Globalization Partners provides employer of record services for customers that want to hire employees and run payroll without first establishing a branch office or subsidiary in Gabon. Your candidate is hired via Globalization Partners’ Gabon PEO in accordance with local labor laws and can be onboarded in days instead of the months it typically takes. The individual is assigned to work on your team, working on your company’s behalf exactly as if he or she were your employee to fulfill your in-country requirements.
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Our solution enables customers to run payroll in Gabon while HR services, tax, and compliance management matters are lifted from their shoulders onto ours. As a Global PEO expert, we manage employment contract best practices, statutory and market norm benefits, and employee expenses, as well as severance and termination if required. We also keep you apprised of changes to local employment laws in Gabon.
Your new employee is productive sooner, has a better hiring experience and is 100% dedicated to your team. You’ll have peace of mind knowing you have a team of dedicated employment experts assisting with every hire. Globalization Partners allows you to harness the talent of the brightest people in more than 185 countries around the world, quickly and painlessly.
Gabon is located in West Africa, bordering the Atlantic Ocean. Gabon, with a population of over 2 million, is one of the least densely populated countries in the world. Over 850,000 Gabonese live in Libreville, its capital city. French is the official language, spoken by 80% of the people. Fang is spoken by an estimated 30% of the population. Gabon’s GDP is USD 19.63 billion and growing at 3.9% annually. Its unemployment rate 20.4%, and its major exports are oil (which accounts for 80% of all exports), manganese, uranium, and timber.
When negotiating terms of an employment contract and offer letter with an employee in Gabon, it may be useful to keep the following in mind:
Employment Contracts in Gabon
Fixed term contracts of 2 years are permitted, and may be renewed once.
It is best practice to put a written employment contract in place in Gabon, in French, which spells out the terms of the employee’s compensation, benefits, and termination requirements. An offer letter and employment contract in Gabon should always state the salary and any compensation amounts in Central African CFA francs rather than a foreign currency.
Working Hours in Gabon
The workday in Gabon is 8 hours with a 5 day work week.
Holidays in Gabon
Gabon celebrates 11 national holidays:
- New Year’s Day
- Easter Monday
- Women’s Rights Day
- Labour Day
- Whit Monday
- Eid al-Fitr
- Assumption of Mary
- Independence Day (2 days)
- Eid al-Adha
- All Saints’ Eve
- Christmas Day
Vacation Days in Gabon
In general, employees are entitled to 24 days of paid annual leave. Leave time is increased according to the age of the employee, the length of time spent working at the company ,and the employee’s family situation.
10 days of paid leave may be taken for family events.
Gabon Sick Leave
Employees are entitled to up to 6 months of paid sick leave.
Maternity/Paternity Leave in Gabon
Female employees are generally entitled to 14 weeks of paid maternity leave: 6 weeks of leave prior to the birth and 8 weeks after.
Paternity leave is covered in the family allowance leave. See vacation.
Health Insurance in Gabon
Gabon has national fee for service health care. While maternity care and medicine are free, employees must pay a portion of other medical services according to a schedule in the employment law.
Termination/Severance in Gabon
Probationary periods may not exceed 6 months.
Generally, employees must be notified of termination according to the following schedule:
- less than 1 year of service: 15 days
- 1 to 3 years of service: 1 month
- 3 to 5 years of service: 2 months
- 5 to 10 years of service: 3 months
- 10 to 15 years of service: 4 months
- 15 to 20 years of service: 5 months
- 20 to 30 years of service: 6 months
Paying Taxes in Gabon
Employers contribute 20.1% of payroll to social security for retirement, work injury, medicine and hospital costs, and family allowances. Employees contribute 2.5% for retirement and 1% for health insurance.
This information is provided as generally accepted information and is not intended as advisory services.
Why Globalization Partners
Establishing a branch office or subsidiary in Gabon to engage a small team is time-consuming, expensive and complex. Gabon’s labor law has strong worker protections, requiring great attention to detail and an understanding of local best practices. Globalization Partners makes it painless and easy to expand into Gabon. We can help you hire your candidate of choice, handle HR matters and payroll, and ensure that you’re in compliance with local laws, without the burden of setting up a foreign branch office or subsidiary. Our Gabon PEO and Global Employer of Record solution provides you peace of mind so that you can focus on running your business.
If you would like to discuss how Globalization Partners can provide a seamless employee leasing or PEO solution for hiring employees in Gabon, please contact us.
