Cote d’Ivoire

Cote d’Ivoire PEO & Employer of Record

WeHG provides an International PEO and global Employer of Record service in Cote d’Ivoire to companies willing to enter the Cote d’Ivoire market or hire local/expat job-seekers in this country.

Common approach requires establishing a subsidiary in Cote d’Ivoire.  However, our solution allows you to start the operations in Cote d’Ivoire within days hence save time and money.  WeHG would hire candidates on the side of you while you keep full operational control of their work. So legally they would be our employees, on our local payroll, 100% compliant but will work on your behalf.

Cote d’Ivoire fast facts

Population, million: 26
Land area: 322,463 km²
Capital: Yamoussoukro (de jure), Abidjan (de facto)
Local currency: West African CFA franc (XOF)

GDP per capita:$ 5,360
GDP in currency:$ 144.497 billion

Côte d’Ivoire, country located on the coast of western Africa. The de facto capital is Abidjan; the administrative capital designate (since 1983) is Yamoussoukro. Côte d’Ivoire is bounded to the north by Mali and Burkina Faso, to the east by Ghana, to the south by the Gulf of Guinea, to the southwest by Liberia, and to the northwest by Guinea.

Hiring, Negotiating and Doing Business in Cote d’Ivoire

Necessity of written employment contract

A contract or an employment offer in writting which has to be endorsed by the AGEPE (Agence d’etudes et de la promotion de l’emploi). A contract of employment may be concluded for a specified or unspecified period and may contain a probationary period, the duration of which must be stated in writing.

Different forms of engagement: employment, contracting, work with private entrepreneur

Like any other country, the Ivory Coast has a specific process for foreign nationals who wish to enter the country for various purposes. The main types of visas are as follows:

  • Short-term visa: valid for up to three months
  • Long stay visa: valid for a maximum of one year
  • Work contract visa: validity depends on the duration of the work contract

As the name suggests, the work contract visa is the appropriate choice for foreign employees who will live in Côte d’Ivoire and work for your company.

If your company plans to send foreign employees to the Ivory Coast for a short period of time for business purposes, such as a conference or training seminar, the application process is somewhat different. These workers will need a short-term visa. They can complete an online application for a Côte d’Ivoire eVisa for business purposes. Applicants for an eVisa will receive an email confirmation of their approval, and their visa can be picked up upon arrival in Côte d’Ivoire.

Cote d’Ivoire Employment Contract

Types of employment agreements

There are two types of working Contracts in Côte d’Ivoire. Fixed term contracts where the term is specified in advance, with the agreement of both parties, and Open ended Contracts where the term is dependant on a future element whose advent terminates the contract or where the term is not specified in advance. All contracts of more than three months must be stamped by a Work Inspector.

Chile working hours

By law, the maximum number of working days per week is 6 and there is a 37.5% premium for night work (of hourly pay), while no premium is due for work on weekly rest days. Finally, 23.8% is the premium for overtime work.

Overtime

23.8% is the premium for overtime work.

Vacation leave in Cote d’Ivoire

According to Articles 25.5 to 25.11 of the Ivorian Labor Code and 71 of the Ivorian Collective Convention, employee’s annual leave may be divided, with the employee’s agreement, for periods of at least 14 days.

The paid annual leave for a worker with 1 year of tenure is 26.4 working days, while for a worker with 5 years of tenure is 27.4, for a worker with 10 years of tenure is 28.4 and the paid annual leave (as average for workers with 1, 5 and 10 years of tenure) is 27.4 working days.

An employee is entitled to have several days off from work depending on the length of his/her work tenure and in particular:

  • For 1 year of tenure: 26.4 days off/year
  • For 5 year of tenure: 27.4 days off/year
  • For 10 year of tenure: 28.4 days off/year

Cote d’Ivoire Maternity Leave

Maternity leave must be equal or more than 98 calendar days and the wage must be fully corresponded.

Cote d’Ivoire Severance Laws

A contract of employment can terminate, at the initiative of the employee, in certain circumstances, namely:

  • the expiration of a fixed-term contract;
  • mutual agreement;
  • major force.

When an employee, signed with an open-ended contract for a specified period and for the temporary replacement of a worker, has been working for at least 6 months in the company, he/she can terminate the contract unilaterally.

By law, a contract binding a probationary period, can be terminated without notice and entitlement to compensation by either of the parties. If the employer does not inform his/her employees of the renewal of such contract within the prescribed time limits, the probationary period will continue until the date originally agreed.

When supported by a valid reason, a contract of employment with indeterminate duration may be terminated at any time by the employer. The following reasons, however, do not apply for termination of employment contracts:

  • sex;
  • age;
  • national extraction;
  • race;
  • religion;
  • political opinion;
  • social origin;
  • membership or non-membership in a trade union;
  • participation in trade union activities.

The dismissal will be considered to be of economic nature, when an employer dismisses an employee because of:

  • job dislocations and operational changes, as a consequence of a corporate restructuring;
  • economic distress, that can compromise the corporate operations and its financial equilibrium.

