Seasonal farm worker contract in Italy: what must it include?

The contract of a seasonal farm worker (OTD, operaio a tempo determinato, a fixed-term worker) must say who is hiring, for how long, and with what job level, hours and pay. The employer notifies the hiring by the day before the start and gives the worker the information before work begins. If the job lasts more than 12 days, the end date must be set out in a written document.

The collective agreement that applies

The agreement that applies to farm and nursery workers is the national collective agreement (CCNL, contratto collettivo nazionale) of 23 May 2022. On 28 May 2026 employers' associations and trade unions signed the agreement that renews it for 2026-2029. The renewal does not change the rules on probation and hours. It confirms the three areas and the third element described below. The wage, instead, is set by the provincial agreement of your province.

What to put in the contract

The transparency decree (Legislative Decree 104/2022) expressly applies to fixed-term farm work too. The list of information is in article 1 of Legislative Decree 152/1997. For an OTD, these matter most:

• Job level and area. The CCNL divides workers into three areas. The first covers complex or specialised work, the second simple operational tasks, the third general and simple duties (art. 31).
• Length. Start date and expected length of the job.
• Hours. The CCNL sets 39 hours a week, equal to 6 hours 30 minutes a day (art. 34).
• Pay. The wage of the provincial agreement, which cannot go below the area minimums. OTDs also get the "third element" of 30.44%. It makes up for public holidays, annual leave, thirteenth and fourteenth month pay (art. 50).
• Probation period, if any. For fixed-term contracts over 30 days the CCNL sets it at 2 working days. During probation either side can end the contract without notice (art. 15).
• Collective agreement applied and the bodies that receive social security and insurance contributions, for example INPS and INAIL.
• Priority right. A worker who did one season has priority in new seasonal hiring for the same work. It must be mentioned in the written document. The worker claims it in writing within three months of the end of the job (art. 24 Legislative Decree 81/2015).

For hours, probation, pay and annual leave, it is also enough to name the collective agreement that governs them.

The legal duties, in order

1. Mandatory notice (UniLav). It must be sent by the day before the start (art. 9-bis, paragraph 2, Decree-Law 510/1996). In farming, missing personal details can be added by the third day after. When several OTDs are hired together, one notice is enough. In case of urgent production needs the deadline rises to five days. Start date and personal details must still be sent the day before.
2. Information for the worker. Before the start, the employer hands over the written contract or a copy of the UniLav notice. Missing information follows in writing within 7 days. Some items (annual leave, notice period, collective agreement, social security bodies) can follow within a month.
3. Written end date. If the job lasts more than 12 days, the end date has no effect without a written document. A copy must be given within five working days of the start (art. 19, paragraph 4, Legislative Decree 81/2015).
4. Length. The fixed term can reach 12 months without a stated reason. Contracts for seasonal work can be renewed or extended even without the ordinary conditions (art. 21).

After hiring: the INPS lists

Entry in the lists of farm workers is not something the worker applies for. The INPS (Italy's social security institute) compiles the lists every year from the data the farm reports on the DMAG/PosAgri form. The lists give the right to social security and welfare benefits. Farm unemployment benefit for OTDs requires entry in the list for the year concerned. That is why the days worked must be reported correctly.

What about occasional work in farming?

There is a tool different from the OTD: occasional fixed-term work in farming (LOAgri, lavoro occasionale a tempo determinato in agricoltura). It started as a trial with the 2023 budget law and is permanent from 1 January 2026, according to the INPS. It has a cap of 45 days a year per worker and a group of eligible workers set by law.

For your own case, ask your farmers' association or a labour consultant.

Looking for seasonal workers for the next season? Post the job with start, length, area and pay already written: they are the same details you will put in the contract.