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L (SZL)
48/week
Eswatini, officially the Kingdom of Eswatini and formerly known as Swaziland, is a small southern African country. The government is an absolute monarchy with constitutional provisions. King Mswati III has ruled the nation since 1986. The population of the country is more than one million people. The government is dependent on customs duties from Southern African Customs Union (SACU) and is a lower middle-income country.
Employment contracts in Eswatini may be for an indefinite term or fixed term. Written contracts should provide the terms and conditions of employment, including:
name of employee and employer,
date employment began,
wage and method of calculation,
how wages are paid,
regular hours of work,
description of employee’s position,
probation period (if applicable),
annual leave,
holiday entitlement,
payment during sickness,
signatures of both parties and a witness, and
any other terms of the agreement.
The standard work week in Eswatini is eight hours a day and 48 hours a week over six days. Individual employment contracts and collective agreements may provide for different work hours and days. Overtime is permitted and generally paid at 150% of the employee’s regular rate.
After three months of employment with the same employer, employees are eligible for a maximum of 14 days of paid sick leave in Eswatini and a maximum of 14 days at half pay annually.
Female employees receive 12 weeks of maternity leave in Eswatini. At least six weeks of maternity leave must be taken after the birth of the child. Two weeks of the leave are paid if the employee has worked for more than one year. Leave can be extended by up to six weeks for pregnancy-related illnesses. There is no statutory paternity leave.
Employers are not required to pay bonuses to employees in Eswatini, but some employers choose to pay performance-based bonuses.
Employees in Eswatini receive 12 days of paid annual leave after one year of service. After four years of service, employees are entitled to 13 days of paid leave and employees with five years are allowed 15 days of paid leave each year.
In Eswatini, the public holidays are:
New Year’s Day
Good Friday
Easter Monday
King’s Birthday
National Flag Day
Labor Day
Ascension Day
King Father’s Birthday
Umhlanga Reed Dance
Somhlolo Day
Christmas Day
Day of Goodwill (Boxing Day)
Employers are not obligated to provide health insurance to their employees in Eswatini. Employers may choose to provide private healthcare insurance as part of a competitive benefits package.
Both the employer and employee can terminate an employment relationship in Eswatini by providing notice. The notice period is between one week to one month depending on the employee’s length of service. No notice is required during the probation period. Severance pay is 10 working days' wages for each completed year of service after the first year.
We understand that local laws and regulations change and sourcing an accurate reference guide is not easy. Our data is researched and verified by our team of local international Employment Attorneys, HR and Benefit Professionals and Tax Accountants through our Atlas team and consultants, to ensure information up-to-date and accurate.
Partnering with Atlas when expanding into Eswatini can dramatically reduce the standard brick and mortar processes of doing business in foreign markets and allow you to focus on what you do best, growing your company! To discover more about how Atlas can simplify your ability to expand globally, please feel free to contact us.
Our team of regional experts are here to support you with your global expansion plans. If you have any questions, just get in touch and we will be delighted to help.
