Employer-funded employee training in Uzbekistan

An employer may send an employee for vocational preparation, retraining, advanced training or an internship, or arrange workplace training. The type of training and whether it is mandatory determine payment, preservation of average earnings, the required documents and whether the parties may set a period of subsequent employment.

In brief:

• the employer normally decides whether retraining or advanced training is needed, although legislation or the employment contract may make it mandatory;
• mandatory training preserves the employee’s position and average earnings, while a contract or local instrument determines payment during voluntary training;
• workplace training requires a separate written agreement in at least two copies, and the allowance cannot be below 1.360.000 per month;
• a work-back period must be proportionate to the training costs and cannot exceed three years;
• before signing, the employee should check the programme, payment, release from work, evidenced costs, work-back period and grounds for repayment.

Updated: 05 September 2026

Types of training recognised by law

The Labour Code distinguishes preparation for an occupation, retraining and advanced training. The first builds the knowledge and skills required for the occupation, retraining addresses changed requirements, technology or a new occupation, and advanced training updates knowledge in an existing occupation. Retraining and advanced training may take place with the employer, at an educational organisation, with another employer or through mentoring — types of training (Article 367 of the Labour Code).

Educational programmes may be delivered away from production, without leaving production through correspondence, evening or distance study, or in dual and other statutory forms. This is a list of education forms (Article 15 of the Education Law), not an automatic rule requiring the employer to pay for every programme.

The employer normally determines the need for retraining and advanced training. Where training is mandatory under legislation, another labour instrument or the employment contract, it cannot be declined as though it were an optional benefit. The employer determines the forms and occupations in agreement with the trade union committee — training decision (Article 370 of the Labour Code). If legislation requires a particular qualification for a job function, the relevant part of the standard is binding; otherwise, the standard provides a basis for qualification requirements — use of standards (Article 369 of the Labour Code).

Mentoring is also a form of retraining or advanced training. It is established by an order based on the mentor’s employment contract or an addendum stating the time and remuneration; the employee with less experience has the mentor identified in their contract — documenting mentorship (Article 368 of the Labour Code). A paid work placement or internship requires a fixed-term employment contract for its duration identifying the supervisor — internship contract (Article 372 of the Labour Code).

What the employer pays

During retraining or advanced training that is mandatory for both parties, the employee retains the position and average earnings. During voluntary training, the position is retained, while average earnings are paid only on the terms of a collective agreement, an agreed local instrument or an agreement between the parties — payment during training (Article 370 of the Labour Code). The order or agreement should therefore state whether study time is paid and how absence from work is recorded.

If employer-directed training requires travel to another locality, the employer reimburses return travel and accommodation. A collective agreement or agreed local instrument may also provide a daily allowance — relocation expenses (Article 290 of the Labour Code). The cost of the programme, examination and study materials should be recorded in the contract with the educational organisation, the order or the agreement with the employee, distinguishing employer costs from the employee’s personal expenses.

The employee must comply with the educational organisation’s rules and submit the training results to the employer — trainee duties (Article 371 of the Labour Code). An accredited organisation confirms the result with a state-standard school certificate, diploma, certificate or qualification document — education documents (Article 40 of the Education Law).

Payments under direct contracts for the education of pupils and students, and employer expenses for employee retraining and advanced training, are excluded from income (Article 369 of the Tax Code). The conditions and supporting records are covered in more detail in Tax benefits for employees.

How to document employee training

A conventional referral to an external course may be documented by an order and an addendum to the employment contract. The documents should state the programme and provider, dates, whether training is with or without release from work, preservation of pay, covered expenses, proof of completion and the consequences of ending the course early. A duty to remain employed after an employer-funded course may be included as an additional employment-contract term if it does not worsen the employee’s position — work-back term (Article 104 of the Labour Code).

Workplace training uses a specific agreement. An employer may conclude it with an employee or a job seeker to acquire knowledge and skills or undergo retraining, with or without release from work — agreement subject (Article 373 of the Labour Code).

The workplace training agreement must be made in at least two equally valid written copies. One is delivered to the trainee, who additionally signs the employer’s copy to acknowledge receipt — agreement form (Article 375 of the Labour Code). Terms that worsen the trainee’s position compared with legislation are invalid — trainee protection (Article 380 of the Labour Code).

Training with or without release from work

Workplace training may be individual, brigade-based, course-based or delivered in another agreed form — training methods (Article 377 of the Labour Code). Weekly training time cannot exceed the working-time norm for the employee’s category. By agreement, the trainee is fully released from work or works part time; overtime and business trips unrelated to the training are prohibited — trainee schedule (Article 378 of the Labour Code).

