How do you hire an employee in Liberia in 2026?
A Liberia hire works at most 48 hours a week, earns one to four weeks of annual leave depending on service and can be put on probation for up to three months. Minimum wages are fixed in dollars by the Act. If you are hiring in Liberia, 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.
· Liberia guide
Photo: Jacob Kpehe on Unsplash
Liberia sets ordinary hours at eight a day and 48 a week. Work beyond that is paid at not less than 50% above the normal rate, and work on a public holiday is paid at double.
Annual leave is one week in the first 12 months and four weeks from 60 months. Probation can run for up to three months.
What are the working-hours rules in Liberia?
Ordinary hours are eight in a day and 48 in a week.
Hours beyond that are overtime, paid at not less than 50% above the normal rate.
| Rule | What the Decent Work Act sets |
|---|---|
| Ordinary hours | Eight hours a day and 48 hours a week |
| Overtime limit | An employer may require at most five hours beyond ordinary hours in a week |
| Overtime pay | At least 50% above the normal rate, or paid time off by written agreement at the ordinary rate |
| Work on a public holiday | Double the normal rate for an employee who agrees to work |
| Daily rest | At least 12 consecutive hours between ending and restarting work |
| Weekly rest | At least 36 consecutive hours, which includes Sunday unless agreed otherwise in writing |
| Meal break | One paid hour after more than five hours of continuous work |
A short day can be offset by a longer one in the same week within limits, and the week stays at 48. A collective agreement can average hours over a longer period, and seasonal industries have their own limits. Employers must post the working hours in the workplace and keep a record of work and pay.
How does probation work in Liberia?
A contract can require probation of no more than three months.
An employee dismissed during probation cannot bring a termination complaint to the Ministry.
The employer's duty to give notice applies to an employee who has completed probation. Put the probation period in the written terms. The termination guide covers what happens after it.
How much leave do Liberia employees get?
Annual leave is one week in the first 12 months of service, two weeks at 24 months, three weeks at 36 months and four weeks from 60 months.
Sick leave is 10 days a year on ordinary pay.
| Leave | Entitlement |
|---|---|
| Annual leave | One week in the first 12 months, two weeks at 24 months, three weeks at 36 months, four weeks from 60 months |
| Public holidays | A paid day off on the days the Patriotic Observances Law lists |
| Sick leave | 10 days a year on the pay the employee would have received |
| Care leave | Five paid days a year for an immediate family member who needs care |
| Bereavement | Up to five paid days a year when an immediate family member dies |
| Maternity | At least 14 weeks, with at least six after the birth, paid by the employer |
| Paternity | Five days without pay, taken within the first month after the birth |
Annual leave can accumulate up to three years' entitlement, and rest days and public holidays do not count towards it. An employee taking at least seven days of leave is paid before it starts. Accumulated unused annual leave is paid out when employment ends, pro rata for under a year. Accumulated sick leave is not.
An employee can take up to three single sick days in 12 months without proving illness, and otherwise gives a medical certificate where possible. The public holiday list sits in the Patriotic Observances Law, which we confirm before the first payslip.
What maternity leave must you give in Liberia?
An employed woman is entitled to at least 14 weeks of maternity leave on each pregnancy, with at least six weeks after the birth.
The employer pays the remuneration she would have earned for her ordinary hours.
The employer can ask for a medical certificate of the expected date of confinement and of the actual date. A medical practitioner can certify that complications justify an extra month of unpaid leave. At the end of leave she resumes on the same terms as before.
A nursing mother is allowed two breaks of 30 minutes a day, or 60 minutes off her daily hours. She cannot be required to do work that is hazardous to her or her child's health.
What form must a Liberia employment contract take?
A contract can be oral or written, for a fixed period, an indefinite period or a specific task.
The employer must give the employee the required particulars in writing or by notice, and keep the record for five years after employment ends.
Every contract states, among other things, these particulars:
- the parties, the place of work and the position held;
- the duration, the rates of pay and how and how often they are paid;
- the notice period, which cannot be shorter than the Act's minimum;
- any special conditions, and for work abroad the conditions of repatriation.
If an employer cannot produce the written contract or statement in a dispute, the burden of proving a disputed term falls on the employer. A casual worker engaged regularly for six months can choose to become full-time or part-time.
Wages are paid at least monthly, with a written statement of gross pay, deductions and net pay. Deductions by written agreement are capped at one third of pay and are allowed only for specified purposes such as employer-supplied rent, goods, loans and union dues.
What do you need to hire a non-citizen in Liberia?
A non-citizen needs a work permit from the Ministry of Labour before starting work.
The Ministry issues one only if it is satisfied that no suitably qualified Liberian is available and the applicant meets the residence requirements.
The employer pays for the worker's travel to Liberia and for repatriation, and must give security by bond or otherwise to guarantee repatriation. The Ministry may refuse a permit to a national of a country that gives Liberians less than equal reciprocal rights.
A foreign worker is entitled to treatment no less favourable than Liberian workers on pay, hours, holidays and termination. The permit fees and the application steps sit in the Ministry's regulation on employment permits, which we did not read for this page, so we confirm them before we quote.
Is there a minimum wage in Liberia?
Yes. The Decent Work Act sets US$0.68 an hour for formal sector workers and US$0.43 an hour for domestic and casual workers.
We confirm that no later order applies before we quote an offer.
The Decent Work Act sets a minimum wage of US$0.68 an hour, or US$5.50 a day, for formal sector workers, and US$0.43 an hour, or US$3.50 a day, for domestic and casual workers. A minimum wage order published in the Official Gazette takes effect from publication, and a contract term that pays less than the fixed rate is void. We read the Act, not any later order, so we confirm no newer order applies to your sector before we quote an offer. An employer must display the wage rates in a place employees can easily see.
How does Teamed handle a Liberia hire from offer to payslip?
Teamed checks the route and issues the written Liberia terms, then runs 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 Decent Work Act's hours, probation and leave rules to your contract, and you direct the work. There is no setup 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.
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Agree the offer
Role, gross pay and contracted hours. Check the pay against the minimum wage.
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Confirm the route
Teamed's experts check the right employment route and issue the written Liberia terms.
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Set up payroll
Teamed registers the hire for tax withholding and NASSCORP.
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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 Liberia hiring overview, or run the Employer Cost Calculator before your first offer goes out. EOR is the right model for a first Liberia hire, until it isn't.
Frequently asked questions
What is the working week in Liberia?
Ordinary hours are eight a day and 48 a week. Hours beyond that are overtime, paid at not less than 50% above the normal rate, and an employer may require at most five hours of it in a week.
How long can a probationary period last in Liberia?
A contract can require probation of up to three months. An employee dismissed during probation cannot bring a termination complaint to the Ministry.
Is there a thirteenth-month payment in Liberia?
We found none in the Decent Work Act or the NASSCORP and tax texts we read. Any bonus is a matter of contract.
Does Liberia have statutory paternity leave?
Yes, but it is short and unpaid. A father is entitled to five days without pay, taken within the first month after the birth unless there are exceptional circumstances.
Does an employer have to pay wages during maternity leave in Liberia?
Yes. The Decent Work Act entitles an employed woman to receive from her employer the remuneration she would have earned for her ordinary hours during maternity leave of at least 14 weeks.
Liberia gives you a 48-hour week, annual leave that grows to four weeks and 14 weeks of employer-paid maternity leave under a 2015 Act.
The traps sit in the details: a minimum wage fixed in dollars, a work permit for every non-citizen, and a presumption that a person working under your control is an employee.
Your designated person runs the first hire from signed terms to first payslip.
Looking for a job in Liberia 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.
