Albanian legislation, as well as other international legal acts, pays special attention to the protection of women at work by establishing and making mandatory several standards and fundamental principles. Particular attention is given to addressing issues that may arise from discrimination or when women are in specific conditions such as pregnancy. In the Republic of Albania, these principles and standards are enshrined and guaranteed in the Constitution. Article 3 stipulates that “The dignity of the individual, his rights and freedoms… are the foundation of this state, which has the duty to respect and protect them,” and Article 18 provides that “… all are equal before the law … no one may be unjustly discriminated against for reasons such as gender, race, religion, ethnicity, language, political, religious or philosophical beliefs, economic, educational, social status, or parental affiliation.” These rights are considered inseparable, inalienable, inviolable, and stand at the foundation of the entire legal order. While in the Constitution these rights are sanctioned in general terms, in other legal acts they are regulated and specified in detail. To illustrate the special protection of women at work, we bring some excerpts from the Labour Code.

Article 32 of the Labour Code establishes the obligation of the employer to protect the personality and dignity of the employee, by taking all necessary measures to guarantee this and to prevent any conduct that undermines the dignity of the employee. Article 54 of the Labour Code provides for the facilities granted to pregnant women with regard to rest at work. According to this article, pregnant women must have regulated breaks every 3 hours (while for other employees breaks are provided every 4 hours). According to the Code (Article 55), the maximum weight that a female employee may carry is 20 kg, compared to the maximum limit of 55 kg set for male employees. The Code also contains an entire section regulating the employment relationship in cases where the mother is pregnant/is a new mother/adopts a child. Pregnant women are entitled to maternity leave for a period of 365 days (a protected period during which termination of employment is prohibited). Of these 365 days, 35 days before childbirth and 63 days after childbirth are compulsory (note that these calculations differ if the mother is expecting more than one child). Adoptive mothers are also entitled to maternity leave. Article 104 provides for the obligation of the employer to prohibit the employment of pregnant women and mothers with infants in heavy and dangerous jobs. When a woman cannot perform a job due to the risk it poses to her life and health, the employer must offer her another job, and if this is not feasible, must pay her salary. If the employee has dependent minor children, he or she is entitled to 12–15 days of paid leave per year and up to 30 days of unpaid leave per year in cases where the child has health problems.

The above provisions are further detailed in other sub-legal acts such as decisions of the Council of Ministers, guidelines, and orders, which have a more dynamic nature and respond more quickly to changes in reality in the country. In addition to guaranteeing the rights of female employees through these provisions, the legislator also sets sanctions for employers if they do not respect these obligations.