Before 2013, most employment contracts in Georgia were short fixed-term contracts, renewed again and again. The 2013 and 2020 Labour Code reforms set limits: fixed-term contracts of less than a year now require a specific justification, and successive contracts lasting over 30 months convert into open-ended employment. This brief explains the current rules and the gaps that remain. (An earlier version of this page referred to a parliamentary debate on fixed-term contracts that GILS could not verify; it has been replaced with this explainer.)
Key Points
- Before the 2013 amendments, most Georgian employment contracts were fixed-term and repeatedly renewed (JD Supra, 2013).
- Since 2013, a fixed-term contract shorter than one year may be concluded only on specified grounds, and a contract or chain of contracts exceeding 30 months becomes open-ended (JD Supra, 2013; Labour Code).
- Under Article 12(3) as amended in 2020, the grounds are: a specific amount of work, seasonal work, a temporary increase in work, replacement of an absent employee, subsidised employment under the Law on Facilitating Employment, or “other objective circumstances” (FES, n.d.).
- The 2020 reform provides that a fixed-term contract concluded without valid grounds is treated as permanent, and requires employers to inform fixed-term employees of vacancies (Georgia Today, 2020).
- The open-ended ground of “other objective circumstances” leaves room for continued use of short contracts.
1. Why Fixed-Term Contracts Matter
Fixed-term contracts have legitimate uses — seasonal work, temporary replacement, specific projects. But when used repeatedly for permanent jobs, they shift risk onto workers, who can be let go simply by not renewing a contract. Transparency International Georgia noted during the 2013 debate that the reform aimed to end unjustified short-term contracts, such as three-month contracts for school teachers (TI Georgia, 2013).
2. How the Rules Developed
| Rule | Content |
|---|---|
| Contracts under one year | Allowed only on grounds listed in Article 12(3) |
| Contracts of one year or more | No specific ground required |
| 30-month rule | A contract, or successive contracts, exceeding 30 months become open-ended |
| No valid ground | Contract treated as permanent (2020) |
| Vacancy information | Employer must inform fixed-term employees of vacancies (2020) |
| Written form | Required if the relationship lasts over one month (shortened from three months in 2020) |
Sources: FES (n.d.); Georgia Today (2020); JD Supra (2013).
3. Remaining Gaps
An open-ended ground
The FES legal review notes that issues remain in relation to the grounds for fixed-term contracts (FES, n.d.). The catch-all “other objective circumstances” can be used to justify short contracts that the list was intended to prevent, particularly where workers have little bargaining power or knowledge of the rules.
One-year contracts
Because no justification is needed for contracts of one year or more, employers can use annual fixed-term contracts for permanent positions until the 30-month threshold is reached.
No data
Georgia does not publish regular statistics on the share of employees on fixed-term contracts or on conversions to open-ended contracts, so the effect of the reforms cannot be measured.
4. Conclusion
Georgia’s rules on fixed-term contracts have moved substantially towards European norms since 2013. The remaining weaknesses — a broad catch-all ground, the one-year exemption and the lack of data — matter most for workers in sectors where short contracts are common.
GILS Recommendations
- Narrow the “other objective circumstances” ground through guidance or case law.
- Publish data on fixed-term employment from the Labour Force Survey.
- Include fixed-term contract compliance in Labour Inspection Service priorities.
- Inform workers about the 30-month rule and their right to vacancy information.
GILS Position
Temporary contracts should be for temporary work. Georgia’s rules now say so; enforcement and data should make sure they work in practice.
References
- Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (n.d.). Legal review of the 2020 labour law reform: fixed-term employment contract. fes.de
- Georgia Today (2020). On the Labor Code of Georgia. 22 October 2020. georgiatoday.ge
- JD Supra (2013). CIS Legal Update, September 2013. jdsupra.com
- Transparency International Georgia (2013). 7 comments on planned amendments to the Labor Code. transparency.ge
Suggested citation: GILS Research Team (2026). Fixed-Term Contracts in Georgian Labour Law. GILS Brief. Editor: G. Pkhakadze. Georgian Institute of Labour Studies, Tbilisi. labour.edu.ge
GILS analyses are prepared with AI-assisted drafting. All figures and claims are verified against the cited primary sources and reviewed under the responsibility of the Editor.