Labor law in Zimbabwe

An employment relationship can arise from a written, oral or implied agreement. When employment begins, the employer must give written particulars covering the employer, duration, probation, applicable employment code, remuneration and payment interval, sickness and pregnancy benefits, working hours, bonuses or incentives, vacation leave and other benefits. If the contract states no duration, it is generally treated as indefinite. Casual work continuing for more than six weeks in four months becomes indefinite, while conversion of fixed-term or specific-service work depends on the continuous-service period set by the relevant Employment Council or Minister. Probation normally lasts no more than three months; for casual or seasonal work it is limited to one day. Notice during probation is two weeks, or one week for casual or seasonal work. An employer cannot end an indefinite employment relationship without a legally or contractually permitted reason. Employer termination may follow a written mutual agreement or a breach of an express or implied term after the due inquiry required by the applicable employment code or agreed procedure. Notice periods for indefinite employment are three months after two or more years of service, two months after one to less than two years, one month after six to less than twelve months, two weeks after three to less than six months, and one day below three months, including casual or seasonal work. An employee may resign or retire. Fixed-term expiry, completion of specific service and retrenchment follow separate rules. Where the employer provides accommodation, the employee cannot be required to leave before one month after the notice period ends. Retrenchment requires written notice to the works council or Employment Council, the Retrenchment Board and the employee. The Board should issue its notification certificate within fourteen days, and the employer must notify the Board no later than fourteen days after the retrenchment. SI 191/2024 sets a minimum package of one month's salary or wage for each completed service year, with a proportionate amount for shorter service; the parties may agree to a better package. The Board or Employment Council should determine the matter within thirty days, and an appeal to the Labour Court generally has a twenty-one-day limit. An employer relying on incapacity must provide at least 25% of the package upfront and supporting evidence. Fraudulent, reckless or grossly negligent non-payment can create personal liability. Zimbabwe has no evidenced single national minimum-wage regime covering all workers. Pay and many working conditions are mainly set by an industry or undertaking Employment Council or by a registered collective bargaining agreement, which becomes binding in its sector. The Minister may issue minimum-wage notices for classes not covered by an Employment Council. A 2026 Cabinet briefing reported US$270 for unclassified operations, payable in local currency, but the applicable implementation instrument and current sector rules must be checked. Working hours, overtime, night work, shift work, leave and safety requirements can also vary by sector rule, contract or collective bargaining agreement. Workers generally receive 24 continuous hours of weekly rest. A public holiday is normally free from work with the applicable remuneration; agreed work on that day is paid at least twice the normal remuneration. Vacation leave accrues at one-twelfth of qualifying service for each year, up to ninety days. Special leave with full pay can reach twelve days per calendar year for specified matters such as infectious disease, court attendance, trade-union duties, police custody, bereavement and compassionate grounds. Certified sick leave commonly provides up to ninety days on full pay and a further ninety days on half pay within a one-year period. Maternity leave provides ninety-eight days on full pay, and the former one-year service requirement and three-period limit were removed in 2023. Prenatal leave can begin between forty-five and twenty-one days before the expected delivery date. A nursing employee receives at least one hour, or two thirty-minute breaks, during each working day for up to six months. NSSA's Pension and Other Benefits Scheme generally requires the employer and employee each to contribute 4.5% of insurable earnings up to the current NSSA ceiling of USD 700, which may change quarterly. Registration and contributions begin when salary is paid. The Accident Prevention and Workers' Compensation Scheme is employer-financed and covers workplace injury and occupational disablement. Its coverage generally concerns formal workers over sixteen, whether the employment is written or implied and whether the employer is registered. Civil servants are excluded from this scheme, and domestic workers, non-resident foreign nationals and diplomatic non-Zimbabweans may be excluded under the applicable NSSA scheme. After an accident, the employer must provide immediate first aid, arrange prompt medical transfer and report the event to NSSA. The law prohibits forced labor and discrimination on protected grounds and requires equal remuneration for men and women performing work of equal value. Violence and harassment are prohibited at the workplace and in work-related pay, rest, meal, sanitary, travel, training, event, information-and-communication-technology and employer-accommodation settings, as well as during commuting. Sexual harassment is an unfair labor practice. Employment under sixteen is prohibited; workers aged sixteen to under eighteen may undertake training and non-hazardous work but may not perform hazardous work. Employers have occupational health and safety duties, while workers must use required protective equipment. Labour Act protections, including relevant disability and HIV protections, can apply even where work is not formally registered, although the precise remedy depends on the facts. Registered trade unions and employers' organizations, workers committees and parity-based works councils provide representation. Employment Councils may be voluntary or statutory and use employer and employee voting structures. A collective bargaining agreement must be registered with the Registrar of Labour; the Minister can stop registration where it conflicts with the Act or public interest. Once registered, the agreement binds the covered sector or undertaking, and non-compliance may amount to an unfair labor practice. Trade unions and employers' organizations also have registration, annual membership and financial-disclosure duties. Paid educational leave is expressly subject to the applicable collective bargaining agreement. A labor dispute or unfair labor practice normally begins with a Designated Agent, Employment Council or Labour Officer. Conciliation may produce a settlement certificate that can be registered and enforced like a civil judgment. If no settlement is reached within thirty days, the Labour Officer or other authorized body can issue a certificate of no settlement, subject to any agreed extension. Interest disputes in essential services require compulsory arbitration, and right disputes may also be referred to compulsory arbitration. The parties can choose voluntary arbitration by consent; otherwise, the Labour Court handles applications, appeals and reviews and may award compensation, back pay or another appropriate order. A disciplinary matter under a registered employment code should generally reach the Labour Officer within thirty days after the proceedings. The Ministry of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare, the Registrar of Labour, Labour Officers, Employment Councils, Designated Agents, the Retrenchment Board, the Labour Court and NSSA each have different responsibilities, so the relevant contract, employment code, sector rule, deadline and fee should be checked for the particular workplace.