Labour legislation and occupational-safety requirements apply to the trainee. The agreement is extended during illness or military training, or by agreement, and may be amended only by agreement between the parties — agreement operation (Article 376 of the Labour Code). It ends when the training period expires or on grounds stated in the agreement — ending training (Article 382 of the Labour Code).

During workplace training, the trainee receives an allowance set according to the qualification but not below 1.360.000 — minimum allowance (Article 379 of the Labour Code).

Example. A workplace training agreement sets an allowance of 1.700.000 for a full month. This exceeds the statutory floor of 1.360.000, so the term is valid; payment for a partial month is calculated under the agreement itself.

Reduced limits apply to minors. Weekly working time cannot exceed 36 hours from age 16 to 18 and 24 hours from age 15 to 16; the limit is halved for a pupil working during the academic year — weekly limits (Article 415 of the Labour Code). Daily limits depend on age and the working week, ranging from 2 hours for the younger pupil to 7.5 hours for an employee aged 16 to 18 — daily limits (Article 416 of the Labour Code).

Study leave and combining work with education

The employer must create conditions for combining work and education. An employee who follows the curriculum receives paid study leave, a reduced working week and other safeguards. At the employee’s request, annual leave is aligned with assessment, defence of a final paper, examinations or a study session; a newly hired employee may use annual leave for this purpose before completing six months of work — combining work and study (Article 383 of the Labour Code).

A person admitted to university entrance examinations receives at least 15 calendar days of unpaid leave, excluding travel time — entrance-examination leave (Article 384 of the Labour Code).

These paid minimums and a university correspondence student’s right to reimbursement of at least 50 percent of return travel once a year are set by the study-leave rules (Article 385 of the Labour Code). The same share of travel is paid for state assessment.

The safeguards normally apply when the employee obtains the relevant education level for the first time. For repeat education, they apply if the employer sent the employee under a local instrument, the employment contract or a separate agreement. A person studying at two organisations chooses one, and study leave counts toward length of service — eligibility conditions (Article 386 of the Labour Code). All safeguards are available only at the principal place of work — secondary-work rule (Article 440 of the Labour Code).

Average earnings for a paid period are calculated from accrued pay for the 12 months before the month in which earnings are preserved. Average monthly pay is one twelfth of the calculation base, and average daily pay normally uses a divisor of 25.3, with adjustments for incomplete months — average-pay calculation (Article 257 of the Labour Code).

Example. If included pay for 12 full months was UZS 91,080,000, average monthly pay is UZS 91,080,000 / 12 = UZS 7,590,000, and average daily pay is UZS 7,590,000 / 25.3 = UZS 300,000. Payroll determines the number of payable working days during study leave under the employee’s schedule.

Study leave does not replace annual leave and is granted independently from it. Calculation, transfer and division of annual rest are covered in Employment leave.

Working after training and repaying costs

The subsequent employment period must be proportionate to the training period and expenses. Because a fixed-term employment contract is capped at three years, a workplace training agreement also cannot require more than three years of subsequent employment — maximum period (Article 110 of the Labour Code).

If an employee terminates the employment contract without a valid reason before the agreed period ends, the employee reimburses actual costs in proportion to the unworked time unless the parties agreed otherwise — repayment calculation (Article 348 of the Labour Code). The agreement should identify the included costs and valid reasons; otherwise, a dispute may concern both the amount and the reason for departure.

Example. The employer proves course expenses of UZS 12,000,000, and the agreement requires 24 months of subsequent employment. The employee leaves without a valid reason after 9 months. The unworked period is 15 months, so the proportionate amount is UZS 12,000,000 × 15 / 24 = UZS 7,500,000 unless the agreement sets a more favourable rule.

A job seeker who successfully completes workplace training and is then hired by the same employer is not subject to a probationary period. If the person fails to perform the obligations without a valid reason, the allowance and other costs are repaid in proportion to the unworked period — trainee consequences (Article 381 of the Labour Code).

The employer cannot automatically deduct the entire amount from salary. As a general rule, a deduction requires written consent, and training costs are not listed among unilateral deductions — consent to deduction (Article 269 of the Labour Code). Total deductions from each payment normally cannot exceed 50 percent of accrued salary; the 70 percent ceiling applies to specific exceptions — deduction ceiling (Article 270 of the Labour Code). If the employee disputes the debt, it must be resolved through the prescribed procedure rather than unilateral withholding.

Repayment of course costs is governed by the specific training term and is not the same as compensation for damage to property. The general grounds, limits and recovery procedure are covered in Employee material liability.

