dollars or euros, while the salary itself is paid in Belarusian rubles through payroll. The contract should say which exchange rate is used and how often the amount is reviewed.

Taxes and contributions

Tax works the same way as for full-time employees. The employee pays 13% income tax and a 1% pension contribution, and the employer pays social contributions on top of the salary.

If the EOR is one of the residents of the Hi-Tech Park, the amount of employer contributions is based on no more than the national average wage, this wage being BYN 3,172 in July 2026. The cap is imposed on each employee and does not take into account part-time working hours. In the case of well-paid fractional specialists, this can result in a significant difference to the total cost.

Consider a fractional engineer paid $2,500 a month for 20 hours a week. A standard Belarusian employer would pay about $850 a month in social contributions at the 34% rate. An HTP-resident employer would pay about $331, since the 34% is applied to the national average wage instead of the full salary.

Assumes the July 2026 average wage of BYN 3,172 at about 3.26 rubles per dollar. Excludes accident insurance and provider fees.

Schedules, flexibility, and overtime

Most fractional roles are remote, and many have flexible hours. Remote work is allowed under a Belarusian employment contract, and the contract covers the practical side, including how equipment is provided. For part-time staff, add the agreed hours and, if possible, the days of the week.

The most common problem with fractional roles is that the hours grow while the paperwork doesn’t. A role that starts at two days a week can drift to three or four, with the contract and salary unchanged. The employee ends up underpaid, and you end up with a potential dispute. It’s worth comparing actual hours with the contract every few months and updating it when the role has changed.

Overtime is harder to pin down. The overtime provisions in the Labor Code were mostly designed around full-time work, and Belarusian legal scholars have noted that the law doesn’t clearly say how extra hours should be treated for part-time staff. Rather than relying on informal extra time, increase the contracted hours if someone regularly works more than agreed.

Leave, benefits, and equipment

Part-time employees are entitled to the full statutory annual leave of at least 24 calendar days, paid in line with their earnings. Sick leave, maternity leave, and parental leave apply in the same way as for full-time staff. Sick pay is calculated from actual earnings, so it will be lower for someone on reduced hours.

Any benefits beyond the legal minimum are your decision. Employers often prorate learning budgets for part-timers but keep health insurance at the full level, as it doesn’t divide neatly. Our guide to employee benefits in Belarus describes what’s common.

Equipment needs are about the same regardless of hours. A fractional engineer still needs a dependable laptop and secure access to your systems, so agree early on whether you’ll supply the equipment or compensate them for using their own.

EOR or contractor for fractional roles?

Many fractional roles are filled by contractors. In Belarus, a contractor is usually registered as self-employed and pays 10% on income from foreign clients, or works as an individual entrepreneur. For short projects with a clear scope, this can be the right choice.

Problems tend to start when a contractor’s work looks like a job: set weekly hours, one main client, and managers who direct the day-to-day work. Most fractional roles have all three. Employing the person through an EOR removes the misclassification question and gives you a standard framework for IP, confidentiality, and retention terms.

If what you actually need is a small dedicated team, IT outstaffing is another option, with specialists employed by the provider and working on your projects.

Limits and red flags

• A secondary job is limited to 20 hours a week on a standard 40-hour schedule.
• Hours at the secondary job can’t overlap with hours at the main job.
• An irregular working day can’t be set for someone on a secondary job.
• On a fixed-term contract, part-time hours can’t continue past the end date.
• Civil servants and some other groups are restricted from taking second jobs.
• Nobody under 18 can be employed in a secondary job.
• A non-compete at the person’s main job may rule out work for certain clients.

Frequently asked questions

Can I hire someone for 10 hours a week in Belarus?

Yes. There’s no legal minimum for part-time hours, so 10 hours a week is fine if it’s agreed and written into the contract. If the person has a main job elsewhere, your role is a secondary job and is limited to 20 hours a week.

Can someone with a full-time job elsewhere work for us through an EOR?

Yes, as a secondary job. Their hours with you can’t be more than half of normal working time, which is 20 hours on a 40-hour week, and they can’t overlap with the hours of their main job.

Do part-time employees get full annual leave?

Yes. Working part-time doesn’t reduce annual leave. The employee gets at least 24 calendar days, paid in line with their earnings.

Does the minimum wage apply to part-timers?

Yes, pro rata. The monthly minimum in 2026 is BYN 858, so a half-time employee has to earn at least BYN 429 a month.

Can we move a part-timer to full-time later?

Yes, if the employee agrees. You’ll need to amend the contract with the new hours and salary. If they still have a main job elsewhere, your role would first have to become their main job.

Is a contractor cheaper for fractional roles?

In tax terms it can be. However, fractional roles usually come with fixed hours, one main client, and direction from your managers, which looks a lot like employment. An EOR contract removes that risk and sets clear terms for IP and confidentiality.

How EOR.by handles part-time hires

At EOR.by, part-time and fractional staff are employed on the same basis as full-time staff: a Belarusian employment contract, with payroll and local compliance handled by us. Before an offer goes out, we confirm whether the role is part-time employment or a secondary job and set the hours to match.

If you haven’t found the right person yet, our IT recruitment team can look for candidates who are available for the hours you have in mind.

Send us the role, the planned hours, and whether the candidate already has a main job, and we’ll recommend a setup.

You can contact our team here.