AIM: To determine the prevalence of employment in patients on renal replacement therapy (RRT), to examine whether there was a difference in the prevalence between patients on dialysis or with kidney transplant. Furthermore, to compare employment with patients' opinion about their working ability and determine possible reasons for the presumed disproportion. DESIGN: A cross-sectional and retrospective cohort study. PATIENTS AND METHODS: 220 patients were included in research, 126 treated with dialysis and 94 with kidney transplant. Patients were examined in a questionnaire about their degree, occupation, employment, professional timeline during which the patient underwent the change of employment status in regard to the course and type of RRT and potential reasons for unemployment. The research was conducted during April and May 2017, in the Clinical Medical Center Osijek. Data were statistically analysed by SPSS (version 16.0.) RESULTS: At the time of the research, 13.7 % of patients on RRT were employed. The employment of patients with kidney transplant prevailed, but still, there was no significant difference in prevalence of employed dialysed or transplanted patients aged 15 to 65. Only 38.3 % patients of the abovementioned age group felt capable of working. Highly educated people stood better chance of finding employment. CONCLUSION: CKD reduces working ability and employment opportunities. Very few of both, patients on dialysis as well as with kidney transplant were employed (13.7 %). Kidney transplantation, thus being the best method of RRT, did not increase employment opportunities. The main reasons of unemployment were poor health condition caused by CKD, older age and employers not willing to employ a person suffering from CKD because of potential need to adjust working hours. Patients should be provided with education, appropriate guidelines and support for finding employment.