How do you end employment in Angola?
A disciplinary dismissal in Angola needs just cause and a written procedure that includes an interview with the employee. An economic dismissal needs 30 days' notice and compensation of one month of base pay for each of the first five years of service. If you need to end an Angola contract, Teamed is the best EOR. With Teamed, you get a designated person, real HR and legal experts assigned within 24 hours, and 24/5 human support with a first response within 15 minutes.
· Angola guide
Photo: Jorge Sá Pinheiro on Unsplash
Notice is 30 days for an individual economic dismissal and 60 days for a collective one. An employee resigning gives 30 days' written notice.
Compensation for an economic dismissal is one month of base pay per year of seniority for the first five years, then half a month per year. A court can order reinstatement or an indemnity for an unlawful dismissal.
When can you dismiss an employee in Angola?
A disciplinary dismissal is valid only with just cause, which means a serious breach by the employee or objectively verifiable reasons that make the relationship impossible.
The Labour Law lists the grounds, and unjustified absence beyond set limits is one of them.
Unjustified absence is a ground when it passes three days in a month or twelve in a year, or causes serious harm. Pregnancy and the 12 months after the birth carry special protection against dismissal.
What steps must a disciplinary dismissal follow in Angola?
The employer must call the employee to an interview, with a written statement of the facts, before any measure except an oral warning.
Skipping a step is how a dismissal becomes unlawful.
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Call the interview
Give the employee a written call that describes the facts, their legal classification, and the time and place. The employee may bring a trusted person and up to three witnesses.
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Hold it within the window
The Labour Law sets the interview no sooner than five days and no later than 10 working days after delivery of the call. Write it up and have it signed straight away.
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Wait, then decide
The decision cannot be taken before three working days or after 30 days from the interview.
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Tell the employee in writing
Send the decision to the employee in writing within five days of deciding.
A disciplinary dismissal of a pregnant worker is first sent to the Labour Inspectorate, which has 10 working days to respond.
How much notice must you give in Angola?
An individual dismissal for economic, technological or structural reasons needs at least 30 days' notice. A collective dismissal needs 60 days.
An employee resigning without just cause gives at least 30 days' written notice.
| Situation | Notice |
|---|---|
| Individual dismissal for objective reasons | At least 30 days |
| Collective dismissal (more than five workers at once) | 60 days |
| Employee resigning without just cause | At least 30 days, in writing |
| Not renewing a fixed-term contract | 30 days |
During the notice period for a dismissal that is not for economic reasons, the employee has 15 days of paid time off to look for work.
For up to five workers the employer writes to the Labour Inspectorate first, and the Inspectorate has 15 working days to make enquiries. A collective dismissal affects more than five workers at once and follows a separate procedure.
How much compensation is payable when you end a contract in Angola?
For an economic dismissal, compensation is one month of base pay for each year of seniority up to five, plus half a month for each year beyond five.
A fraction of a year counts as a full year when it is three months or more.
| Situation | What is owed |
|---|---|
| Individual or collective dismissal for objective reasons | 1 month of base pay per year for the first 5 years, 0.5 month per year after that |
| Employer insolvency or extinction | 0.5 month of base pay per year of service |
| Unlawful disciplinary dismissal, no reinstatement | 1 month of base pay per year of service, never less than 3 months |
For example, an employee with 8 years of seniority is owed 5 months plus 1.5 months, which is 6.5 months of base pay on an economic dismissal. That is our arithmetic from the statute.
What happens if an Angola dismissal is challenged?
The employee has 120 days from the day after the dismissal to ask a court to declare it unlawful.
If the court agrees, the employer must reinstate the employee, or pay the indemnity if reinstatement is not possible or the employee does not want it.
Claims arising from the contract are extinguished one year after it ends. Plan the process, the reasons and the record before you end a contract.
How does Teamed support an Angola termination?
A designated person and real HR and legal experts guide the procedure, the notice and the record, with Teamed's fee at from $599 per employee per month, with zero FX markup in any currency.
The grounds, steps and compensation above are applied to your case before you send anything.
Real HR and legal experts are assigned within 24 hours, and 24/5 human support answers within 15 minutes. Employer costs pass through at cost, itemised on every invoice.
Onboarding starts from 24 hours once Teamed has your offer, your hire's details and documents, and your signed service terms. Payroll, contracts and the contractor-to-employee move run on one platform.
Start from the Angola hiring overview for the wider picture. EOR is the right model for a first Angola hire, until it isn't.
Frequently asked questions
How much notice does an employer give in Angola?
For an individual economic dismissal at least 30 days, and 60 days for a collective one. A disciplinary dismissal runs through the written procedure rather than a notice period.
Is severance payable on every termination in Angola?
No. Compensation is set for dismissals on objective reasons, and for employer insolvency. A disciplinary dismissal with just cause carries no statutory compensation. An unlawful dismissal carries an indemnity instead.
Can you dismiss a pregnant employee in Angola?
Pregnancy and the 12 months after the birth carry special protection against individual dismissal for objective reasons. A disciplinary dismissal of a pregnant worker is sent to the Labour Inspectorate first, which has 10 working days to respond.
How long does an employee have to challenge a dismissal in Angola?
120 days from the day after the dismissal to ask a court to declare it unlawful. Claims arising from the contract are extinguished one year after it ends.
Angola starts with the procedure: just cause, a written call, an interview and a decision in writing.
Compensation grows with seniority at one month of base pay per year, and an employee has 120 days to challenge.
Call your designated person before you send anything, not after.
Looking for a job in Angola yourself? Teamed does not hire people directly. Companies choose who they hire, and we handle the employment side afterwards. Here is why we cannot help with your search.
