Ensuring compliance with Sierra Leone’s compensation laws is important to your business and employees. You need to make sure your Sierra Leone benefits management plan provides the statutory minimums regarding salaries and benefits.
Sierra Leone compensation laws
As of April 2023, Sierra Leone’s government-mandated minimum wage is SLE 800 per month. In 2022, the leone underwent a redenomination, eliminating three zeros from currency values. Prior to this, the monthly minimum wage was SLE 600,000. Although Collective Bargaining Agreements (CBAs) and trade unions are not common in Sierra Leone, you should still see if employees are covered by one.
Guaranteed benefits in Sierra Leone
Your Sierra Leone benefits management plan must include guaranteed benefits to stay compliant. Often, compliance starts with offering time off for holidays and annual vacations. Sierra Leone has 10 national holidays for which employees get the day off. Employees also accrue paid annual leave based on their years of employment according to the following structure:
- 19 days of leave for 1 to 5 years of employment
- 22 days of leave for 5 to 10 years of employment
- 28 days of leave for 10+ years of employment
Companies must also give employees at least 5 paid sick days per year. Employees expecting a child are generally entitled to 14 weeks of paid maternity leave. We recommend including all these benefits in an employment contract to create clear guidelines for employees.
Social security in Sierra Leone
Employers and employees contribute 10% and 5%, respectively, of the employee’s salary to the social security fund.
Sierra Leone benefits management
When discussing how to disperse your benefits, consider what additional benefits you can provide. Offering employees supplemental perks is a great way to stand out from the competition and attract employees to your open positions.
One option is to provide supplemental healthcare since Sierra Leone only offers free healthcare to pregnant workers, children under 5, and lactating mothers. Companies can also offer a stipend that will cover some of the treatment costs.
There is no statutory requirement to pay the 13th- or the 14th-month salary in Sierra Leone.
Restrictions for benefits and compensation
The biggest restriction for your Sierra Leone benefits management plan is the incorporation process. Companies expanding through a traditional method need to establish a subsidiary in Sierra Leone before they can start working, hiring employees, and giving out benefits. However, you can choose an alternative route with G-P.
We can help you expand within a few days instead of a few weeks or months. As a global Employer of Record (EOR), we will hire talented employees who work on your behalf, ensure that you’re meeting all of Sierra Leone’s compensation and benefits laws.
Partner with G-P to build your everywhere workforce.
As your partner in global expansion, G-P will handle payroll and compliance, so you can focus on growing your team and scaling your business. Our market-leading Global Growth Platform™ is powered by the first fully customizable suite of global employment products and backed by the industry’s largest team of in-country HR and legal experts to streamline payroll management and help you offer competitive, compliant local benefits.
Learn more about our platform and request a proposal today.