The activities of the Employment Service of Slovenia are defined by the Employment and Insurance Against Unemployment Act (Official Gazette of the Republic of Slovenia, No 107/06 - UPB1; hereinafter: the Act).

The tasks and powers of the ESS to perform activities in the area of employment, employment programmes, providing grants, career orientation and unemployment insurance, securing temporary and occasional work for pupils and students, and in the employment and work of foreigners, are regulated by numerous laws, rules and other regulations.

In addition to the laws and regulations directly relating to employment, the ESS also performs tasks on the basis of laws and regulations governing other, related, fields of social activity. These include in particular the Pension and Disability Insurance Act, the Healthcare and Health Insurance Act, the Employment and Work of Foreigners Act, the Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment of Disabled Persons Act, school legislation (vocational guidance, advice and education), labour regulations (redundant workers, trainee periods, employment contracts, inspections, etc.), and social protection regulations (maternity benefit, entry of years of insurance in workers' records, calculation of income limits, cadastral income, revaluation, etc.). EU legislation is also taken into account.

The tasks of the ESS are laid down in the ESS Business Plan, which is adopted by the Administrative Board, while its basic document is the ESS Statute.