Republic of the Congo

Employment Contracts

Employment contracts can be written or oral. Written contracts must include the terms of employees’ compensation, benefits and termination requirements. Written contracts must be in French. An offer letter and employment contract must always state the salary and compensation amounts in Central African francs (CFA).

A contract can be for either a fixed term that cannot exceed 24 months or an indefinite-term contract that does not expire. Probation periods are capped at four months.

Public Holidays

• New Year’s Day (Jan. 1, 2022)
• Easter Monday (April 5, 2021; April 18, 2022)
• Labour Day (May 1, 2021; May 1, 2022)
• Ascension Day (May 13, 2021; May 26, 2022)
• Whit Monday (May 24, 2021; June 6, 2022)
• Reconciliation Day (June 10, 2021; June 10, 2022)
• National Day (Aug. 15, 2021; Aug. 15, 2022)
• All Saints’ Day (Nov. 1, 2021; Nov. 1, 2022)
• Republic Day (Nov. 28, 2021; Nov. 28, 2022)
• Christmas Day (Dec. 25, 2021; Dec. 25, 2022)

Compensation

Bonuses are not required but some employers provide performance based awards. The Republic of Congo has a minimum wage.

Working Hours

The standard workweek should not exceed 40 hours with a standard seven-hour workday over six days. The exception is domestic workers who can have a 60-hour workweek. Overtime is paid for hours beyond the standard workweek at 113% of the average wages. The employees receive a minimum of 24 hours of leave during a period of seven consecutive days.

Vacation Leave

Employees receive 26 days of paid leave which increases to 31 days after five years of service.

Sick Leave

Employers are not required to provide their employees with paid sick leave. However, some employers do elect to do so as part of a benefits package. Further sick leave and payment during sick leave may be governed by a collective agreement.

Maternity / Paternity Leave

Female employees receive 15 weeks of paid maternity leave, with nine weeks to be taken after the birth of the child. The leave can be extended by three weeks in cases of birth complications. The leave is paid for by the employer and social security. To be eligible, the employee must have six consecutive months of work.

Employment Termination / Severance

Employment contracts terminate at the end of the term (if for a fixed period), by the employer or by the employee.

Termination of an employment contract must be in writing and state the reason for dismissal. Employers must generally have a valid reason for terminating employment. A valid reason exists if it is related to the workplace in some way and can include redundancy dismissals.

An employment contract generally can be terminated during the probation period or for gross misconduct without notice. The probation period is usually between one and six months, depending on the skill level of the employee.

The notice period for employers is 14 days and increases by seven days for each year of continuous service. The notice period for employees is half of that. Individual and collective agreements can provide for longer notice periods. Payment in lieu of notice is required for failing to provide the requisite notice.

Severance pay for redundancy is around 6.5 weeks of salary for service up to five years and approximately 14 weeks of pay after 10 years of service or more.

Health Insurance Benefits

There is no compulsory health coverage in Republic of Congo. Some employers elect to provide private health coverage.