Fiji

Fiji is known to be a developing country in the Pacific Islands and is considered to be a middle income nation. Their main economic sectors are agriculture and tourism. Indigenous Fijians are responsible for 18% of their GDP through subsistence farming, where they cultivate crops like taro, cocoa, banana, cassava, and etc. Commercially, they export sugar and have a huge market in the European Union countries.

Major economic hubs:

Suva, Lautoka, Nadi, Labasa

Skills in demand:

Agriculture Skills, Tourism Skills

Knowing the labor laws in Fiji is the first step to employing local employees in the country. Below are some areas that employers must delve into before taking in Fijian workers:

Employee Contract

The language used in a written Fijian employment contract is English. It is also the preferred medium in business, government and educational documents.

Probation Period

The employee probationary period in Fiji is at the employer’s discretion. However, it should be in agreement with the local labor laws.

General Components of Salary Package in Fiji  

Salaries are one way companies recognize and reward their employees for working hard. Salaries may include both monetary benefits like pay rates, bonuses or profit sharing agreements as well as non-monetary rewards such as health care plans with no deductibles that come straight out of your paycheck every month.

The general components of remuneration in Fiji include –

Resident Tax Information

The residents of Fiji are taxed on their worldwide income, but they may be eligible for foreign tax credits if the money was earned in certain countries.

The income taxes for residents of Fiji are below —

Social Security

The contribution that both employers and employees pay toward social security is a mandatory requirement in Fiji.                                          

The rate of contributions are as below —

Statutory Benefits

The employee benefits that an employer must provide their employees in Fiji include -

• A regular workweek in Fiji is forty-eight hours. Any additional hours worked by employees are considered overtime. The overtime pay differs based on different industries.

• Contributions toward social security

• Statutory leaves
  

Fringe Benefits

In Fiji, fringes benefits are given to employees. These can be either monetary or non-monetary depending on the business requirements and budgets set for providing them as well as what goals one might want their company reach through this practice of offering perks that help attract quality staff members who will work hard towards achieving those objectives.

• Housing benefits
• 13th-month pay
• Gym membership
• Meal vouchers
• Additional paid time off
• Flexible working hours
• Company vehicle
• Commuting expenses

Exempt Benefits

Charitable contributions made to approved organizations by individuals up to FJD 100,000 are exempt.

Long-term Incentives

Long-term incentives are commonly offered for over twelve months. Employers offer long

term incentives as a part of the strategic plan to attract talent.  

Commonly offered long-term incentives in Fiji include –

1. Employee stock options to key employees

2. Private insurance covers that include health insurance and life insurance

3. Dental covers

4. Performance-linked incentives

Termination Process

An employer may terminate an employee by giving one month’s written notice or any other notice period as agreed by them mutually in the employment agreement. However, in the event of summary dismissal, no notice is required.

Notice Period

The notice period in Fiji is generally up to one month.

Severance Pay

A sum equal to and not less than 5/6th of a day’s wages for each completed month of the period of employment.