Österreichisches Bundesgesetzblatt · 20 Aug 2026 · 3 vistas
Austria sets new home-work piece rates across nine sectors
Por FactBox Admin
The Bundeseinigungsamt (Federal Conciliation Office) at the Federal Ministry for Labour, Social Affairs, Health, Care and Consumer Protection has adopted nine new home-work tariffs (Heimarbeitstarife) setting minimum piece-rate wages for home workers across as many sectors. The regulations were published on 20 August 2026 in Teil II of the Österreichisches Bundesgesetzblatt (Federal Law Gazette), under official references BGBLA_2026_II_248 to BGBLA_2026_II_256.
The tariffs were adopted by decision of 19 August 2026 following a senate hearing, on the legal basis of § 34(1) of the Heimarbeitsgesetz 1960 (BGBl. Nr. 105/1961). They apply throughout the federal territory of Austria and bind all principals who employ home workers in the covered activities, setting the hourly reference wage from which piece rates are calculated.
Nine sectors covered
Each tariff covers a distinct branch of home work, with piece rates computed from a stated hourly wage:
- BGBLA_2026_II_248 — enveloping, addressing, adjusting or packing of goods (tariff H 2/2026/XIX/93/1)
- BGBLA_2026_II_249 — manufacture or processing of brushes and paintbrushes (H 5/2026/VIII/38/3)
- BGBLA_2026_II_250 — turnery and other wooden goods (H 4/2026/VIII/38/2)
- BGBLA_2026_II_251 — basket and raffia wares (H 3/2026/VIII/38/1)
- BGBLA_2026_II_252 — toys of all kinds (H 6/2026/VIII/38/4)
- BGBLA_2026_II_253 — goods made of plastics (H 7/2026/VIII/38/5)
- BGBLA_2026_II_254 — plastic sleeves and dispensers, limited to the Gmünd district of Lower Austria (H 8/2026/VIII/38/6)
- BGBLA_2026_II_255 — qualified and non-qualified artisan articles (H 10/2026/VIII/38/8)
- BGBLA_2026_II_256 — button wares and their adjustment, excluding thread buttons (H 9/2026/VIII/38/7)
Surcharge and retroactive effect
On the piece rates so calculated, home workers receive a separately itemised home-work surcharge (Heimarbeitszuschlag) of 10%. In the brush and paintbrush sector (BGBLA_2026_II_249), the surcharge rises to 20% where workers supply their own tools. Several tariffs also fix holiday pay and Christmas remuneration at four weekly wages, i.e. 8%, with pro-rata entitlements for workers joining or leaving during the year.
The tariffs take effect retroactively: most are valid from 1 June 2026, while the enveloping and packing tariff (BGBLA_2026_II_248) applies from 1 April 2026. The regulations were signed by Lukowitsch, chair of the senate of the Bundeseinigungsamt.
Impact
The new tariffs give thousands of home workers across Austria a binding floor for piece-rate pay, with the 10% surcharge compensating for the costs of working from home. Because the rates apply retroactively to June 2026, principals must recalculate and settle wages already paid, and the separately itemised surcharge makes the home-work premium transparent for inspection and enforcement.
Source: Österreichisches Bundesgesetzblatt (Bundesgesetzblatt für die Republik Österreich), Teil II, 20 August 2026 (official references: BGBLA_2026_II_248 to BGBLA_2026_II_256).