Unfair Dismissal & Employment Disputes in Lithuania

Unfair dismissal in Lithuania (neteisėtas atleidimas iš darbo) and other employment disputes usually start at the Labour Disputes Commission, under short deadlines set by the Labour Code. English-speaking employment lawyers act for employees and employers, from the application to the hearing and the court.
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About Unfair Dismissal & Employment Disputes in Lithuania

Unfair dismissal in Lithuania — also called unlawful or wrongful dismissal — is a dismissal made without a reason the Labour Code (Darbo kodeksas) accepts or without following its procedure; in Lithuanian, neteisėtas atleidimas iš darbo. Foreigners usually search for employment law in Lithuania or an employment lawyer, and the same page covers other employment disputes: unpaid wages, severance pay (išeitinė išmoka), contract terms and discipline. Most individual disputes start at the Labour Disputes Commission (Darbo ginčų komisija), which works within the State Labour Inspectorate. Some older lists and lawyer pages call this service “Employment Law: Dismissals & Disputes”.

Who it concerns

Foreign employees who have been dismissed or pressed to resign, people whose contract was ended during sick leave or at the end of a fixed term, employees not paid what was agreed, and employers, including foreign-owned companies, who want to end a contract correctly or have to answer a claim.

How a dispute goes in Lithuania

  1. The dismissal is examined: the ground the employer used (the employee's fault, reasons not connected with the employee, the employer's own will, the end of a fixed term), the notice, the documents and the payments.
  2. An application to the Labour Disputes Commission. The deadline for challenging a dismissal is short and runs from when the employee learned of it, so timing matters more than anything else.
  3. A hearing before the commission, which includes representatives of employers, employees and the inspectorate. It can find the dismissal unlawful and decide on reinstatement, pay for the time out of work or compensation.
  4. A party who disagrees with the decision can take the dispute to court.

Points to watch

  • The Labour Code also allows an employer to end a contract at its own will, without any fault of the employee, but then with higher payments; such a dismissal is not unfair in itself.
  • An agreement to leave can sometimes be challenged if it was signed under pressure, but that is harder than challenging a dismissal.
  • For many non-EU workers the residence permit depends on the job. Losing it affects the right to stay, and the rules on changing employer have changed more than once — see work visa and EU Blue Card.
  • The procedure runs in Lithuanian, and a contract signed only in English still applies.

What a lawyer does

The lawyer reviews the contract and the dismissal papers, works out what is owed, writes the application to the commission, represents the client at the hearing and in court, and negotiates a settlement where that is the better route. For employers, the lawyer prepares a dismissal that follows the procedure and answers claims. Related topics are grouped under employment law in Lithuania.

Questions and answers

Can an employee be dismissed during sick leave?

Sick leave gives extra protection against notice of dismissal, but it does not stop every ending of a contract, for example when a fixed term runs out. A lawyer checks which case applies.

Is the commission a step before court?

For most individual disputes, yes: the commission comes first, and a court is the next step for a party who disagrees.

What can be claimed if the dismissal was unlawful?

Depending on the case, reinstatement or compensation instead, pay for the time out of work and damages. The amounts follow the Labour Code and the employee's pay; they are not fixed in advance.

Can the case be handled in English?

The commission and the courts work in Lithuanian, but the lawyer can speak with the client in English and prepare everything in Lithuanian.

1 lawyer who provides Unfair Dismissal & Employment Disputes in Lithuania

Sorted by experience in this service. Write to any of them — the reply comes from the lawyer, without obligation.

  • Sarunas, lawyer in Vilnius

    Sarunas

    Lawyer · Vilnius, Lithuania

    • 157 cases handled · 9 in this service
    • 9+ years in practice
    • Speaks: English, Russian
    • Law, Mykolas Romeris university (Lithuania) / Universidad Publica de Navarra (Spain)
    • 5.00(7 reviews)
    Contact Sarunas
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What our clients say about our service in Lithuania

  • Fast reply, and a polite lawyer who explained things well and knows the facts. I got just the information I needed, and his English was perfect.
    — Elin
    17 Aug 2022
  • It was a good experience. The lawyer was very responsive and helpful in ending a contract relationship. We communicated by email and phone, all in English, and he answered all our questions very quickly. He reviewed our contracts and advised us on the impact and on possible improvements. All in all it was very positive, and we can certainly recommend his service.
    — Nicola
    27 Oct 2025
    Unfair Dismissal & Employment Disputes
  • I was facing an involuntary departure from a job of 23 years, and the lawyer's calm, steady guidance was invaluable. She explained the workings of the law, my entitlements and the steps I could expect, then helped me with each of them over several months. She was readily available in person or by phone, and was clear and tactful both with me and when we wrote jointly to my ex-employer. She played a crucial part in reviewing and editing the agreement in its English and Spanish versions, and the company accepted everything she insisted upon. Her unbending professionalism, clarity and patience with my questions were just what was needed to bring an unexpected and difficult situation to a satisfying conclusion. I could not be happier to have found her.
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    05 Mar 2025
    Unfair Dismissal & Employment Disputes
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    — Annette
    13 Sep 2024
    Unfair Dismissal & Employment Disputes
  • The team contacted me promptly and put me in touch with a fitting lawyer straight away, which I really appreciate as my issue was pressing. The lawyer was very helpful too: a preliminary opinion arrived before the call we had agreed on, and more detail followed during the call. I will be sure to get in touch again whenever a lawyer is needed.
    — Paulo
    15 Mar 2024
    Unfair Dismissal & Employment Disputes
  • The lawyer replied very quickly, gave an excellent analysis of the legal matter and proposed changes to the contract clauses that truly reflected my interests. Everything was explained clearly and simply, and I was very satisfied with the outcome.
    — Dr.
    20 Mar 2023
  • If you too are looking for English-speaking lawyers who are good, I doubt you will find a team as professional and diligent. Both lawyers were calm and informative, reassured me and made me feel confident about my employment case. In court they appeared much more professional than the lawyer on the other side, and the result for us was favourable. For anyone who does not speak Spanish and wants good advice, these are the lawyers to turn to. I highly recommend them, lovely people!
    — Sammi
    03 Mar 2023
    Unfair Dismissal & Employment Disputes
  • The lawyer was helpful and caring from the very start. My case was with the British Consulate in Malaga and she did not flinch, even though dealing with a government organisation is so difficult, if not impossible. She also supported me emotionally because of the way I was being treated, and I was not in a state to make any decision for myself. She gave me the confidence to face the challenge ahead, explained everything in perfect English, and we finished the case with the compensation and the result that I wanted. The help I received was excellent. I would not hesitate to recommend her service to anyone, and I am truly grateful for her help and support.
    — Jean
    31 Jul 2022
  • Very helpful advice, with a clear explanation of the right course of action.
    — Stephen
    27 Jun 2022
  • I valued how well she explained things and the suitable solutions she offered.
    — Sayuri
    08 Oct 2021
  • I highly recommend this lawyer: great and easy to work with, highly efficient and helpful, and her English is perfect. I will certainly use her again if I ever need to.
    — Kate
    21 Jun 2021
    Unfair Dismissal & Employment Disputes, Cyprus
  • The lawyer is excellent. She was attentive and made sure I got the best possible outcome, and I am very satisfied with it.
    — Mark
    27 Jan 2021