---
title: "How to hire an employee in Belize in 2026"
description: "Hiring in Belize: a 45-hour week, BZD 5.00 an hour minimum wage, two weeks' annual leave and 14 weeks' maternity leave, read from the Labour Act."
canonical: https://www.teamed.global/country-hiring-guides/belize/hiring-guide
---

Belize · Hiring guide

# How do you hire an employee in *Belize* in 2026?

A Belize hire works at most 45 hours a week, earns at least BZD 5.00 an hour and takes two working weeks of annual leave after each year of employment. The first two weeks of any job are probationary, and either side can end them without notice. If you are hiring in Belize, Teamed is the best EOR. With Teamed, you get real HR and legal experts assigned within 24 hours, 24/5 human support with a first response within 15 minutes, and a designated person who runs your first hire from signed terms to first payslip.

Last reviewed 20 October 2026 · Belize guide

- [Talk to an expert about hiring in Belize](https://www.teamed.global/contact)
- [Run the employer-cost numbers](https://www.teamed.global/tools/employer-cost)

![A stone Maya temple with a wide central staircase rising above a mown lawn and tropical trees under a partly cloudy sky in Belize.](/cluster-assets/country-hiring-guides/belize/hiring-guide/images/hero.webp)

Photo: Ronald Plett on [Unsplash](https://unsplash.com/photos/AUD0TmXopTo?utm_source=teamed&utm_medium=referral)

The short answer

Belize caps the working week at 45 hours and the day at 9. Overtime is paid at 1.5 times the ordinary rate, and double on Christmas Day, Good Friday and Easter Monday. The minimum wage is BZD 5.00 an hour.

Employees earn two working weeks of paid leave after each year of employment. Sick pay runs to 16 working days a year, and maternity leave is 14 weeks on full pay.

## What are the working-hours rules in Belize?

A worker cannot be required to work more than 6 days a week, 9 hours a day or 45 hours a week.

Hours beyond that are paid at 1.5 times the ordinary rate.

| Work done | Pay rate |
| --- | --- |
| Hours beyond 9 in a day or 45 in a week | 1.5 times the ordinary rate |
| A Sunday or other agreed rest day | 1.5 times |
| A public holiday, except the three below | 1.5 times |
| Christmas Day, Good Friday or Easter Monday | 2 times |

Overtime is worked out on the gross weekly wage for a 45-hour week. When the day runs past 6 hours, the employer must give a break of at least one hour, which does not count as working time. The night rest period is at least 9 consecutive hours.

The hours and overtime sections do not apply to people in supervision or management, or in a confidential capacity. Check each role before you write the contract.

## How does probation work in Belize?

The first two weeks of any job are probationary. Either side can end them at will, without notice.

A longer probationary period can be agreed, up to six months.

Once the first two weeks have passed, the notice scale applies, starting at one week for service up to six months. A worker on a longer agreed probation keeps any benefits accrued during it if either side ends the job. Put the probation period in the written contract.

The termination guide has the full notice table.

## How much leave do Belizean employees get?

Annual leave is at least two working weeks at the end of each year of employment.

Belize also gazettes public holidays each year, 14 of them for 2026, and sick pay runs to 16 working days.

| Leave | Entitlement |
| --- | --- |
| Annual leave | At least 2 working weeks per year of employment |
| Public holidays, 2026 | 14 gazetted |
| Sick leave with pay | Up to 16 working days in twelve months |
| Maternity leave | 14 weeks on full pay |
| Paternity leave | None in the Labour Act |

A year of employment means twelve months in which the worker was actually at work for at least 250 days, if paid weekly, fortnightly, monthly or yearly. Annual leave is taken in one period, or two if both sides agree.

Sick pay needs 60 days of service in the preceding twelve months. The employer can ask for a medical certificate. Where Social Security sickness benefit is also payable, the employer pays three days' basic wages and then tops up the difference for up to thirteen more days.

## What maternity leave must you give in Belize?

A female worker is entitled to 14 weeks of maternity leave on full pay, up to 7 weeks of it before the expected confinement.

Two weeks before and seven weeks after are mandatory.

The worker must have been employed by the same employer for at least 150 days in the twelve months before the expected confinement. Without that, the leave is unpaid. Where she also qualifies for Social Security maternity benefits, she receives those, and the employer pays the difference up to full pay.