When deciding to terminate a contract, the employer must state his/her intentions in writing and must always notify the employee within the prescribed periods of notice. The only exception when a contract of employment of indeterminate duration can be terminated without notice is in the case of gross misconduct and its seriousness will be evaluated by the competent court.

  • Severance pay for redundancy dismissal for a worker with 1 year of tenure is 1.3;
  • Severance pay for redundancy dismissal for a worker with 5 years of tenure is 6.5;
  • Severance pay for redundancy dismissal for a worker with 10 years of tenure is 14.1;
  • Severance pay for redundancy dismissal (average for workers with 1, 5 and 10 years of tenure) is 7.3.

Cote d’Ivoire Tax

When working in Ivory Coast under a permanent contract, many employers will handle taxes under the PAYE (pay-as-you-earn) system. This means that employers calculate and process taxes in Ivory Coast for employees and then send them a net wage. Income tax, public health insurance, social security and other deductions will all be covered by this payment.

Employers Social Security and statutory contributions:

  • 17.35%, calculated on gross income

Employees Social Security and statutory contributions: 3.2%, calculated on gross income

Health Insurance Benefits in Cote d’Ivoire

By law, 5 fully paid days of sick leave a year are guaranteed to all employees.

Additional Benefits in Cote d’Ivoire

You should also give out supplemental benefits that will encourage employees to stay with your company. For example, Côte d’Ivoire’s health care system charges all citizens over five more than 1,000 CFA francs for low-cost treatment. Although it’s not required, you could source a private health care plan for employees or give them a stipend to find their own insurance.

Many countries choose to provide a 13th- or 14th-month bonus. Côte d’Ivoire does not require yearly or performance-based bonuses, but you can choose to provide one to show employees that they’re appreciated. Once you decide on any additional benefits you want to provide, you should add them to your employment contract.

Côte d’Ivoire’s compensation laws include a minimum wage that varies by occupation. The minimum wage was last changed in 1994, and the lowest rate is 36,607 CFA francs per month for workers in the industrial sector. Construction workers make a slightly higher rate, and any collective bargaining agreements (CBAs) could also change the amount you have to pay employees.

The Ivory Coast’s Labor Code requires employers to pay employees directly or indirectly using cash or in kind. If employees work 40 hours a week, they should get paid 12 times a year, or once each month.

General market practice benefits/additional allowances

The Ivoirian market offers a number of opportunities as well as challenges.  The Ivoirian economy, the largest economy in francophone Sub-Saharan Africa, is one of the fastest growing on the continent.  Having recovered from a decade of instability and political crisis in the previous decade, the country has seen seven years of growth averaging eight percent and the favorable growth is projected to continue.

Perhaps best known as the world’s leading cocoa exporter, Côte d’Ivoire also exports cashews, coffee, palm oil, cotton, and rubber, making it the 4th largest  exporter of goods in sub-Saharan Africa behind South Africa, Nigeria, and Angola.  The development of new gold mines in recent years in the central and northern areas of the country has also contributed to national economic growth.

Côte d’Ivoire has a relatively well-developed energy and road infrastructure but has tremendous needs translating to more commercial opportunities. Abidjan, the country’s economic capital, is rapidly expanding its port and airport in order to serve as a major regional hub.  The national airline Air Côte d’Ivoire offers direct flights to most West African capitals.

Cote d’Ivoire Holidays

There’re 14 public holidays in Cote d’Ivoire:

  • New Year
  • Easter Monday
  • Labor Day
  • Day After Laila tou-Kadr
  • Ascension Day
  • Aid el-Fitr
  • Whit Monday
  • Aid el-Kebir
  • Independence Day
  • Assumption of Mary
  • The Day After Prophet’s Birthday
  • All Saints Day
  • National Peace Day
  • Christmas Day

Why Choose WeHireGlobally

WeHG takes care of all the onboarding hurdles, payroll, compensation and benefits, tax filing, and termination of employment. Our Employer of Record solution allows you to manag`e your overseas teams efficiently while minimizing cost and risk.

FAQ Cote d'Ivoire

  • Working hours in Cote d'Ivoire

    By law, the maximum number of working days per week is 6 and there is a 37.5% premium for night work (of hourly pay), while no premium is due for work on weekly rest days. Finally, 23.8% is the premium for overtime work.

  • What are the main holidays in Cote d'Ivoire?

    • New Year
    • Easter Monday
    • Labor Day
    • Day After Laila tou-Kadr
    • Ascension Day
    • Aid el-Fitr
    • Whit Monday
    • Aid el-Kebir
    • Independence Day
    • Assumption of Mary
    • The Day After Prophet’s Birthday
    • All Saints Day
    • National Peace Day
    • Christmas Day
  • What are payroll taxes in Cote d'Ivoire?

    Employers Social Security and statutory contributions:

    • 17.35%, calculated on gross income

    Employees Social Security and statutory contributions: 3.2%, calculated on gross income

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