Check your written work terms, pay and leave arrangements. Contact DIER if you think your employment rights are being breached.
Use this page to practise
Explain what you would check if your pay did not match your agreed work terms.
Independent practice only. This guide is not an official syllabus, question bank, or prediction of results.
- WORK
I Belong Programme · Topic 9 of 11
4 sections · 6 key facts · 4 review prompts
Know your work terms
Ask for your employment terms in writing and keep a copy. Check your job, hours, pay, overtime arrangements and leave.
A verbal employment agreement can still be valid. Where there is no written contract, the employer must provide a signed statement of terms.
This topic offers independent practice, not official course or exam material.
Minimum pay and leave
Malta has a national minimum wage, with rates set for each year. DIER publishes the current rates; sector rules may set different minimum wages.
Employees have paid annual leave rights. The amount depends on working hours and the part of the year worked.
Agree annual leave dates with your employer. Sick leave is separate: follow the reporting procedure and provide a medical certificate.
Employment records and your duties
Employers register paid employment with Jobsplus through an Engagement Form. They also submit a Termination Form when employment ends.
Ask your employer about your registration if your job is missing from your employment record. Contact Jobsplus about record errors.
Follow your agreed hours and work duties. If an instruction is unclear, ask your supervisor to explain before proceeding.
When something goes wrong
DIER means Department for Industrial and Employment Relations. It investigates alleged breaches of employment conditions, including unpaid wages.
Keep your work terms, payslips and records of hours worked. These help explain a pay or leave problem.
Contact DIER for the correct complaint route. Personal claims for unpaid wages must be lodged in person under its published guidance.
Key facts to remember
Malta has a national minimum wage with rates set for each year.
A verbal employment agreement can still be legally valid.
Written work terms should cover pay, hours and leave.
Annual leave and sick leave are separate entitlements.
Employers register paid employment with Jobsplus.
DIER investigates alleged breaches of employment conditions.
Study tips
- Match your written pay terms to an example payslip and hours record.
- Practise explaining the different roles of DIER and Jobsplus.
- Check the year on any minimum-wage information before using it.
Common pitfalls
- Assuming an old minimum-wage figure still applies.
- Treating annual leave and sick leave as the same entitlement.
- Assuming Jobsplus registration resolves a complaint about unpaid wages.
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Quick review
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What should written work terms explain?
Your job, hours, pay, overtime arrangements and leave.
Why should you check the year on minimum-wage information?
Rates are set for each year, and sector rules may also apply.
Who registers an employee’s paid employment with Jobsplus?
The employer submits an Engagement Form.
Which department handles complaints about unpaid wages?
DIER — the Department for Industrial and Employment Relations.
Preparation scope and sources
Since 15 June 2026, I Belong focuses on the 100-hour Cultural Orientation course. The Directorate also provides transitional arrangements for Stage 2 applications received before that date, including an opportunity to take MQF Level 2 Maltese. Its overview does not specify a current assessment format or numeric pass mark. Confirm the instructions for your course with your provider. Language exercises here are supplementary practice, not official I Belong course materials.
Read the official I Belong Programme guidance
Assessment guidance checked:
The linked programme overview establishes the preparation context, not an official endorsement of these exercises. Follow your provider's current course materials and assessment instructions.