Employer in Liberia

The Decent Work Act 2015 sets the main employment standards for employers in Liberia. A business carrying on commercial or industrial activity generally registers with the Liberia Business Registry (LBR), receives a Business Registration Certificate valid for 12 months, and renews it annually. It also obtains a tax identification number from the Liberia Revenue Authority (LRA), handles payroll tax monthly and registers as an employer with NASSCORP once it has at least one employee. NASSCORP administers Liberia's social-security system. An employment contract may be oral or written and may cover a definite period, an indefinite period or a specific task. It can provide for full-time, part-time or casual work. A probation period may not exceed three months. The employer and employee should have access to terms covering the employer and workplace, the engagement location, function, duration, notice period, pay and payment method, and welfare arrangements. The employer keeps the contract or employment statement during employment and for five years afterwards. A casual worker who has worked regularly and systematically for six months may have a right to choose part-time or full-time employment under the applicable rules. Recruitment must not discriminate in advertising, selection, promotion, pay, discipline or termination. Employers may not impose forced or compulsory labour, sexual harassment, exclusion because of HIV, or forced HIV testing or disclosure. Equal remuneration applies to work of equal or comparable value. Employers must respect freedom of association for workers and employers. The National Bureau of Employment (NBE) provides jobseeker registration and advice, while private employment services and LiberiaWorks provide additional recruitment and workforce pathways. A non-Liberian employee generally needs a work permit before starting work. The Ministry of Labour (MOL), through its Division of Alien Registration and Liberianization, handles this process. The permit lasts one year and is reviewed annually. The MOL's 2026 communication requires a vacancy to be advertised for at least 30 days in two local newspapers, two local radio stations and two Liberian websites, together with evidence that no qualified Liberian was available. The fee requires current verification because Regulation No. 17 states US$1,000 while the MOL's 2026 communication reports an increase to US$3,000. Employers should check the current MOL instruction or Gazette before applying. They also submit foreign-employee payroll information quarterly. A permit is not available for businesses reserved by law for Liberian citizens. Subcontractors and hiring firms remain subject to the employer standards of the Decent Work Act when they supply or manage workers. For the formal sector, the researched statutory wage floor is US$0.68 per hour or US$5.50 per day. Domestic and casual workers have a researched floor of US$0.43 per hour or US$3.50 per day. The MOL's 2026 enforcement communication refers to at least US$143 per month for workers, so the applicable Gazette or current wage order should be checked before setting payroll. A contract rate below the applicable floor is void to that extent. Employers display wage rates and keep wage, work and leave records for five years. Normal working time is generally eight hours per day and 48 hours per week. Overtime is limited to five hours per week and is paid at least 50 percent above the normal rate, unless the parties use written paid time off where permitted. More than five continuous hours of work requires a one-hour paid meal break. Workers receive at least 12 hours of daily rest and 36 hours of weekly rest. Public-holiday work is paid at least twice the normal rate or compensated with written replacement time off. Annual leave rises from one week after 12 months to two weeks after 24 months, three weeks after 36 months and four weeks after 60 months. Sick leave is 10 days per year, care leave and bereavement leave are each five days per year, maternity leave is 14 paid weeks with at least six weeks after childbirth, and paternity leave is five unpaid days. Nursing arrangements provide two 30-minute breaks or a 60-minute reduction in working time until the child is six months old. Pregnancy and nursing restrictions apply to health-hazardous work, with alternative terms that are no less favourable. Occupational health and safety (OHS) duties require the employer to protect workers as far as reasonably practicable. The employer adopts an OHS policy in consultation with workers, provides information, training, supervision and welfare facilities, and consults workers on risk assessments, controls, facilities, training, monitoring and changes. A Safety and Health Officer is required for industries or worker numbers specified by Gazette. A workplace with at least 20 workers must have a Safety and Health Committee with equal worker and employer representation. Employers may not retaliate against a worker for making a safety complaint or participating in the committee. A worker facing imminent serious danger should inform a supervisor or stop the work safely. The Ministry of Labour's Occupational Health and Safety function inspects medium- and high-risk workplaces. Regulation No. 19 was officially launched on 27 August 2025, but its operational details should be checked against the current implementation guidance. Workers and employers may form or join organisations without prior authorisation. A registered trade union with majority support becomes the exclusive bargaining agent. The employer must not unreasonably deny union access to the workplace. A workplace union representative may act for workers, and a collective bargaining agreement (CBA) can become binding after registration. Good-faith bargaining involves meetings, positions, relevant information and honest negotiation. The Bureau of Trade Union Affairs and Social Dialogue helps coordinate and mediate relations among employers, employer organisations and unions. Strikes and lockouts must follow the applicable procedures. The Labour Inspectorate conducts routine, follow-up, special and on-the-spot inspections in formal and informal workplaces. Labour Standards and Labour Relations services can handle mediation, conciliation, compulsory arbitration, pre-trial conferences and hearings. Legal Affairs and the Labour Solicitor provide alternative dispute resolution and representation for indigent complainants. Ministry orders can proceed to the Labour Court or, where applicable, the Circuit Court, with appeals commonly subject to a 30-day period. County Labour Commissioners provide access outside Monrovia. A work-injury or workers' compensation matter may require medical care, an injury report and compensation under Ministry supervision. The Ministry may allow 10 days to create a missing safety policy or 28 working days to revise one. Termination requires a lawful cause and a fair internal procedure. Written notice is generally one week for less than three months of service, two weeks for more than three but less than six months, three weeks for more than six but less than 12 months, and four weeks after more than 12 months. Pay in lieu of notice may be used where permitted. Redundancy may follow reorganisation, transfer, discontinuance or economic, technological or structural reduction, including bankruptcy or closure. The employer informs the Ministry, affected workers, the recognised union and the workplace representative, then consults and negotiates. Severance is four weeks for each completed year. The first-in-last-out method applies, with qualifications and efficiency considered where tenure is equal. A later vacancy should first be considered for a worker made redundant. A change in business ownership does not automatically end existing contracts. NASSCORP provides the Employment Injury Scheme (EIS) and National Pension Scheme (NPS). The researched contribution structure is 2 percent of gross remuneration from the employer for EIS, 4 percent from the employer for NPS and 4 percent from the employee for NPS, for a total of 10 percent. The employer remains liable for the EIS contribution and records employee rolls, contributions, departures and claims. Coverage details can differ for casual and household workers, so those categories require a specific check. The employer's practical duties therefore extend from registration and hiring through payroll, safety, representation, dispute handling and the end of employment.