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A modern glass-clad office tower in Lisbon under a clear blue sky, representing the Portuguese workplace

Understanding Your Portuguese Employment Contract and Payslip in 2026 — A Practical Guide to Contract Types, the 14 Monthly Payments, the Subsídio de Refeição, TSU and IRS Withholding, Probation and What You're Owed When You Leave

Portuguese jobs pay across 14 instalments, not 12, and the payslip hides a lot: 11% Social Security, IRS withheld monthly, a tax-friendly meal allowance, and probation of up to 240 days. A practical guide to contracts, pay and what you're owed when a job ends.

The Portugal Brief 01 Jul 2026

The neoclassical Sao Bento Palace, seat of Portugal's parliament in Lisbon, with the national flag flying under a clear blue sky

Portugal Creates Two New Prison-Reintegration Careers With Pay Rising Up to €481 a Month by 2027

Portugal has created two new DGRSP social-reintegration careers for prison and probation staff, with pay rising up to €481 a month by 2027 and a €225 monthly risk supplement. Around 450 workers are affected in a targeted public-sector deal struck days after the labour-law overhaul stalled.

The Portugal Brief 01 Jul 2026

Portugal Recorded 120 Fatal Workplace Accidents in 2024, Down 11.8% as Total Injuries Edged Up

Portugal Recorded 120 Fatal Workplace Accidents in 2024, Down 11.8% as Total Injuries Edged Up

Portugal recorded 120 workplace-accident deaths in 2024, an 11.8% fall from 2023, official GEP data show, though total accidents rose 1.3% to 187,018. Construction accounted for a third of the deaths, and small firms carried a disproportionate share.

The Portugal Brief 01 Jul 2026

The neoclassical facade of Portugal's Parliament, the Palacio de Sao Bento in Lisbon, flying the Portuguese flag

Portugal's Labour Code Overhaul Collapses in Parliament After Chega Withdraws Support

Portugal's 'Trabalho XXI' Labour Code overhaul has been rejected in parliament after Chega withdrew support, killing measures from an individual hours bank to longer fixed-term contracts and leaving existing rules in place.

The Portugal Brief 30 Jun 2026

Aerial view of Lisbon rooftops with the Tagus River and a cargo ship behind

Portuguese Employers Pare Back Summer Hiring Plans as the Net Outlook Slides to 18%

ManpowerGroup's latest survey puts Portugal's net hiring intention at 18% for the third quarter of 2026, down from near 30% and below the global average of 26%. The share of firms planning cuts almost doubled to 17% amid Middle East conflict, energy costs and a slowing Europe.

The Portugal Brief 29 Jun 2026

Two construction workers in orange high-visibility vests on a building site with steel reinforcement bars, illustrating immigrant labour in Portugal

Foreign Workers Now Make Up Nearly One in Five Segurança Social Contributors as Portuguese Firms Lean Harder on Immigrant Labour

Foreign nationals crossed the one-million mark among Segurança Social contributors in 2025 and now account for almost 20% of the total — up from barely 5% a decade ago. Whole sectors, from agriculture to hospitality, increasingly depend on immigrant workers.

The Portugal Brief 29 Jun 2026

Health worker in a white coat with a stethoscope using a mobile phone

Altice Docks SNS 24 Operators' Pay for Bathroom and Snack Breaks

Operators who staff SNS 24 , the round-the-clock telephone line of Portugal's Serviço Nacional de Saúde (National Health Service, or SNS), say they lose part of their wages every time they step away from their station to use the toilet, eat a snack...

The Portugal Brief 26 Jun 2026

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