Ghana

Learn about labor and talent compliance norms in Ghana the with this quick guide.

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Overview

Ghana is classified as a middle-income economy wherein the services industry accounts for about 45% of the GDP, followed by the manufacturing industry that accounts for 27.74%. The country’s economic condition is expected to grow further by 5.3% at the end of 2022.

Major economic hubs:

Accra, Kumasi, Tamale, Cape Coast

Skills in demand :

Data Science And Analytics, Programming, Graphic Design

Employing in Ghana

Before entering the talent pool in Ghana, an employer must first iron out the details on the country’s employment rules and regulations. Below are some information to help them with the onboarding process.

Employee Contract

Employment contracts in Ghana are written in English. According to the Ghana Labor law, the employer has to mention details of the job role, leaves, bonuses, allowances and hours of work along with the overtime pay on the contract.

General Components of Salary Package in Ghana

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 Ghana include:

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Public and Provincial Holidays

Employee Leaves

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Taxes

Resident Tax Information

ll resident individuals are taxed on their worldwide income, including employment,  business, or investment income. Resident individuals are also taxed on their foreign sourced income.  However, non-residents are taxed on their income in Ghana.  

Income tax rates for residents include —

Non-resident individuals pay a flat rate of 25%.

Social Security

Contribution toward social security in Ghana is mandatory. Therefore, employers must  ensure that employee contributions are deducted as a part of the payroll process. The social security contributions are below –

Statutory Benefits

The Ghanaian labor laws provide for a number of mandatory leaves that employers must offer their employees. The statutory benefits in Ghana include —

1. mandatory social security contributions by both employers and employees ensure that all individuals in Ghana receive pension benefits at the time of their retirement.

2. Employees are entitled to paid statutory leaves, which include –

  • Annual leaves
  • Public holidays
  • Maternity leaves
  • Childcare leaves
  • Adoption leaves

3. The Ghanaian government has set the standard working hours at forty per week with a five day workweek (employees can Pan maximum of eight). However, there are some exceptions to this rule including cases where an employee's request for more time off is granted or if they're employed by larger companies who have offices outside of Accra.

Overtime pay in such cases is 150% of an employee’s regular pay.  

Fringe Benefits

Employers commonly provide fringe benefits that do not form a part of an employee’s compensation. Fringe benefits are provided to an employee in addition to their regular salary.  

Commonly offered fringe benefits include –

  • Meal vouchers
  • Flexible working hours
  • Commuting expenses
  • Company equipment such as mobile phones and laptops/desktops
  • 13th-month pay or holiday bonus

Exempt Benefits

There are certain benefits that an employee working in Ghana can claim —

  • Social security contributions
  • Insurance premiums
  • Donations amounts
  • Personal allowances up to GHS 3,828

Long-term Incentives

The best way for an employer to show their appreciation of hard work and dedication is through long-term benefits. Employees will often be rewarded with company specific goals, such as stock options or other forms of equity ownership that provide incentives over time horizons greater than one year when they achieve certain performance milestones within the business unit/organization where employed.

Commonly offered long-term incentives in Ghana include —

  • Private health insurance covers and additional dental cover
  • Employer-sponsored pension plans
  • performance-linked bonuses
  • Employee stock options for key employees

Termination/Severance in Ghana

Termination Process

The Termination process is based on type of contract and reason for termination. Termination can be done through written notice by either party given proper reasoning. Below are some examples of improper termination, If the employee

  • Intends to join a trade union
  • Is pregnant or is absent due to maternity leave
  • Is terminated for the reason of race or religion
  • Is disabled
  • Is forced to terminate due to inappropriate action of the employer after lodging multiple harassment complaints

Notice Period

The Notice period for Ghanaian employees can be up to one month.

Severance Pay

There is a provision for redundancy pay subject to negotiation between the employer and the worker or trade union. In case of dismissals for non economic reasons, there is no severance pay.

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