Austria sets home-work tariff for qualified and unqualified craft articles

The Bundeseinigungsamt (Federal Conciliation Office) at the Austrian Federal Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs, Health, Care and Consumer Protection has issued a new home-work tariff (Heimarbeitstarif) governing the qualified and unqualified production or processing of craft articles of all kinds by home workers. The regulation was adopted by decision of 19 August 2026, following a Senate hearing, and was published in Part II of the Österreichisches Bundesgesetzblatt on 20 August 2026.

The tariff is based on § 34(1) of the Heimarbeitsgesetz 1960 (BGBl. Nr. 105/1961), which empowers the Conciliation Office to issue home-work tariffs at the request of a body capable of concluding collective agreements on behalf of workers. It applies throughout the whole of Austria and covers all principals who employ home workers for the activities listed.

Two-tier wage system

The regulation distinguishes between qualified and unqualified craft work, each with its own hourly wage used to calculate piece rates:

• Qualified craft — glass painting (Hinterglasmalerei), icon painting and writing, pen drawings on various materials, free modelling of figures from modelling clay, and enamelling (Emailmalerei).
• Unqualified craft — other craft articles, insofar as their production or processing does not fall within another production branch and is not already covered by a home-work collective agreement or tariff.

Piece rates for qualified work are calculated on a higher hourly wage, while piece rates for unqualified work are calculated on an hourly wage of €10.33.

Surcharges and benefits

On top of the piece rates, home workers receive a separately itemised home-work surcharge (Heimarbeitszuschlag) of 10%. The tariff also guarantees additional statutory benefits:

• Holiday bonus (Urlaubszuschuss) of four weeks’ wages, i.e. 8%.
• Christmas remuneration (Weihnachtsremuneration) of four weeks’ wages, i.e. 8%.

Scope and entry into force

The tariff is identified by reference H 10/202/VIII/38/8 and sets out its scope in three dimensions: territorial (the whole of Austria), material (the qualified and unqualified craft articles described) and personal (all principals employing home workers for those tasks). Its entry into force is fixed at 1 June 2026.

The new tariff gives legal certainty to home workers across Austria who produce or process craft articles, guaranteeing them differentiated minimum hourly wages, a 10% surcharge and holiday and Christmas benefits. By distinguishing qualified from unqualified work, it recognises the higher skill involved in trades such as glass painting, icon painting and enamelling, while protecting all home-based artisans from underpayment.

Source: Österreichisches Bundesgesetzblatt (ris), Part II, 20 August 2026, p. n/a (official reference: H 10/202/VIII/38/8).