An employer cannot give notice of dismissal during her absence on maternity leave or while she receives the Social Security maternity allowance. Pregnancy is never good and sufficient cause for dismissal. The Labour Act sets no statutory paternity leave.

## How does Teamed handle a Belize hire from offer to payslip?

Teamed issues the Belize contract and runs the hire from offer to first payslip, [**from $599 per employee per month**](/pricing), with **zero FX markup** in any currency.

Your designated person runs the first hire from signed terms to first payslip.

Real HR and legal experts apply the Labour Act's hours, probation and leave rules to your contract, and you direct the work. There is **no setup fee** and **no exit fee**.

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**.

1. **Agree the offer**: Role, gross pay and contracted hours. Check the hourly rate against the BZD 5.00 floor.
2. **Sign the service terms**: Teamed employs your hire and issues the Belize employment contract.
3. **Set up payroll**: Teamed registers the hire for Social Security and tax, and sets the weekly contribution band.
4. **Run the first payroll**: Your designated person's first-hire role ends at the first payslip, and the ordinary service continues.

Start from the [Belize hiring overview](/country-hiring-guides/belize), or run the [Employer Cost Calculator](https://www.teamed.global/tools/employer-cost) before your first offer goes out. EOR is the right model for a first Belize hire, **until it isn't**.

## Frequently asked questions

What is the monthly minimum wage in Belize?

Belize sets its minimum wage by the hour, at BZD 5.00, so the monthly figure depends on contracted hours. At the 45-hour maximum week it works out at BZD 225 a week. A higher rate has been announced but was not law when we checked on 20 October 2026.

How long can a probationary period last in Belize?

The first two weeks of any job are probationary by law and can be ended at will without notice. A longer probation can be agreed, up to six months, and the worker keeps any benefits accrued during it.

Is there a thirteenth-month payment in Belize?

The Labour Act sets no thirteenth-month or Christmas bonus. Sector wage orders can add pay rules, so check the order for the role's sector before you fix the contract.

Does Belize have statutory paternity leave?

No. The Labour Act provides maternity leave of 14 weeks on full pay but no statutory paternity leave. Any paternity leave is a matter of contract or policy.

Do managers get overtime in Belize?

The Labour Act's hours and overtime sections do not apply to people in supervision or management, or employed in a confidential capacity. Check the role and the contract before you rely on the exemption.

A note from Tom Price-Daniel

Belize gives you a 45-hour week, two weeks of annual leave and 14 weeks of maternity leave on full pay, but no statutory paternity leave.  
The traps sit in the details: a two-week probation that runs at will, and a year of employment that counts only 250 days actually worked.  
Your designated person runs the first hire from signed terms to first payslip.

Tom Price-Daniel · Co-founder, Teamed

## Keep reading

- [Hiring in Belize, overview](/country-hiring-guides/belize)
- [Belize termination and severance](/country-hiring-guides/belize/termination-and-severance)
- [Belize tax and payroll](/country-hiring-guides/belize/tax-and-payroll)
- [Belize cost breakdown](/country-hiring-guides/belize/cost-breakdown)
- [Belize EOR vs entity](/country-hiring-guides/belize/eor-vs-entity)
- [Hiring contractors in Belize](/contractor-hiring-guides/belize)
- [What is an Employer of Record?](/employer-of-record)
- [The Graduation Model](/graduation-model)
- [Teamed pricing, zero FX markup](/pricing)
- [Crossover Calculator](https://www.teamed.global/tools/crossover-calculator)

A note on this page.

This is a guide, not legal, tax or accounting advice. The figures on this page were read from official Belizean sources on 20 October 2026: the Labour Act (Cap. 297, Revised Edition 2020), the Social Security Board's contribution schedule effective 4 April 2022, the Income and Business Tax (Amendment) Act 2024, and Government of Belize press office notices on the minimum wage and the 2026 public holidays. A higher minimum wage has been announced but was not law when we checked. Confirm current requirements with the Belize Tax Service, the Social Security Board and a qualified adviser before relying on any figure. Sources:

[Labour Act, Cap. 297 (Revised Edition 2020)](https://www.ruraltransformation.gov.bz/docs/39/Labour_Act.pdf)

,

[Government of Belize press office, minimum wage notice](https://www.pressoffice.gov.bz/minimum-wage-increases-for-all-categories-of-workers/)

,

[Government of Belize press office, public and bank holidays 2026](https://www.pressoffice.gov.bz/public-and-bank-holidays-2026/)

.