Which authority handles an employer's workplace inspection and employment complaint in The Gambia?

The Commissioner of Labour and the Department of Labour administer the Labour Act 2023, advise employers and workers, investigate representations, inspect workplaces and support conciliation. Unresolved matters can proceed to the Industrial Tribunal under the applicable procedure.

What employment information must an employer in The Gambia give a worker?

The employer provides particulars such as the parties, start date, job, wage rate and method, pay interval, hours, probation, notice, place, duration, collective agreement and leave, sickness and pension terms. These particulars are supplied before or at commencement and no later than 14 working days after work begins, together with a copy of the contract where required.

How does an employer in The Gambia lawfully hire a non-Gambian worker?

The employer generally applies for an expatriate quota through the Expatriate Quota Secretariat or Board, obtains Ministerial approval, pays the required payroll tax to the Gambia Revenue Authority and receives a quota certificate. Immigration and work-permit verification are separate, and the employer has to provide a Gambian counterpart for skills transfer where a quota is used.

What workplace safety duties does an employer in The Gambia have?

The employer provides safe premises, fire precautions, sanitary facilities, drinking water, first aid, accessibility and safe machinery, and supplies prescribed protective equipment without deducting its cost from wages. Accidents and occupational diseases are reported, and certain sectors require medical examinations paid for by the employer.

How can an employee dispute an employer's dismissal in The Gambia?

The matter can begin with an internal grievance or disciplinary process and may proceed to the Commissioner of Labour or a union for conciliation. An unfair-dismissal complaint is generally made within six months, after which the Industrial Tribunal may award money, order reinstatement or re-engagement, cancel a contract or grant compensation.

Employer in Gambia

An employer in The Gambia is a person, company, public authority, partnership, institution or organisation that enters an employment contract. The Labour Act 2023 governs most employment relationships and assigns administration and workplace enforcement to the Commissioner of Labour and the Department of Labour. Public-service employment follows separate rules, while informal owner-managed businesses often handle employment without formal human-resources systems. Employers combine recruitment, pay, supervision, workplace safety, worker representation, dispute handling and organisational change.

byAwa&Omar

A workplace dispute commonly begins with an internal grievance or disciplinary process supported by records. The Department of Labour and Commissioner can provide amicable settlement or conciliation, and a union may be notified. An unfair-dismissal complaint is generally brought to the Commissioner or union within six months. The Commissioner's settlement window is one month before a claim can proceed to the Industrial Tribunal. The Tribunal operates nationally and can award sums, cancel contracts, order reinstatement or re-engagement and award compensation. Keep contracts, employment particulars, pay statements, attendance, leave, health and safety, accident, discipline, consultation, union, redundancy, tax and social-security records for at least the applicable statutory period; Labour Act compliance records are generally retained for three years or longer where another rule applies. Practical compliance remains uneven because official policy identifies fragmented occupational-safety regulation, insufficient inspectors, weak logistics and staff shortages, and weak prosecution and enforcement. Formal rules therefore do not demonstrate that every employment relationship has formal coverage. Current collective-agreement minima, Gazette terms, tax and Social Security rates, quota rules, sector licences and deadlines should be checked with the responsible authority before action.

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