Per Namibian labor law, if a contract of employment is terminated with notice, the period of notice must not be less than:
Notice of termination must be given in writing, stating the reasons for termination, whether the termination is by the employer, and the date on which the notice is given.
In Namibia, an employment permit is granted for a duration of 12 months. The processing fee is NAD 2,600 (Namibian dollars) per year, and the non-refundable handling fee is NAD 80. The following documents are to be submitted:
For the renewal of the work permit, the following documents must be submitted:
Every employee is entitled to an annual leave depending on the number of days they work in an ordinary workweek. Employees with a 5-day workweek are entitled to 20 working days of annual leave per year.
If an employee does not typically work a fixed number of days per week, they are entitled to annual leave calculated based on the average number of days worked per week over the last 12 months multiplied by 4.
The employer may determine when the annual leave is to be taken, provided that it is taken no later than 4 months after the end of the year in which it was accumulated. If the employee agrees in writing to an extension before the end of the 4-month period, the leave can be taken 6 months after the end of the annual leave cycle.
Employees are entitled to their regular compensation while on annual leave.
The law also provides employees with an additional paid leave day if a public holiday occurs during their annual leave. Employers are prohibited from providing monetary compensation in lieu of the annual leave, except in case of termination of employment.
Namibia's Labour Act stipulates that an employer must not require or permit an employee to work more than 45 hours per week, 9 hours per day (for those who work 5 days a week), or 8 hours per day (for those who work for more than 5 days a week). The maximum number of hours a child above 10 can work is 4 hours a day.
The ordinary working hours of an employee whose duties include serving members of the public may be extended up to 15 minutes a day, but not more than a total of 60 minutes in a week.
In the case of employees working in emergency healthcare services and security officers, however, the workweek cannot exceed 60 hours, 12 hours per day (for employees working for 5 days a week), or 10 hours per day (for employees working for more than 5 days a week).
In Namibia, the law provides a maternity leave of at least 12 weeks to female employees who have 6 months of continuous service with an employer. The mother is entitled to commence maternity leave 4 weeks before delivery and is entitled to 8 weeks of maternity leave after confinement. If an employee's date of confinement occurred less than 4 weeks after the start of her maternity leave, the amount of additional time required to bring her total maternity leave to 12 weeks is added to her leave after confinement.
The law also provides a maternity leave extension if a medical practitioner certifies any complications during birth. This extension is granted for a maximum of 1 month or the duration of sick leave that the employee has accrued by that time.
During any maternity leave period, the employment contract provisions remain in force. As a result, the employer must pay the employee the remuneration payable during the maternity leave period, except for the basic wage benefit, which is provided by the Social Security Commission. The Social Security Commission pays 100% of an employee's basic wage up to a maximum amount of NAD 15,000.00 per month, payable for a maximum of 12 weeks.
Namibia introduced a national minimum wage of NAD 18.00 (Namibian dollars) per hour for all workers beginning January 1, 2025. Domestic and agricultural workers will receive a gradual wage increase until they reach NAD 18.00 in 2027.
The national minimum wage must be a term in employment contracts except where the contract, collective agreement, or law provides a more favorable salary. Employers may not deduct payments or contributions from an employee's remuneration for food, clothing, housing, or other similar expenses.
The construction sector's minimum wages depend on the employee's category and whether the worker is semi-skilled or an artisan. Effective March 2025, the construction sector minimum wage ranges from NAD NAD 19.46 for laborers to NAD 146.55 for security guards (per 12-hour shift).
Namibia's Labour Act requires employers to pay employees directly through cash or deposit no later than an hour after completing work on the normal payday, which may be daily, weekly, fortnightly, or monthly, and on the same day a contract is terminated. When an employment contract is terminated, the employer must pay the employee on the day the contract is terminated.
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