A teacher's employment contract rests on the general labour legislation: form and term are determined by Article 12 of the Labour Code, essential conditions by Article 14, grounds for termination by Article 47, and the procedure of termination, notices and compensation by Article 48. The Law on General Education itself directly confirms that an employment contract between an institution and a teacher is concluded in the manner prescribed by Georgian legislation; the pedagogical specifics manifest themselves within these general norms.
Form and term — Article 12
An employment contract may be concluded orally or in writing, for a fixed or an indefinite term. If the employment relationship exceeds 1 month, written form is mandatory. A fixed-term contract — except where the term is 1 year or more — may be concluded only where a ground listed by law exists: work of a specific volume, seasonal work, a temporary increase in workload, replacement of a temporarily absent employee, wage subsidisation, or another objective circumstance.
The 30-month rule is important: if the contract term exceeds 30 months, or fixed-term contracts are concluded consecutively twice or more and the total duration of the relationship exceeds 30 months, the contract is deemed indefinite. The law describes consecutiveness precisely — a new fixed-term contract must be concluded within 60 days of the expiry of the first. A fixed-term contract concluded without a ground is likewise indefinite. At the same time, a starting enterprise — an entrepreneur whose registration is less than 48 months old — is not bound by the restrictions on fixed-term contracts, provided the contract duration is not less than 3 months; once that period expires and the relationship continues, it becomes indefinite.
Essential conditions — Article 14
The essential conditions of an employment contract are: information about the parties; the start date and duration of the relationship; working and rest time; the place of work; the position and the description of the work; remuneration and the manner of payment; the procedure for overtime pay; the duration of paid and unpaid leave and the manner of granting it; the procedure of termination; and the provisions of collective agreements where they regulate conditions differently. Upon request, the employer is obliged to issue a certificate of employment indicating the work, the remuneration and the term of the contract.
If the internal labour rules are declared part of the contract, the employer must introduce them to the employee before conclusion, and notify of any amendment within 14 calendar days of its introduction. For a teacher this is particularly significant, since teaching workload and pedagogical duties are often established by internal rules.