The activity of the ESS is defined by the Employment and Unemployment Insurance Act (Official Gazette of the Republic of Slovenia, No. 107/06 – official consolidated text 1; in continuation: the Act).

The tasks and authorizations of the ESS for performing activities in the area of employment, employment programmes, scholarships, implementation of vocational guidance, insurance in case of unemployment, mediation of temporary and occasional work for high school and university students, employment and work of foreigners are regulated by numerous acts, directives and other regulations.

In addition to acts and regulations directly related to the area of employment, the ESS performs tasks on the basis of acts and regulations otherwise regulating other related areas of social activities. These are especially the Pension and Disability Insurance Act, the Health Care and Health Insurance Act, the Employment and Work of Aliens Act, the Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment of Disabled Persons Act, school legislation (vocational guidance, counselling and education), regulations on work relationships (surplus of workers, traineeship, work contracts, inspections, etc.), social security (maternity pay, registration of insurance period into the employment booklet, means-tested calculations, cadastral income, valorisations, etc.). In addition, EU legislation is taken into account.

The tasks of the ESS are defined by the Business plan of the Employment Service, which is adopted by the Administrative Board, whereas the fundamental document is the ESS Statute (Official Gazette of the Republic of Slovenia, No. 84/1999).