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Written Agreements

Employers in Sierra Leone must submit employment contracts to the Labor Commissioner for vetting before executing them with an employee. The contract must be made into 3 copies for the employer, employee, and Labor Commissioner. Therefore, an employment contract written under the Employment Act must be in writing. Several terms must be included in the employment contract, including place of work, compensation, leave policies, and more.

Oral Agreements

Oral employment contracts are not explicitly prohibited in Sierra Leone. However, a contract of employment must be made in writing in order to satisfy the prior authorization by the Labor Commissioner requirement. The Employment Act recognizes the enforceability of unwritten employment contracts only so far as they conform to the requirements of the Act itself or any other act in force.

Implied Agreements

The Employment Act recognizes the enforceability of unwritten employment contracts only so far as they conform to the requirements of the Act itself or any other act in force. The law in Sierra Leone recognizes implied terms in employment agreements, and the Court will apply certain terms in their absence from an agreement. Fair terms and conditions that are at least as favorable to the employee as those provided by the Employment Act, relevant collective agreement, or industry practices are implied in every employment or service contract. Every employment contract also implies the freedom to join, form, or participate in a trade association. Nevertheless, it is recommended that any implied employment contract be enshrined in writing and approved by the Labor Commissioner as soon as possible in order to comply with Article 19 of the Employment Act 2023.

Sierra Leone's labor law stipulates that working hours cannot exceed 8 per day or 40 per week. A full-time employee may agree to work additional hours but these stipulated hours may not amount to more than 10 hours per day. The weekly limit, including additional hours, is 48 hours per week.

Any hours over 40 worked in any given week must be compensated as overtime (see Overtime Pay for more details).

• New Year’s Day - January 1
• Good Friday - Varies
• Easter Monday - Varies
• Whit Monday - Varies
• Moulid-un-Nabi - Varies
• Independence Day - April 27
• Eid-ul-Fitr - Varies
• Eid-ul-Adha - Varies
• Christmas - December 25
• Boxing Day - December 26

In Sierra Leone, probationary periods of up to 6 months are allowed. An employee’s probation can only be done on 1 occasion unless the employee is transferred or promoted to a position with substantially different work than before.

During the probationary period, either party can terminate the employment contract with 7 days' notice or with 7 days' worth of wages in lieu of notice.

Notice Period

If an employee is hired under an indefinite employment contract, it can be terminated at any time by either party with 1 month's notice or 1 month's wages in lieu of notice. If the employee is a disabled worker, the notice period is increased to 2 months. The notice must be given in writing unless the employee is illiterate. In such cases, the notice must be conveyed to the employee in a manner that can be understood.

The notice period cannot include time taken for annual leave. If the employee terminates the employment without notice, the employee is not entitled to payment in lieu of notice.

Severance Benefits

The Employment Act of Sierra Leone grants severance benefits to employees when their employment contracts are terminated for reasons other than disciplinary measures when the employee has worked for at least 1 year for the same employer. Severance benefits are due upon retirement, death, or termination on grounds other than serious misconduct.

Severance benefits must be paid within 1 month of termination, or the employer will be fined at least 24 months of the national minimum wage. If the employer cannot afford to pay the entire amount of severance benefits, the employer must establish a payment plan with the Labor Commissioner within 1 month of termination.

Minimum Wage

The minimum wage in Sierra Leone is set by the Minister for Industrial Relations in consultation with the Joint National Board. It was last raised to SLL 800,000 (Sierra Leonean leones) per month in April 2023.

The Employment Act prohibits setting the remuneration rate of an employee as less than the national minimum wage. Any employment contract that stipulates remuneration under the national minimum wage will be null and void.

No law regulates the pay frequency in Sierra Leone, but the most common payroll cycle is monthly.

Overtime, Holiday & Vacation Pay

Sierra Leone's labor law stipulates that working hours cannot exceed eight per day or 40 per week. A full-time employee may work up to ten hours of overtime per week, bringing the total maximum

The Employment Act 2023 requires an employer to pay employees who work more than 40 hours per week a premium unless the employment agreement specifies otherwise. Employees cannot work more than 48 hours a week or 10 hours per day. Employees under 18, pregnant employees, or employees with a child under 8 months old are prohibited from working overtime.

Overtime worked during the week must be paid at 150% of the normal wage for the first 4 hours. Any overtime worked in excess of 44 hours on a weekday must be remunerated at 200% of the normal wage.

Overtime worked during the weekend or a public holiday must be paid at 200% of the normal wage

Visas

The following categories of visas are available in Sierra Leone:

• Entry visas are issued to foreigners to qualify for entry into Sierra Leone. They do not reflect the length of stay.
• Employee visas are mandatory for foreign nationals who wish to work in Sierra Leone. They are issued for a particular job with a particular employer and for a specific duration of time.
• Business visas are issued to business people or entrepreneurs who come to invest in Sierra Leone.
• Student visas are issued to foreigners who come to study in Sierra Leone. They must specify the type and institution of education.
• Tourist visas are issued to foreigners who come to visit Sierra Leone for tourism purposes. They prohibit work and study.
• Visitor visas are issued to foreigners who want to extend their stay in Sierra Leone. They prohibit work.
• Exemption visas are issued to persons working for Embassies, the High Commission, United Nations organizations, and employees on contract with the Government of Sierra Leone.
• Extension visas are issued by approval of the Chief Immigration Officer to tourists or foreigners who wish to seek business opportunities in Sierra Leone.
• Re-entry visas are issued for multiple entries and exits from Sierra Leone.

Nationals of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) do not require visas to enter the country. However, citizens of all other countries do.

Work Permits

It is mandatory for anyone coming to Sierra Leone for employment to have a resident employment permit. It is the employer's responsibility to regularize their employees' residential status. Where a resident employment permit has been issued for employment, it is usually restricted to a specific job, with a specific employer, and in some cases to a specific location. Resident permits are normally issued for a period of one year and renewed annually.

A resident permit is issued upon request by an employer. This request can come from either a national or international organization or a business entity doing business in Sierra Leone. The employer must first write to the Immigration Department using an authorized letterhead with the organization or business's full details requesting a resident permit on behalf of their employee.