General working time in Estonia is 8 hours a day, 5 days per week. According to the Working and Rest Time Act, the duration of the lunch break should be between 30 minutes and an hour. A person raising a child younger than 1.5 years shall be granted additional breaks for rest and meals.
12 public holidays and one national holiday, i.e. the Anniversary of the Republic of Estonia on the 24th of February, are days off. Working days are 3 hours shorter on the day before New Year’s Day, before the Anniversary of the Republic of Estonia, before Victory Day (23rd of June) and before Christmas Eve.
The duration of the annual vacation is 28 days, an extended vacation is granted in case of some professions, such as state officials and local government officials, teachers, academic, pedagogical and scientific staff and others. National holidays and public holidays are not included in the vacation duration calculations. Employees who have worked at least six months during their first working year have the right to be granted a vacation in proportion to the number of months worked.
A woman is granted 140 days pregnancy and maternity leave, which may commence at least 70 days before the estimated birth date of the child. The pregnancy and maternity leave should be commenced at least 30 days before the estimated birth of the child, or else deductions will be made to the maternity benefit. A mother or father shall be granted parental leave at her or his request for raising a child of up to 3 years of age. For more details about maternity and child-care benefits, see Family benefits.
Academic Careers Observatory. Estonia, Academic Career Structure
State portal. Employment contract
Republic of Estonia Employment Contracts Act (cons 2012) Eesti Vabariigi töölepingu seadus