The Republic of Zambia is a landlocked country located in the south-central region of Africa. The official language is English, although several indigenous languages are spoken regionally. The Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) is headquartered in Zambia’s capital, Lusaka. Zambia hosts a robust copper mining industry, and its construction and textile industries have seen recent growth. Zambia has vast potential and is an ideal location to expansion into South African markets.
Employment contracts in Zambia must be in writing if the contract term is for six months or more in a one-year period, or for a number of working days which, combined, total more than six months. A written contract should include:
Employees can work up to 48 hours a week and typically work eight hours a day. However, collective bargaining agreements may determine the hours and days worked. Overtime is allowed and employees are entitled to extra pay for any work performed above normal hours.
Employees receive between 52 days and six months of sick leave, depending on the length of their employment contract. Employees receive full pay for 26 to three months of leave and then partial pay after that.
Female employees receive 14 weeks of maternity leave. At least six weeks of maternity leave must be taken after the birth of the child. Maternity leave can be extended for the birth of twins or multiples.New father received five days of paternity leave following the birth of a child. The leave is unpaid.
Employers do not have to include bonuses within employees’ compensation package but may choose to do so. Some employers in Zambia pay employees a 13th month salary in December.
Employees receive 24 days of paid leave after completing a year of service. Employees accrue two days of vacation per month, beginning on the first day of the employee’s second year of service.
The following public holidays are observed in Zambia:
Zambia has universal healthcare, although private healthcare facilities are available in more urban areas. Likewise, private health insurance is available.
An employer can terminate an employment contract by providing notice. The notice is between one day and three months depending on the employee’s length of service. An employer may also be able to provide pay in lieu of notice. An employee can be dismissed without notice in a few limited circumstances.Special procedures apply to redundancy dismissals.Severance is required in some circumstances, including the termination of a fixed-term contract and to employees dismissed for redundancy.
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.
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