In Ghana, an employment contract may be terminated for several reasons listed in the Ghanaian Labor Act. The notice length depends on the type of contract:
Notices must be in writing and stipulate the date of issue. In collective agreements with terms more beneficial to the employee, the collective agreement prevails. The length of notice of termination required to be given in the case of a person with a disability must not be shorter than 1 month.
Foreign nationals wishing to work in Ghana must have a work permit. Applications are submitted via the Ghana Immigration Service.
A work permit issued to foreign nationals must specify the employer and the period they may occupy a particular post. The holder may not, without the consent in writing of the authorities, engage in any other form of paid employment or any business or professional occupation in Ghana.
A foreign national granted a work permit or immigrant quota cannot start working in Ghana immediately unless the Director of Immigration grants them a residence permit to remain and work in the country. Residence permits may be issued for up to 4 years, with an option for a subsequent extension for another 4 years.
Every employee is entitled to no less than 15 working days' leave with full pay after 12 months of continuous service. Where the work is not regularly maintained throughout the year, the requirement for continuous service is met if the employee has worked for 200 days in a particular year.
Employees can take their annual leave in 2 approximately equal parts. Every employee has the right to enjoy an uninterrupted annual leave. Exception is made in cases of urgent necessity, when employers may require employees to interrupt their leave and return to work. Employers must compensate the employee for any reasonable expense incurred because of the interruption.
Employers must inform their employees at least 30 days before the commencement of leave about its start date. Upon termination of an employment agreement, the employee is entitled to annual leave in proportion to the duration of service in the calendar year (except in the case of termination without notice by the employer). Any agreement to relinquish the right to annual leave or to forgo such leave is null and void.
The labor law dictates that the standard working time is 8 hours per day or 40 hours per week. However, an organization may prescribe the hours of work differently, subject to the following:
Female employees are entitled to 12 weeks of maternity leave with full pay if they provide a certificate issued by a medical practitioner or midwife, indicating the expected date of delivery. The leave can be extended by 2 additional weeks in case of birth complications or the birth of 2 or more babies.
Under the Labour Act of Ghana, workers on maternity leave are entitled to remuneration of their full wages (paid by the employer) as well as other prearranged benefits, during the 12-week (84-day) period.
Effective March 1, 2025, Ghana's national daily minimum wage is GHS 19.97 (Ghanaian cedis), increasing to GHS 21.77 from January 1, 2026.
Monthly minimum wage figures are calculated as daily minimum wage times 27 days. The daily minimum wage is set for all workers (except the Armed Forces, the Prison Service, the Security and Intelligence Agencies, and the Police Service) by the National Tripartite Committee led by the Minister for Employment & Social Welfare. This rate applies to all of Ghana, apart from free trade zones, where employers may freely negotiate and establish employment contracts, including wage levels, that are consistent with ILO conventions.
There are no statutory requirements for payroll frequency in Ghana. It can be determined by the employers and employees in their contracts or through collective agreements. Casual and temporary employees can be paid daily.
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