Mandatory occupational-safety training

An employee has the right to learn safe working methods at the employer’s expense and must undergo occupational-safety instruction, training and advanced training — right to training (Article 355 of the Labour Code). The employer arranges instruction, training and knowledge testing and must not admit a person who has not completed them — employer duties (Article 359 of the Labour Code).

All new and transferred employees receive instruction in safe methods and first aid. Work of increased danger or involving suitability selection requires preliminary training within one month, an examination and subsequent periodic assessment — initial training (Article 362 of the Labour Code). At a hazardous production facility, an employee must additionally undergo industrial-safety training and certification — facility certification (Article 10 of the Industrial Safety Law). Sectoral instruments may impose further requirements.

The new Regulation covers the employer’s commission, heads of divisions, specialists, employees, the occupational-safety representative and workers in harmful or dangerous jobs or using dangerous equipment. The employer preserves average earnings and pays the costs during such training — covered categories.

What the employer must document

The employer keeps orders, programmes, instruction logs, examination records and evidence of qualifications. A person who has not completed occupational-safety training and knowledge testing must be suspended — suspension ground (Article 151 of the Labour Code). If training was not completed through no fault of the employee, average earnings are preserved throughout the suspension — suspension pay (Article 152 of the Labour Code).

Suspension is documented by an order stating the specific reason and the end date or event. The employee acknowledges it by signature and, on request, receives a copy within three days — suspension procedure (Article 153 of the Labour Code).

A labour or occupational-safety violation may expose an official to a fine of 2.200.000–4.400.000, 4.400.000–6.600.000 for a repeat violation within one year, or 4.400.000–8.800.000 where a minor is involved — administrative fines (Article 49 of the Code of Administrative Liability). If a breach of safety rules causes moderate or serious injury, a fine of 11.000.000–22.000.000 and other penalties may apply; death or other grave consequences may result in restriction or deprivation of liberty for two to five years — criminal liability (Article 257 of the Criminal Code). One BRV is the base calculation unit.

What changed in 2025–2026

• Cabinet Resolution No. 819 of 24 December 2025 approved a new Regulation on occupational-safety instruction, training, knowledge testing, advanced training and retraining; it was published and took effect on 25 December 2025.
• The new Regulation specifies internship, instruction and testing periods, five-year record retention, commission composition and preservation of average earnings during training. These rules concern occupational safety and do not replace a workplace training agreement or study-leave safeguards.

What the employee should check before training

Before a course begins, the employee should obtain and compare the employer’s documents:

1. the referral order stating the programme, provider, dates and training format;
2. the term preserving the position, salary or allowance and explaining how study time is recorded;
3. the list of covered costs, including travel and accommodation for training in another locality;
4. the form of the result: qualification document, certificate, diploma, report or examination record;
5. a separate agreement if the employer requires continued employment after the course;
6. a proportionate work-back period of no more than three years and a proportionate repayment formula;
7. valid reasons for early departure and the dispute-resolution procedure;
8. written consent if the employer proposes payroll deductions;
9. occupational-safety records if the course is linked to admission to hazardous work.

The employee should retain a copy of the agreement, the order, programme, proof of expenses and completion document. These materials show what the employer paid, which duties the employee accepted and what amount may be disputed after early termination.

Frequently asked questions

Can an employer require an employee to study?

Yes, where training is mandatory under legislation, another labour instrument or the employment contract, or where it is required for safe admission to work. Retraining and advanced training may otherwise be voluntary. The employer documents the referral and conditions, preserves the safeguards for mandatory training, and the employee follows the programme and proves completion.

How is study leave paid?

The Labour Code provides paid study leave to an employee who successfully follows the programme and obtains the relevant education level for the first time. Its length depends on the year, form and level of study. Average earnings are calculated under the general rules for the calculation period, and study leave is separate from annual leave. These safeguards do not apply at a secondary job.

Can training include a work-back agreement?

Yes. A work-back term may be included in the employment contract or a separate agreement and, for workplace training, in the specific training agreement. The period must be proportionate to the training duration and costs and cannot exceed three years. The document should identify the costs, valid reasons for departure and the proportionate repayment formula.

Must training costs be repaid after resignation?

Repayment arises where the employer paid for training, the parties agreed in writing on subsequent employment, and the employee leaves early without a valid reason. Evidenced actual costs are repaid in proportion to unworked time unless the agreement sets a more favourable rule. The employer cannot automatically deduct the full amount from salary.

How does workplace training differ from an external course?

Workplace training is governed by a specific written agreement with an employee or job seeker, may be conducted with or without release from work and includes an allowance no lower than the minimum wage. An external course is normally documented through an order, a contract with the provider and an agreement with the employee on payment, working time and any work-back term.