Labor law in Dominica

A written labour contract in Dominica should be delivered immediately and no later than 14 days after employment starts. The employer and employee sign the contract and any amendment within three days, and the employee receives a signed copy. The contract records the names of the parties, start date, pay and payment method, payment interval, probation, normal working hours, overtime rate, annual and sick leave, maternity leave, notice period and other agreed terms. The usual payment interval cannot exceed one month. Some workers are excluded from parts of the Labour Contracts Act, including State employees, recognized bargaining-unit employees, people working fewer than 21 hours per week, some very short fixed-term workers, re-engaged family members, home assistants and agricultural workers. Normal working time is generally limited to eight hours per day and 40 hours per week. Additional hours require the employee's consent and normally attract at least one and a half times the regular wage. Employees generally receive at least one full rest day each week, with Sunday used as the normal rest day where practicable. A public holiday is generally a paid day when the attendance conditions before and after the holiday are met. Saturday work is paid at the regular rate unless the hours exceed the normal limit, in which case the overtime rate applies. The Labour Standards (Minimum Wage) Order 2025 took effect on 1 December 2025 and replaced the 2021 order. It sets category-based rates rather than one universal minimum wage. The listed hourly rates include EC$9.00 for several factory, tourism, manufacturing, hospitality, driving, cleaning and unskilled construction roles; EC$9.42 for cashiers, receptionists and sales roles; EC$9.60 for security guards; and EC$9.75 for agricultural workers and labourers. Temporary shop, bakery and kitchen assistants working fewer than 40 hours per week have a rate of EC$7.75 per hour, while juveniles, trainees and apprentices have a rate of EC$6.52 per hour. Home assistants receive EC$240 per week with meals, EC$300 without meals or EC$264 for living-in work under the listed categories. Annual paid leave is at least two weeks per year for employees with less than five years of service and at least three weeks after five years. The employer should grant the leave within ten months after the qualifying year. Part-time employees working fewer than 1,760 hours per year receive four percent of wages or the applicable pro-rata leave entitlement. On termination, unused leave is paid with at least an additional four percent, or at least six percent where the three-week entitlement applies. Maternity leave requires at least 12 months of continuous employment. It includes at least three weeks before confinement and up to nine weeks after confinement, with at least six weeks after confinement. Pay must be at least 50 percent of the normal weekly wage for four weeks after leave begins. The employee is entitled to return to the same or a comparable position with the same or better wages and benefits, and maternity leave does not break continuity of employment. Employers must provide reasonable procedures to prevent workplace risks, while employees must follow safety duties and use required protective equipment. Safety Officers can inspect workplaces, question people, examine records and take samples within their legal powers. Employers keep employment records, including information about names, addresses, age for workers under 18, wages, hours and earnings, for at least 24 months. Children cannot work in industrial undertakings. Equal pay for men and women performing the same or similar work is protected, and an employer cannot reduce wages to avoid that rule. The research does not establish a broader direct anti-discrimination framework beyond the evidenced sex-pay protection. Trade union membership is not mandatory according to the Ministry's guidance. A recognized trade union can act as bargaining agent for a bargaining unit. The Industrial Relations Act regulates recognition, bargaining units, collective bargaining, industrial agreements of up to three years, trade disputes, conciliation, strikes, lockouts and unfair practices. Special rules apply to essential services. Termination generally requires a statutory ground. During probation, an employer may terminate without notice when satisfactory performance has not been demonstrated. Serious misconduct can justify immediate termination, while non-serious misconduct or unsatisfactory performance normally follows a written-warning process. Redundancy can arise from automation, closure, sale, reorganization, reduced labour needs, force majeure or economic contraction. Lay-off, unpaid suspension and reduced hours are restricted, and an employee's consent is required for a reduction in hours. A written termination notice states the termination date and reason. Notice periods depend on pay frequency and length of service; monthly-paid employees generally receive one month after less than ten years and two months after more than ten years, while employees paid more frequently receive between one and four weeks according to service. Pay in lieu of notice is permitted. An employee's usual notice is one month when paid monthly and one week otherwise. The statutory wording leaves an uncertainty for exactly ten years of service. The Protection of Employment Act provides a redundancy-benefit framework funded through a 0.25 percent employer contribution on insurable earnings and administered through the Social Security Board's Redundancy Benefits Fund. The Social Security Board states that at least three years of employment is required for the benefit. Government workers, qualifying managers, stevedores or longshoremen, domestic workers and certain close-family employees are among the exclusions. An extended lay-off of at least six consecutive weeks may trigger a written claim. A counter-notice can require full-time work within four weeks for at least 13 weeks. The Labour Division provides conciliation, mediation, negotiation, counselling and advice. A worker or trade union can submit a written complaint to the Labour Commissioner or Minister, and the Labour Commissioner can assist with Labour Standards complaints. Conciliation has a target of 21 days. If the dispute remains unresolved, the Minister may refer it to the Industrial Relations Tribunal. Labour Standards complaints must generally be filed within two years after the cause arose, and the Tribunal can order compliance, payment, reinstatement or compensation. Decisions are final and binding subject to statutory review or appeal. Legal representation is optional during Labour Division handling, and no verified general complaint fee schedule is established in the available research. The Labour Division is located on the third floor of Government Headquarters on Kennedy Avenue, Roseau. Its listed email address is labour@dominica.gov.dm. Employment, employer and general civil-law issues can affect a labour dispute, but they do not replace the specific protections and procedures under Dominica's labour legislation.