For indefinite term contracts, either party can terminate a contract of employment by giving notice as follows:
Employers and employees can agree to a contract with longer notice periods. Notice to terminate a contract must be in writing. The day on which the notice is given is not included in the period of notice.
Lesotho does not have a specific work permit for foreign nationals. They grant Business People Permits for 2 years or an indefinite term. Applicants must submit business references: a letter from the employer or an invitation letter from the Lesotho organization.
All employees to 1 working day's leave on full pay in respect of each month of continuous employment with the same employer. An employee is entitled in each year to a minimum of 12 working days' holiday on full pay.
Employees must take at least six working days as a continuous holiday in the year the holiday is due. When employees are entitled to more paid annual leave than the statutory leave, they are allowed to carry over a maximum of 18 days' leave to the next year. Employees can request their employers to receive a cash payment in lieu to taking no more than six days of statutory annual leave.
Any employee whose employment has terminated after at least 3 months of continuous work with the same employer shall be entitled to be paid 1 day's full pay in respect of each completed month of employment for which the employee has earned but not taken a holiday with full pay.
Normal working hours are 45 hours per week in Lesotho, 9 hours a day for those working 5 days a week, and 8 hours of work on 5 days and 5 hours of work on 1 day for those working 6 days a week. No employee shall be required to work continuously for more than 5 hours without being given a rest period from work of no less than 1 hour. The limitations on ordinary working hours and hours of overtime do not apply when it is necessary to perform urgent work to remedy any breakdown of machinery and plant or in case of an emergency. No person under the age of 16 years shall be required or permitted to work for more than 4 consecutive hours without a break of at least 1 hour, or for more than 8 hours in a day.
All employees are entitled to a rest break of 1 hour after working continuously for 5 hours. Employers must maintain proper facilities for employees to take their meals, which must include tables and chairs or benches with backrests. Employees shall be allowed at least 2 35-minute rest periods during any given 12-hour shift.
In Lesotho, pregnant employees are entitled to 7 weeks' maternity leave before and 7 weeks' leave after the date of delivery. They must give notice of their anticipated date of delivery to their employers. Within 21 days immediately after her delivery, a female employee shall deliver to her employer a written certificate signed by a medical officer or a registered nurse and midwife certifying the delivery date. The maternity leave can be extended by 8 weeks in case of medical complications. They are also entitled to a 3-week leave in case of a stillbirth.
There is no obligation on employers to pay wages during maternity leave, but employers can choose to pay benefits under an employment contract. However, under an amendment effective March 2025, employees in the Textile, Clothing, and Leather Manufacturing sector who have completed 1 year of continuous service with the same employer are entitled to 6 weeks of paid maternity leave. This entitlement is limited to a maximum of 2 confinements with the same employer.
Any dismissal of any employee that takes effect during her statutory maternity leave shall automatically be an unfair dismissal. An employer who knowingly permits or requires any female employee to perform any work during her period of statutory maternity leave shall be guilty of an offense and liable to a fine or to three months' imprisonment or both.
The annual minimum wage is fixed by a wage order published by the Wages Advisory Board in Lesotho. The current general monthly minimum wage is LSL 2,242.00 (Lesotho loti) for employees with less than 1 year of service and LSL 2,448.00 for others, set in April 2025. There are sectoral minimum wages as well.
Get the full Country Snapshot with 25 sections of information about labor law in Bahrain.
Your request has been received. We'll be emailing you the country snapshot shortly.
Get the full Country Snapshot with 25 sections of information about labor law in Lesotho.
Your request has been received. We'll be emailing you the country snapshot shortly.
