Labor law in Liberia

Liberia has an established national labor framework under the Decent Work Act 2015. Earlier provisions in Labour Law Title 18 and 18A have largely been superseded. The framework is especially relevant to formal employment, concessions, mining, agriculture, domestic work and casual work, while practical enforcement depends on access to the Ministry of Labour, records, union coverage and sector practice. County differences mainly affect the place where a proceeding is heard rather than the basic national rules. The functional assessment of employee status considers control and direction, controlled working hours, integration into the employer's organization, economic dependence, use of employer equipment and work for a single client. Work averaging at least 40 hours per month over the previous three months can also support the assessment. A contract may be oral or written and may cover a definite period, an indefinite period or a specific task. It may provide for full-time, part-time or casual work. Probation may last no more than three months. The employer should give the worker the main particulars of the relationship, including the parties, work, pay, hours, leave, termination terms and special conditions, and must keep employment records for five years. A casual arrangement that becomes regular or systematic for six months gives the worker a right to choose part-time or full-time work, with written notice and choice at four-week intervals. Pay rules include wage displays, payment at intervals of no more than one month, a written payslip and payment in cash or through another written method agreed with the worker. Agreed deductions may not exceed one third of remuneration. The statutory text lists US$0.68 per hour or US$5.50 per day for formal-sector work and US$0.43 per hour or US$3.50 per day for domestic and casual work. Public Ministry of Labour enforcement material for 2026 states a formal private-sector minimum of US$143 per month, but a newer Gazette rate was not independently evidenced in the reviewed material. The Minimum Wage Board can review rates and recommend sector-, occupation- or piece-rate orders; the recommendation and Gazette process can each take up to 60 days, and an order takes effect when gazetted. A current order should therefore be checked for the relevant work. Ordinary working time is generally limited to eight hours per day and 48 hours per week. A collective arrangement may average hours over up to four months. The average ceiling is 53 ordinary hours plus five overtime hours per week, while seasonal work may reach 56 hours in a week subject to an annual average of 48 hours. Overtime is limited to five hours per week and is paid at least at 150 percent of the normal rate, unless the parties use written paid time off instead. More than five continuous hours of work requires a paid meal break of at least one hour. Daily rest must include at least 12 consecutive hours, and weekly rest must include at least 36 consecutive hours, normally including Sunday. A public holiday is paid, and work on that day is compensated at 200 percent of the normal rate or through a written time-off arrangement. Annual leave rises from one working week after the first 12 months to two weeks after 24 months, three weeks after 36 months and four weeks after 60 months. Accrued leave may be carried forward for no more than three years, and unused accrued leave is payable pro rata when employment ends. Paid sick leave is 10 working days per service year, care leave is five days per year, and bereavement leave can reach five days per year. Maternity leave lasts at least 14 weeks, including at least six weeks after childbirth, with ordinary remuneration paid. Paternity leave is five unpaid days taken within one month. Pregnancy and nursing work may not expose the worker to hazardous conditions; a suitable alternative should be provided where practicable. Nursing workers receive two 30-minute breaks or a 60-minute daily reduction until the child is six months old. Full-time employment of a child under 15 is prohibited. Light work may start at 13 only when it remains compatible with school and stays within two hours per day and 14 hours per week. Hazardous work is prohibited for children. A worker under 16 may work no more than seven hours per day and 42 hours per week, with at least one hour of total rest and no more than four consecutive hours of work. Employers must maintain the required child-work register and notice. Employers must provide a safe workplace, safe access, suitable equipment and safe substances, maintain an occupational safety and health policy, and consult workers. A safety and health committee with equal worker and employer representation is required at workplaces with at least 20 workers. A worker facing an imminent serious danger should inform a supervisor or stop work safely. Labour inspectors may enter workplaces, investigate, examine records, issue notices and enforce compliance. Regulation No. 19, introduced by the Ministry of Labour in 2025, addresses risk assessment, hazard prevention, sanitation, first aid, emergency preparation, training and safety officers in sectors including agriculture, construction, manufacturing, food, transport and mining; the applicable Gazette and implementation details should be checked for the specific workplace. Where no NASSCORP employee-injury scheme applies, Chapter 30 provides the relevant compensation process. The employer must promptly provide medical, surgical and hospital treatment. Temporary total disability is compensated at 60 percent of average daily earnings, and death with wholly dependent family members can result in compensation equal to 48 months of earnings. The Ministry or an inspector may assist with settlement and awards, while NASSCORP coverage must be checked as a separate boundary. Workers and employers may form or join organizations without prior authorization. A registered union with majority support becomes the exclusive bargaining agent. An employer has up to 30 days to respond to recognition; refusal or non-response can be referred to the Ministry. Collective bargaining must take place in good faith. A registered collective agreement has legal effect and normally lasts at least 12 months and no more than 36 months. The Ministry's Bureau of Trade Union Affairs and Social Dialogue coordinates, mediates and monitors representation matters, and unions have workplace access. An indefinite employment relationship may end only for a valid reason such as grave misconduct, incapacity or conduct, or operational or economic reasons. The employer must follow a fair internal procedure. Termination for exercising a statutory right, temporary illness or injury, discrimination or union activity is prohibited. After probation, written notice is 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 months but no more than one year, and four weeks after more than one year; pay in lieu may be used. Economic redundancy requires severance of four weeks' pay for each completed service year, a first-in-last-out approach, and information and good-faith consultation with the Ministry, affected workers and their representative at least four weeks before the effect. Constructive dismissal is recognized. A termination complaint must generally be filed within six months, and remedies can include reinstatement, compensation or both. A worker, employer or representative may complain to the Ministry about the Act, regulations, a minimum-wage order, an employment contract or a collective agreement. The Inspectorate must protect complaint confidentiality. Labour Relations may use mediation, conciliation, compulsory arbitration, formal hearings and pre-trial procedures. The Ministry can order a party to stop or remedy a violation and impose a fine of up to US$500. A compliance notice can allow up to 28 days to cure a breach; an inspector-enforcement complaint must be filed within 15 days, and an appeal against Ministry inaction or an order within 30 days. The Labour Court for the hearing county handles cases, with the Circuit Court serving as an alternative where necessary, and the Supreme Court may review the result. An enforcement application has a 90-day limit. An indigent employee may seek representation from the Labour Solicitor. No general public complaint-fee schedule was evidenced, although the Ministry may impose reasonable administrative fees. Industrial action follows a prescribed referral to the Minister and service on the other parties. Conciliation targets 30 days. If the parties attend, the dispute remains unresolved and 48 hours' notice is given, a strike or lockout may become available, except in designated essential services, matters covered by arbitration or cases of non-compliance. The National Tripartite Council can recommend essential-service designations, and the President decides within the applicable 14-day period. A foreign worker permit is a separate access requirement: the employer must show that no suitable Liberian worker is available, generally through vacancy publication for at least one month in two local newspapers, two local radio stations and two Liberian websites, together with a Ministry of Labour non-availability certificate. Public evidence did not establish current permit fees or processing times, but substantive labor protections continue to apply once the employment relationship is covered.