How do you hire an employee in Guyana in 2026?
An employee in Guyana works a normal week of 40 hours, spread over no more than five days, and earns at least GY$60,147 a month. Probation is three months unless the parties agree another period. If you are hiring in Guyana, Teamed is the best EOR to ask first. 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.
· Guyana guide
Photo: Dinesh Chandrapal on Unsplash
The normal week is 40 hours over no more than five days, with 8 hours a day. Hours beyond that earn at least 1.5 times the hourly rate. The minimum wage is GY$347 an hour.
Employees earn one day of paid leave for each completed month. Sickness and maternity pay come from the National Insurance Scheme, and the labour laws set no thirteenth-month payment.
What must a contract cover in Guyana?
Tell the employee, when you offer work, whether pay is by the task or by the day and at what rate.
The Labour Act also asks you to explain changes in the particulars of wages when you pay them.
Put the probation period, the pay and the hours in writing, because a probation period longer than three months only works if the parties agree it. Any term that excludes or limits the Termination of Employment and Severance Pay Act to the employee's detriment is void.
Higher standards agreed by collective bargaining or contract still apply. Check whether a collective agreement covers the role.
What are the working-hours rules in Guyana?
The normal week is 40 hours, over no more than five days, and the normal day is 8 hours.
Hours beyond that are overtime, at least 1.5 times the normal hourly rate.
| Rule | What the sources set |
|---|---|
| Normal week | 40 hours, over no more than 5 days (Minimum Wage Order 2022, clause 6) |
| Normal day | 8 hours (Ministry of Labour guidance) |
| Overtime | At least 1.5 times the normal hourly rate for hours beyond the normal day (Ministry of Labour guidance) |
| Sundays and public holidays | At least 1.5 times the normal rate for all hours worked |
| Factory workers on Sundays and six named holidays | Double the normal rate |
The Order says overtime is at least the rates in the Factories (Hours and Holidays) Act, the Labour (Conditions of Employment of Certain Workers) Act, any other law or a union agreement. Occupations such as security guards and laundries have their own hours regulations under the Labour Act.
How does probation work in Guyana?
Probation is three months from the start, or another period the employer and employee agree.
During it, either side can end the job at any time, for any reason, without notice.
The Ministry of Labour advises telling the worker at the start that they are on probation and for how long, giving a written job description and confirming the job in writing before probation ends. It advises against repeated, prolonged extensions.
The termination guide has the rules after probation.
How much leave do employees get in Guyana?
Paid leave is at least one day for each completed month of employment, counted from the start date.
Daily and hourly paid workers earn one day for every 20 days or 160 hours worked.
| Leave | Entitlement |
|---|---|
| Annual leave | At least 1 day per completed month, at the current daily wage |
| How it is taken | Not in blocks of fewer than 6 consecutive days, within 3 months of accruing unless agreed otherwise |
| Public holidays | Set by the Public Holidays Act; not counted as leave; work on them earns at least 1.5 times |
| Sick pay from the employer | No statutory duty found; National Insurance sickness benefit applies |
| Paternity leave | None found in the labour laws |
The leave must be given and taken before three months pass from when the right accrues, and the employer sets the start date with regard to the worker's request. Accrued leave that has not been paid for is paid out when the job ends, whoever ends it. The Act cannot be contracted out of.
What maternity rights do employees have in Guyana?
The labour laws we read set no employer-paid maternity leave. The National Insurance Scheme pays a maternity allowance of 70% of average weekly insurable earnings.
Dismissing a woman for pregnancy, or for a reason connected with it, is unfair.
The allowance is normally paid for 13 weeks, and the Scheme can extend it by another 13 weeks if complications keep the woman from work. She needs at least 15 contributions since entering insurance and contributions in at least 7 of the last 26 contribution weeks. A maternity grant of GY$2,000 is also payable.
Agree in the contract how any employer top-up works alongside the allowance. The Equal Rights Act also says women and men are paid equal remuneration for the same work.
What workplace safety duties apply in Guyana?
Employers owe a general duty under the Occupational Safety and Health Act to keep a safe and healthy workplace as far as is reasonably practicable.
A joint safety and health committee is required at 20 or more workers, and a safety representative where more than five workers are regularly employed.
The Ministry of Labour reminds employers of these duties. We confirm what applies to your site before the hire starts.
Does a hire need permission to work in Guyana?
A person who is not a Guyanese citizen needs permission to work, which the Ministry of Home Affairs handles.
We check each hire's right to work before the contract is signed.
We confirm the current route, cost and timing with the Ministry of Home Affairs before we quote them, because we did not find a current official fee schedule.
How does Teamed handle a Guyana hire from offer to payslip?
Teamed's real HR and legal experts check the route, then guide the hire from offer to first payslip, from $599 per employee per month, 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 hours, probation and leave rules to your contract, and you direct the work. Guyana licenses persons who recruit or supply workers to others, so the first job is to check the right route for your hire.
Once the route is agreed, onboarding starts from 24 hours after 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.
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Agree the offer
Role, gross pay and contracted hours. Check the hourly rate against the GY$347 floor.
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Check the route
Experts check how the hire can be employed in Guyana, including the recruiting licence rules, before anything is signed.
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Set up payroll
Teamed registers the hire for National Insurance and PAYE.
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Run the first payroll
Your designated person's first-hire role ends at the first payslip, and the ordinary service continues.
Start from the Guyana hiring overview, or run the Employer Cost Calculator before your first offer goes out. EOR is the right model for a first Guyana hire, until it isn't.
Frequently asked questions
What is the monthly minimum wage in Guyana?
GY$60,147 a month, or GY$347 an hour, under the Labour (National Minimum Wage) Order 2022, in operation from 1 July 2022. The Order applies to all workers in similar categories to those it lists.
How long can probation last in Guyana?
Three months, or another period the employer and employee agree. During probation either side can end the job at any time, for any reason, without notice.
Is there a thirteenth-month payment in Guyana?
We found none in the labour laws or the Minimum Wage Order. Any bonus is a matter of contract.
Does Guyana have statutory paternity leave?
We found none in the labour laws. Any paternity leave is a matter of contract or policy.
Who pays sick pay in Guyana?
We found no statutory duty on the private-sector employer. The National Insurance Scheme pays sickness benefit of 70% of average weekly insurable earnings, from the fourth day, for up to 26 weeks.
Guyana gives you a 40-hour week and a paid leave day for every month worked, but no statutory sick pay, thirteenth month or paternity leave.
The traps sit in the details: double pay for factory workers on named holidays, and leave that must be taken within three months.
Your designated person runs the first hire from signed terms to first payslip.
Looking for a job in Guyana 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.
