The Republic of Ghana is a West African country situated on the coast of the Gulf of Guinea. It extends to an area of 238,533 square kilometers. Ghana is bordered to the northwest and north by Burkina Faso, to the east by Togo, to the south by the Atlantic Ocean, and to the west by Côte d’Ivoire.
The Ghanaian economy is a mixture of private and public enterprise. About three-fifths of the GDP is derived from the services sector, while the agriculture and industry sectors each contribute about one-fifth and one-fourth of the GDP.
*Please note that the official currency is the currency of remuneration when employed through WorkMotion in Ghana.
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Capital :
Accra
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Currency :
Ghanaian Cedi (GH¢, GHS)
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Languages spoken :
English
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Population :
31.73 million (2021 est.)
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Minimum wage 2023 :
GHS 14.88 per day
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Cost of Living index :
$$ (95 of 139 nations)
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Payroll Frequency :
Monthly
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VAT - standard rate :
12.5%
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GDP - real growth rate :
5.4% (2021 est.)
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Employees are entitled to 13 public holidays.
The national holidays mentioned below are valid for the year 2024.
The approximate time for sharing the contract with an employee in Ghana is 14 business days assuming no special requests or changes to our standard employment contract. Any such requests or changes would need to undergo internal and external review, directly leading to a time delay.
NOTE: This number is subject to change and is only an estimation of the Contract Sharing Time. The estimated Contract Sharing Time begins from the moment that WorkMotion has received all required information from both the client and the employee.
The hours of work of a worker should be a maximum of eight hours a day or 40 hours a week.
Where the normal hours of work are continuous, a worker is entitled to at least 30 minutes’ break in the course of the work, but the break forms part of the normal hours of work.
Where a worker in an undertaking works after the hours of work fixed by the rules of that undertaking, the additional hours done should be regarded as overtime work. Overtime rates are not fixed by law but are usually fixed by the relevant employment contract or collective agreement. Overtime hours are typically paid at 150% of the normal hourly wage.
Where, as a condition for the engagement of an employee, a contract of employment requires probation, the contract should specify the duration of the probation for the employee. The standard practice is six months.
The notice period prior to termination depends on the contract type and length as follows:
| Contract Length/Type | Notice Period |
| Contract determinable at will | No notice |
| Weekly contracts | 7 days |
| Contract of fewer than 3 years | 2 weeks |
| Contract of 3 years or more | 1 month |
NOTE: The termination notice period for an employee with disabilities should not be shorter than one month.
In any undertaking, every worker is entitled to no less than 15 working days leave with full pay in any calendar year of continuous service. The requirement of continuous service is deemed to have been met if the worker has worked for not less than 200 days in the particular year.
The Labor Act provides workers the right to be absent from work owing to sickness certified by a medical practitioner, but it does not indicate whether a person is entitled to sick pay nor the permissible maximum duration for sick leave.
There is no statutory parental leave in Ghana.
A female worker, on the production of a medical certificate issued by a medical practitioner or midwife indicating the expected date of her confinement, is entitled to a period of maternity leave of at least 12 weeks after her period of confinement. The leave is entirely paid for by the employer.
There is no statutory paternity leave in Ghana.
A worker may absent themselves from normal work duties with permission on the grounds of participating in voluntary communal work or the discharge of civic duties. However, the Labor Act does not fix a maximum duration for this kind of leave, nor does it expressly stipulate the employee’s remuneration during these periods.
Employers may grant special leave to employees without pay.
The social security contribution scheme is structured into three tiers, the first two of which require mandatory contributions. The mandatory contribution rates for the first two tiers of social security schemes are as follows:
| Employer Contributions | Employee Contributions |
| 13% | 5.5% |
The maximum contribution is on a salary of GHS 35,000.
Out of the combined employer and employee social security contributions of 18.5%, 2.5% is sent to the National Health Insurance Authority(NHIA) for the member’s health insurance.
The National Health Insurance program provides a range of healthcare services free of charge, including inpatient and outpatient services, emergency care, eye treatment, dental, and maternity care.
Where an employee sustains a personal injury by accident arising out of, and in the course of employment, the employer is liable to pay compensation:
There is no mandatory requirement for employers to purchase unemployment insurance in Ghana.
Out of the combined employer and employee’s social security contributions of 18.5%, 11% is used to finance pensions for old age, disability, and survivors, and 5% is used to finance the mandatory Second Tier Occupational Scheme, which is managed by Enterprise Trustees Limited.
To qualify for an old-age pension, the employee must be at least 60 years and have made a minimum aggregate contribution of 180 months (or 15 years).
Emigration benefits are a lump sum payment of benefits to non-Ghanaian members of the Social Security Scheme whose services are ended and leaving Ghana permanently.
The information contained in this Country Guide is provided for informational purposes only and should not be construed as legal advice on any subject matter. The contents of this Country Guide contain general information and may not reflect current legal developments or address your situation. You should not act or refrain from acting on the basis of any content included in this Country Guide without seeking the advice or representation of a licensed attorney. WorkMotion Software GmbH disclaims all liability for actions you take or fail to take based on any content included in this Country Guide.
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