The labor law of the Dominican Republic allows at-will termination, where either party may unilaterally terminate an employment contract without cause. The terminating party must give 7, 14, or 28 days' notice of termination if the employee's service length is at least 3, 6, or 12 months, respectively. Employers who terminate an employee without cause must also make severance payments.
The Labor Code lists 19 acceptable reasons for an employer to terminate an employee for cause, including misleading an employer in job applications and committing a dishonest act in the workplace. Employers need not give notice to an employee dismissed for cause. However, employers must report the dismissal and its cause to the worker and the Labor Department's local authorities within 48 hours. The right of an employer to base the dismissal on a specific reason for termination expires 15 days after the employee has committed the act considered as grounds for termination.
The Dominican Republic has 3 types of work-related permits:
Foreign nationals with work contracts in agriculture or construction can obtain a non-resident seasonal permit for up to one year, renewable with proof of contract extension. Other types of work permits include a temporary residency permit for foreign managerial or technical staff and small-scale investors, and a short-term permit for individuals participating in specific group activities, valid for up to 11 months and non-renewable.
At least 80% of an entity’s workforce must be Dominican, and no less than 80% of the payroll (except salaries for technical or executive positions) must correspond to wages earned by Dominicans.
According to the Dominican Labor Code, employees are entitled to 14 days of paid leave every year after the first year of service. After 5 years in the company, employees’ annual leave increases to 18 days.
Employers must fix and distribute the vacation periods of their workers during the first 15 days of January. The salary for the vacation period must be paid to the employee on the day prior to the beginning of the vacation. During vacation, the employee is not allowed to provide any paid or unpaid service to the employer.
Employers cannot offer to compensate the employee in exchange for vacation days, except for cases of termination when the employee has not used the vacation they were entitled to.
The labor law of the Dominican Republic generally stipulates that regular working hours may not exceed 8 hours per day and 44 hours per week. Employees in executive and managerial positions are exempt from these working hour requirements and may work up to 10 hours a day.
Daytime work hours are between 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., while nighttime work hours are between 9:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. A work shift is considered a daytime shift as long as the employee works no more than three hours between 9:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. (if work during this timeframe exceeds three hours, it is considered a night shift).
Every worker has the right to an uninterrupted weekly rest of 36 hours, which is conventionally taken from noon on Saturday. This rest period can, however, be agreed between the parties and can start any day of the week.
Mothers are entitled to a total of 14 weeks of paid maternity leave: 7 weeks of prenatal leave and 7 weeks of post-natal leave. If the employee is unable to use all 7 weeks of prenatal leave, the remaining time will accumulate to the post-natal leave period. Employees are entitled to receive their taxable salary during maternity leave. Employees who qualify to receive maternity benefits from the Institute of Social Security will receive 14 weeks of their taxable salary during their maternity leave. This subsidy can begin as early as 22 weeks of gestation, but typically starts 7 weeks before the expected due date or the actual date of birth (whichever is earlier).
The law prohibits employers from terminating pregnant employees without cause. This prohibition extends 3 months after the date of delivery.
Effective February 1, 2026, the minimum wages for private sector companies and farm workers are as follows:
Salary must be paid regularly and at least once a month. Employees who are paid by the hour or day must be paid weekly, unless otherwise agreed upon by the parties.
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